[Chaturamnaya] Adi Sankara's Bhaja Govindam - 8

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Continued from previous post)
  
 
Verse 28
सुखतः क्रियते रामाभोगः, पश्चात् हन्त शरीरे रोगः |
यध्यपि लोके मरणं शरणं, तदपि न मुञ्चति पापाचरणम् ||
Sukhatah kriyatE raamaabhogah, Paschaatdanta sareerE rOgah
Yadyapi lOkE maranam saranam, Tadapi na munjati paapaacharanam
 
Man indulges in sensual plesures (raama aabhOgah kriyatE राम आभोगः क्रियते ) very readily (sukhatah सुखतः ). But alas! (hanta हन्त !). Later that results in diseases in the body (paschaat sareerE rOgah
पश्चात् शरीरे रोगः ). Even though (yadyapi यदपि ) in the world (lOkE लोके ) death is the ultimate end (maranam saranam मरणं शरणं ), even then (tad api तदपि) [man] does not give up (na munjati न मुञ्जति ) sinful behavior
(paapa aacharanam पाप आचरणं).
 
The aacharya (आचार्यः) explicitly admonishes improper behavior in the following verse.
 
Verse 3
नारीस्तनभरनाभीदेशं दृष्ट्वा मा गा मोहावेशं |
एतन्मांसवसादिविकारं मनसि विचिन्तय वारं वारं ||
Naaree stanabhara naabheedesam, Drshtvaa maa gaa mOhaavesam
Edat maamsavasaadivikaaram, Manasi vichintaya vaaram vaaram
 
Seeing (dhrshtvaa दृष्ट्वा ) the bosom and naval region of women (naaree stana bhara naabheedesam नारी स्तनभर नाभीदेशं ), do not attain (maa gaa मा गा ) an infatuated state (mOha aavesam मोह आवेशं ). 
Deliberate (vichintaya विचिन्त्य ) in [your] mind (manasi मनसि ) again and again (vaaram vaaram वारं वारं ) [that] this (Etat एतत् ) [is only] a modification of flesh and fat (maamsavasaadi vikaaram
मांसावसादि विकारं ).
 
The particular reference in the verse to gory flesh and fat is to emphasize the perishability of those objects of desire and not to be fooled by outward appearances. Seeing the defects
in objects of desire (vishaya dOsha darsana विषयदोषदर्शन ) is a powerful technique of autosuggestion in overcoming improper desires. Though addressed at renunciates, the above verse equally
applies to the householder with regard to women other than one’s spouse and also in maintaining a proper behavior with one’s own spouse. Needless to say, this and other pieces of advice
in the saastras (शाश्त्राः) have a parallel applicability to women as well.
 
He indeed is a seer who sees another’s wife as mother, another’s possessions as dirt, and all beings as oneself. (मातृवत् परदारान्स्च परद्रव्याणि लोष्टवत् आत्मवत् सर्वभूतानां यो पश्यति सो पश्यति 
Maatrvat paradaaranscha paradravyaani loshtavat, aatmavat sarvabhootaanaam yah pasyati sah pasyati). Chastity is given a much wider meaning in our sastras and encompasses much more
than avoiding physical contacts. To quote a piece from the Sarva vEdaanta sidhaanta saara sangraha (सर्ववेदान्त सिध्धान्त सार संग्रह) of Sri Adi Sankara, chastity (brahmacharya ब्रह्मचर्य ) is defined as
the avoidance of the following eight fold associations: thinking with bad intentions; ogling; flattering the qualities and actions of members of the opposite sex; contemplating their
good looks; loving amorously; indulging in too much conversations; living together; and physical relationship.
(स्मरणं दर्शनं स्त्रीणां गुणकर्मानुकीर्तनम् समीचीनत्वतीस्तासु प्रीतिः संभाषणं मितः सहवासं च संसर्गः अष्टदा मैथुनं विदुः smaranam darsanam streenaam guna-karma-anukeertanam, sameecheenat-vatIstaasu preetih sambhaashanam mitah,
sahavaasam cha samsargah ashtadaa maithunam vidu:).
 
 
(Continued in next post)