Bhaja Govindam - verse 17

Chanting of Bhaja Govindam - verse 17 (Download the MP3)

Worshipping at the place where the Ganga enters the ocean, maintaining vows or doing charity, without knowledge one does not obtain liberation even in a hundred years according to all faiths.

Interpretation

   The two preceding verses have described the plight of a person who indulges in the material world and the misery of a hypocrite who lives like an ascetic but continues to desire material objects. This verse describes the proverbial ‘good' person. A person may go for pilgrimages to the banks of the Ganga, maintain vows and engage in charitable activities. Yet, such a person does not attain mukti , liberation, janmashatena , even in a hundred years if he or she is jnana viheena , does not have knowledge of the Self.

   The mukti that this verse speaks of is liberation from the clutches of desire. The only way out of our constricted existence is to exhaust our desires. When we engage in charitable activities, go on pilgrimages and maintain vows as an end in themselves rather than a means to an end, we are unable to exhaust our desires. These practices are excellent to develop discipline and take one further on the spiritual path when performed with the right attitude. But this verse is only cautioning us against getting lost in activities such as these. Spiritual practices are meant to take us towards our goal of Self-Realization, the state of desirelessness. If we follow these practices without this focus we grow to a limited extent beyond which we cannot progress on the spiritual path.

   The most common criticism raised against Vedanta is that it talks only about esoteric things like Self-Realization while the rest of the world dies of poverty and hunger. Such views are misplaced. Vedanta encourages us to do charity, to expand our circle of concern and reach out to others. However, if these activities are performed without dedicating them to a spiritual goal to reduce our burden of desires, we get caught in a loop of desire. And spiritually, we remain as far away from our goal as the persons described in the two previous verses. Examine the situation closely. Our goal is to reduce the number of desires. If we lose sight of our goal, we get lost in these ‘good' activities and create desires to engage in ‘good' activities. On the other hand, if we remain focused on our goal and understand that these spiritual practices are a means to an end, we do not pick up more desires. The pilgrimages, charity and vows become an offering at the altar of our goal of Self-Realisation.