Bhaj Govindam Verse 9
Bhaj Govindam
Am putting forth again the gist of what we have seen so far in the previous 8 verses.
In the first 6 verses Guru Shri Shankaracharya has been talking about the disease we all are infested with and the symptoms. In the 7th verse he told us the cause and in verse 8 he started helping us with the remedy or the solution to our illness called ‘Delusion’.
In verse 8 we were asked to inquire; Who am I and Where have I come from? In Verse 9, how this very state can be held on to and outcome has been told.
Verse 9
सत्संगत्वे निस्संगत्वं,
निस्संगत्वे निर्मोहत्वं।
निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं
निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः॥९॥
The ninth verse said to me - Shruti says🌷
Sat ka saang (company of the ultimate truth) leads to no company,
No company leads to destruction of delusion.
Destruction of delusion leads to steadfastness (makes one Stith Prgya),
Steadfastness is liberation.
In other words,
When we connected to God, we realise that all is but one, there is no two. Hence, duality vanishes and when there is no duality there is no delusion. When all is god and his Leela, we learn surrender and to just be and that is liberations.
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This verse is so beautiful, a constant mulling and pondering of this verse reveals the deepest of secrets. How just one right connection or contact can carry us efforlessly to Liberations. Let’s first understand the meaning of each word.
Satsangat
What do we mean by Satsaang? It means Saat ka Saang - The company of Truth.
What is the definition of Truth? Truth is Eternal, permanent and never changing. It was the same, it is the same and it will remain the same, no situation nor time has impact on it. It is not momentary, transient or perishable.
Everything and everyone else is but a passing cloud. What is relevant today, becomes irrelevant tomorrow. The close become distant etc. That which is changing is not real. It is Maya, it is mithya - Untrue.
Now, if we ponder on truth, we will realise, only one fits the definition of truth - That is God.
Sat Ka Saang = Company of Truth = Company of God
Note: That which takes me to God is Su-Saangh (good company), anything that takes me away from God is Ku-Saangh - that is bad company.
Nissangat
The direct translations means ‘No company’. Having no company can be described in various ways;
- Being in solitude - Alone ( Note - Alone not necessarily means lonely - There is a big difference between ‘Akelapan’ And ‘Ekanth’. where Akeapan means lonely, Ekanth means, in the company of self.) The example of this kind of solitude are our various Rishis.
- Being in Samsar or world, yet being alone - Even in the middle of thousands of people one is alone - Na kisi se dosti, aur na kisi se bare, no hatred or love. The best example fo this kind of Nissangat is Maharaja Janak. In the middle of all the opulences, he had no company other than the Lord. He looked like a normal Raja, and was even judged and mistook by Sukhdevji to be an attached house-holder, not worthy to be his guru.
Physical distancing or Mental distancing, both are termed as No company.
Note: Any Place, person or thing that takes us aways from God and the inquiry of the truth, ‘Who am I And Where have I come from’, should be shunned and discarded at the earliest.
Nirmoha
Moha is Delusion. Delusion is believing the real to be unreal, and the unreal to be real. In the dark, the rope looks like a snake, or the pole looks like a ghost. But, when the sun rises, the truth is revealed and the rope and the pole are seen as it is, and the fear vanishes.
When we see duality, me and mine, you and yours in this world it is Moha delusion.
Nirmoha means No delusion, or that which is not deluded any more. He/she sees God in all and all in God. That one who is all pervading.
Niscal
Niscal means totally steadfast. Actually no English word can explain Nischal, will have to use Stith Pragya.
- The one is beyond duality - Joy Sorrow, success failure, life death, hate love, mine thine.
- The one who is beyond - Kaam, Krodh, Moha, Lobh, Ahenkar, Maad, Matsarya or any Vikar/Vices.
- The one whose does not have any Vasanas left. Vasana - The residual impression of our Karma, good or bad tendencies which is carried forward birth after birth are also burnt.
Ramji is a living example of what a Stith Pragya is. At night when he was told that he would be crowned king, he was not over joyed. The next day when he was told that he would be exiled to the jungle for 14 years, he did not drown in sorrow.
No matter what the situation, the one who is Nischal, Steadfast or Stith, is not influenced or thrown into extreme behaviour. He can not be deluded by Maya, as he knows all is but a play in the theatre of God.
Jeevan Mukti
Jeevan Mukti means Liberations. Liberation happens while we are still alive. One does not get liberated after death. The one who crosses the ocean of mundane existence while alive, is spared the cycle of birth and death.
What is liberations? Liberation is when we the free, realise we are free and not bound. We the eternal realise we are eternal and not perishable. When the Self reveals the Self to the self.
Ramji asked Hanumanji, What am I to you?
Hanumanji said,
- When I am revealing in this world of delusion, I am the servant and you are my Lord.
- When I realise the play of Maya and start journeying within and the world starts becoming distant, I know that I am but a part of you.
- When maya does not touch me anymore, and I am beyond her deluding power. I am alone and emersed in you. There is no me my Lord, only you remain.
The realisation of this ultimate truth, only God is, is Jeevan Mukti.
Lets now knit it all together;
सत्संगत्वे निस्संगत्वं
Saat ka saang leads to no company,
When we have the desire to be only in the Company of God, or that which reminds us of God, many things just drop off, some we drop and some drop us. The more we move toward the light, the darkness automatically disappears.
No company does not mean that one has to go to the jungle. One can choose to go into solitude if that is their chosen path. One could be very much in this world doing everything that is to be done, seeming like an ordinary individual on the outside, yet totally detached from the dualities of the world.
‘Be stubborn about your Goal, and not your method, as all paths lead to that One.’
We should remember that It happens effortlessly, what we ones liked no longer entices us, those who ones understood us, no longer comprehend our endeavours. Even in the company of all, looking as normal as anyone else, all the company equates to no company.
Chalte Chalte teri raah mai,
humne eknath ko chu liya.
kuch choote,
kuch humne choda,
kuch ne humko chod diya.
Jinko hum na chod paye prabhu,
tune unse humara nata tod diya.
kuch Choote,
kuch humne choda,
kuch ne humko chod diya.
Bheedh mai ho ya akele,
subse rishta tod diya.
Sabse prem ki door batorkar,
tujse bandhan jodå liya.
kuch Choote,
kuch humne choda,
kuch ne humko chod diya.
Aab tau prabhu bus tera saangh hai,
saab ke beech bhi aab hum Nissangh hai,
Aisa kuch humne aab raaha ko maudh liya.
kuch Choote,
kuch humne choda,
kuch ne humko chod diya.
निस्संगत्वे निर्मोहत्वं।
No company leads to destruction of delusion.
True knowledge, drives away ignorance. Just like when the Sun rises the darkness disappears. When the noise of the world ends, in that silence the truth reveals itself.
One starts to see, that all is but a play, that one has taken various forms and is acting on this stage called the world. The duality ends, and that one remains.
निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं
Destruction of delusion leads to steadfastness (makes one Stith Prgna)
Ones there is no two and we see the entire world as nothing but Lord and his Leela, his pass time, there remains no place for desires and games of Ego and Expectation. Maya no longer touches that individual who has been touched by God.
निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः
Steadfastness is liberation
What else is liberations, where one is able to shower divine love on all, at all times, in all situation is liberated.
The entire world is but the Lord - Duniya Rammaye Hogai
Kis se bandhu bare jagat mai,
Koi nahin paraya.
Haar manav mai Pratibim lekar
Ushi Brahm ki Chaya..
Ushi Brahm ki Chaya..
When my hands hold your feet, I can’t hold on to anything else.
Just turn towards God, all else will be taken care of by him.
Don’t work on removing the thorn(vices), just walk towards God, then it becomes his responsibility to remove the obstacles on your path.
So preaches the Great Guru Shankaracharya.
Hari Om🙏
