Siraatभजगोविन्दम्
भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं गोविन्दं भज मूढमते । सम्प्राप्ते सन्निहिते काले नहि नहि रक्षति डुकृञ्करणे ॥१॥
Bhaja Govindaṃ Bhaja Govindaṃ Govindaṃ Bhaja Mūḍhamate | Samprāpte Sannihite Kāle Nahi Nahi Rakṣati Ḍukṛñ-Karaṇe ||1||
Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, O deluded mind! When the appointed hour draws near, dry rules of grammar will not save you.
मूढ जहीहि धनागमतृष्णां कुरु सद्बुद्धिं मनसि वितृष्णाम् । यल्लभसे निजकर्मोपात्तं वित्तं तेन विनोदय चित्तम् ॥२॥
Mūḍha Jahīhi Dhanāgama-Tṛṣṇāṃ Kuru Sad-Buddhiṃ Manasi Vitṛṣṇām | Yal-Labhase Nija-Karmopāttaṃ Vittaṃ Tena Vinodaya Cittam ||2||
O fool, give up the thirst to amass wealth; cultivate desirelessness and good sense in the mind. Be content in heart with whatever comes to you through your own honest effort.
नारीस्तनभरनाभीदेशं दृष्ट्वा मा गा मोहावेशम् । एतन्मांसवसादिविकारं मनसि विचिन्तय वारं वारम् ॥३॥
Nārī-Stana-Bhara-Nābhī-Deśaṃ Dṛṣṭvā Mā Gā Mohāveśam | Etan-Māṃsa-Vasādi-Vikāraṃ Manasi Vicintaya Vāraṃ Vāram ||3||
Seeing the body’s beauty, do not fall into the whirl of infatuation. Reflect again and again in the mind that this is but a modification of flesh and fat.
नलिनीदलगतजलमतितरलं तद्वज्जीवितमतिशयचपलम् । विद्धि व्याध्यभिमानग्रस्तं लोकं शोकहतं च समस्तम् ॥४॥
Nalinī-Dala-Gata-Jalam-Atitaralaṃ Tad-Vaj-Jīvitam-Atiśaya-Capalam | Viddhi Vyādhy-Abhimāna-Grastaṃ Lokaṃ Śoka-Hataṃ Ca Samastam ||4||
Life is as unsteady as a drop of water trembling on a lotus leaf. Know that the whole world is seized by disease and conceit and struck with sorrow.
यावद्वित्तोपार्जनसक्तस्तावन्निजपरिवारो रक्तः । पश्चाज्जीवति जर्जरदेहे वार्तां कोऽपि न पृच्छति गेहे ॥५॥
Yāvad-Vittopārjana-Saktas-Tāvan-Nija-Parivāro Raktaḥ | Paścāj-Jīvati Jarjara-Dehe Vārtāṃ Ko-pi Na Pṛcchati Gehe ||5||
As long as you can earn and provide, your family clings to you with affection. When the body grows frail and old, no one at home even asks after you.
यावत्पवनो निवसति देहे तावत्पृच्छति कुशलं गेहे । गतवति वायौ देहापाये भार्या बिभ्यति तस्मिन्काये ॥६॥
Yāvat-Pavano Nivasati Dehe Tāvat-Pṛcchati Kuśalaṃ Gehe | Gatavati Vāyau Dehāpāye Bhāryā Bibhyati Tasmin-Kāye ||6||
While the breath yet dwells in the body, the household asks after your welfare. Once the breath departs and the body falls, even the wife shrinks in fear from that corpse.
बालस्तावत्क्रीडासक्तः तरुणस्तावत्तरुणीसक्तः । वृद्धस्तावच्चिन्तासक्तः परमे ब्रह्मणि कोऽपि न सक्तः ॥७॥
Bālas-Tāvat-Krīḍāsaktaḥ Taruṇas-Tāvat-Taruṇī-Saktaḥ | Vṛddhas-Tāvac-Cintāsaktaḥ Parame Brahmaṇi Ko-pi Na Saktaḥ ||7||
The child is absorbed in play, the youth in passion, the old man in anxieties — but alas, no one is absorbed in the Supreme.
का ते कान्ता कस्ते पुत्रः संसारोऽयमतीव विचित्रः । कस्य त्वं कः कुत आयातस्तत्त्वं चिन्तय तदिह भ्रातः ॥८॥
Kā Te Kāntā Kas-Te Putraḥ Saṃsāro-yam-Atīva Vicitraḥ | Kasya Tvaṃ Kaḥ Kuta Āyātas-Tattvaṃ Cintaya Tad-Iha Bhrātaḥ ||8||
Who is your wife, who your son? This worldly existence is utterly strange. Whose are you, who are you, from where have you come? Reflect on that truth, O brother.
सत्सङ्गत्वे निस्सङ्गत्वं निस्सङ्गत्वे निर्मोहत्वम् । निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः ॥९॥
Sat-Saṅgatve Nis-Saṅgatvaṃ Nis-Saṅgatve Nirmohatvam | Nirmohatve Niścala-Tattvaṃ Niścala-Tattve Jīvan-Muktiḥ ||9||
Good company leads to non-attachment; non-attachment to freedom from delusion; freedom from delusion to steady truth; and steady truth to liberation in this very life.
वयसि गते कः कामविकारः शुष्के नीरे कः कासारः । क्षीणे वित्ते कः परिवारः ज्ञाते तत्त्वे कः संसारः ॥१०॥
Vayasi Gate Kaḥ Kāma-Vikāraḥ Śuṣke Nīre Kaḥ Kāsāraḥ | Kṣīṇe Vitte Kaḥ Parivāraḥ Jñāte Tattve Kaḥ Saṃsāraḥ ||10||
When youth is gone, where is lust? When the water dries, where is the lake? When wealth is gone, where is the family? When the truth is known, where is worldly bondage?
मा कुरु धनजनयौवनगर्वं हरति निमेषात्कालः सर्वम् । मायामयमिदमखिलं हित्वा ब्रह्मपदं त्वं प्रविश विदित्वा ॥११॥
Mā Kuru Dhana-Jana-Yauvana-Garvaṃ Harati Nimeṣāt-Kālaḥ Sarvam | Māyāmayam-Idam-Akhilaṃ Hitvā Brahma-Padaṃ Tvaṃ Praviśa Viditvā ||11||
Take no pride in wealth, followers or youth — time snatches them all away in a moment. Renouncing this whole illusory world, know and enter the state of Brahman.
दिनयामिन्यौ सायं प्रातः शिशिरवसन्तौ पुनरायातः । कालः क्रीडति गच्छत्यायुस्तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशावायुः ॥१२॥
Dina-Yāminyau Sāyaṃ Prātaḥ Śiśira-Vasantau Punar-Āyātaḥ | Kālaḥ Krīḍati Gacchaty-Āyus-Tad-Api Na Muñcaty-Āśā-Vāyuḥ ||12||
Day and night, dusk and dawn, winter and spring come again and again; time sports on and life ebbs away — yet the gust of craving does not loosen its hold.