Bhaja Govindam in English – Moha Mudgara

Bhaja Govindam or Moha Mudgara is a popular stotram for worshipping Lord Vishnu. It was composed by Shri Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya. The rendition of Bhaja Govindam by Shri MS Subbulakshmi is very popular. Get Bhaja Govindam in English Lyrics Pdf with meaning here and chant it with devotion for the grace of Lord Vishnu or Narayana.

Bhaja Govindam in English – Moha Mudgara 

bhaja govindam bhaja govindam
bhaja govindam müdhamate,
samprápte sannihite kále
na hi na hi rakshati dukrunkarane || 1 ||

Meaning: Adore the Lord, adore the Lord, adore the Lord, O fool! when the appointed time (for departure) comes, the repetition of grammatical rules will not, indeed, save you.

mūḍha jahīhi dhanāgamatṛṣṇāṁ
kuru sadbuddhiṁ manasi vitṛṣṇām |
yallabhase nijakarmopāttaṁ
vittaṁ tena vinodaya cittam || 2 ||

Meaning: O fool! leave off the desire for accumulation of wealth; create in the mind, thoughts about Reality, devoid of passion. What you get – i.e. what you have achieved through your past deeds – with that, satisfy your mind.

nārīstanabhara nābhīdeśaṁ
dṛṣṭvā māgāmohāveśam |
etanmāṁsāvasādi vikāraṁ
manasi vicintaya vāraṁ vāram || 3 ||

Meaning: Seeing the seductive female form, do not fall prey to frenzied delusion. That (female form) is (but) a modification of flesh and fat. Think well thus in your mind and again and again.

nalinīdalagata jalamatitaralaṁ
tadvajjīvitamatiśayacapalam |
viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṁ
lokaṁ śokahataṁ ca samastam || 4 ||

Meaning: The water on the lotus-leaf is very unsteady; so also is life extremely unstable. Know that the entire world is devoured by disease and conceit, and smitten with sorrow.

yāvadvittopārjana saktaḥ
stāvannija parivāro raktaḥ |
paścājjīvati jarjara dehe
vārtāṁ ko’pi na pṛcchati gehe || 5 ||

Meaning: As long as you have the ability to earn money, so long will your dependents be attached to you. After that, when you live with an infirm body no one world even speak to you a word.

yāvatpavano nivasati dehe
tāvatpṛcchati kuśalaṁ gehe |
gatavati vāyau dehāpāye
bhāryā bibhyati tasminkāye || 6 ||

Meaning: As long as there is breath in the body, so long people in the household ask about one’s welfare. Once the breath leaves, on the destruction of the body, the dependents dread that very same body.

bālastāvatkrīḍāsaktaḥ
taruṇastāvattaruṇīsaktaḥ |
vṛddhastāvaccintāsaktaḥ
pare brahmaṇi ko’pi na saktaḥ || 7 ||

Meaning: When a boy, one is attached to sport; when a youth, one is attached to as young woman; when old. one is attached to anxiety; to the supreme Brahman, no one, alas, is attached!

kāte kāntā kaste putraḥ
saṁsāro’yamatīva vicitraḥ |
kasya tvaṁ kaḥ kuta āyātaḥ
tattvaṁ cintaya tadiha bhrātaḥ || 8 ||

Meaning: Who is your wife? Who is your son? Exceedingly wonderful, indeed, is this empirical process! Of whom are you? Who are you? Whence have you come? O brother, think of that truth here.

satsaṇgatve nissṇgatvaṁ
nissaṇgatve nirmohatvam |
nirmohatve niścalatattvaṁ
niścalatattve jīvanmuktiḥ || 9 ||

Meaning: Through the company of the good, there arises non-attachment; through non-attachment, there arises freedom from delution; through delusionless-ness, there arises steadfastness; through steadfastness, there arises liberation in life.

vayasigate kaḥ kāmavikāraḥ
śuṣke nīre kaḥ kāsāraḥ |
kśīṇevitte kaḥ parivāraḥ
jñāte tattve kaḥ saṁsāraḥ || 10 ||

Meaning: When youth is spent, what lustful play is there?
When the water has evaporated, what lake is there?
When the money is gone, what dependents are there?
When the truth is known, what empirical process is there?

mā kuru dhana jana yauvana garvaṁ
harati nimeṣātkālaḥ sarvam |
māyāmayamidamakhilaṁ hitvā
brahmapadaṁ tvaṁ praviśa viditvā || 11 ||

Meaning: Do not be proud of wealth, kindred, and youth; Time takes away all these in a moment. Leaving aside this entire (world) which is of the nature of an illusion, and knowing the state of Brahman, enter into it.

dinayāminyau sāyaṁ prātaḥ
śiśiravasantau punarāyātaḥ |
kālaḥ krīḍati gacchatyāyuḥ
tadapi na muñcatyāśāvāyuḥ || 12 ||

Meaning: Day and night, dusk and dawn, winter and spring come repeatedly; Time sports, life is fleeting; yet one does not leave the winds of desire.

kāte kāntā dhana gatacintā
vātula kiṁ tava nāsti niyantā |
trijagati sajjanasaṁ gatiraikā
bhavati bhavārṇavataraṇe naukā || 13 ||

Meaning: Why worry about wife, wealth, etc., O crazy one; is there not for you the one who ordains? In the three worlds, it is only the association with good people that can serve as the boat that can carry one across the sea of birth.

dvādaśa-mañjarikābhiraśēṣaḥ
kathitō vaiyākaraṇasyaiṣaḥ ।
upadēśō’bhūdvidyā-nipuṇaiḥ
śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachCharaṇaiḥ ॥ 14 ॥

jaṭilo muṇḍī luñchitakeśaḥ
kāṣāyāmbarabahukṛtaveṣaḥ |
paśyannapi cana paśyati mūḍhaḥ
udaranimittaṁ bahukṛtaveṣaḥ || 15 ||

Meaning: The ascetic with matted lock, the one with his head shaven, the one with hairs pulled out one by one, the one who disguises himself variously with the ochre-coloured robes – such a one is a fool who, though seeing, does not see. Indeed, this varied disguise is for the sake of the belly.

aṇgaṁ galitaṁ palitaṁ muṇḍaṁ
daśanavihīnaṁ jataṁ tuṇḍam |
vṛiddho yāti gṛihītvā daṇḍaṁ
tadapi na muñcatyāśāpiṇḍam || 16 ||

Meaning: The body has become decrepit; the head has turned grey; the mouth has been rendered toothless; grasping a stick, the old man moves about. Even then, the mass of desires does not go.

agre vahniḥ pṛṣṭhebhānuḥ
rātrau cubukasamarpitajānuḥ |
karatalabhikśastarutalavāsaḥ
tadapi na muñcatyāśāpāśaḥ || 17 ||

Meaning: In front, there is fire; at the back, there is the sin; in the night, (the ascetic sits) with the knees stuck to the chin; he receives alms in his palms, and lives under the trees; yet the bondage of desire does not leave him.

kurute gaṅgāsāgaragamanaṁ
vrataparipālanamathavā dānam |
jñānavihinaḥ sarvamatena
muktiṁ na bhajati janmaśatena || 18 ||

Meaning: One goes on pilgrimage to the place where the Gañgá joins the sea; or observe the religious vows with care; or offers gifts. But if he be devoid of knowledge, he does not gain release-according to all schools of thought-even in a hundred lives.

sura mandira taru mūla nivāsaḥ
śayyā bhūtala majinaṁ vāsaḥ |
sarva parigraha bhoga tyāgaḥ
kasya sukhaṁ na karoti virāgaḥ || 19 ||

Meaning: Living in temples or at the foot of trees, sleeping on the ground, wearing deer-skin, renouncing all possessions and their enjoyment – to whom will not dispassion bring happiness?

yogarato vābhogaratovā
saṇgarato vā saṇgavīhinaḥ |
yasya brahmaṇi ramate cittaṁ
nandati nandati nandatyeva || 20 ||

Meaning: Let one practice concentration; or let one indulge in sense-enjoyment. Let one find pleasure in company; or in solitude. He alone is happy, happy, verily happy, whose mind revels in Brahman.

bhagavad gītā kiñcidadhītā
gaṇgā jalalava kaṇikāpītā |
sakṛdapi yena murāri samarcā
kriyate tasya yamena na carcā || 21 ||

Meaning: For him, who has studied the Bhagavadgitá even a little, who has drunk a drop of the Gañgá-water, and who has performed the worship of the Destroyer of the demon Mura at least once, there is no tiff with Yama (the lord of death).

punarapi jananaṁ punarapi maraṇaṁ
punarapi jananī jaṭhare śayanam |
iha saṁsāre bahudustāre
kṛpayā’pāre pāhi murāre || 22 ||

Meaning: Repeated birth, repeated death, and repeated lying in mother’s womb – this transmigratory process is extensive and difficult to cross; save me, O Destroyer of Mura (O Køúïa), through your grace!

rathyā carpaṭa viracita kanthaḥ
puṇyāpuṇya vivarjita panthaḥ |
yogī yoganiyojita citto
ramate bālonmattavadeva || 23 ||

Meaning: He who wears a dress made of rags that lie about in the streets, he who walks in the path that is beyond merit and demerit the yogin whose mind is given up to yoga revels (in Brahman) just as a child or as a mad-man.

kastvaṁ ko’haṁ kuta āyātaḥ
kā me jananī ko me tātaḥ |
iti paribhāvaya sarvamasāram
viśvaṁ tyaktvā svapna vicāram || 24 ||

Meaning: Who are you? Whom am I? Whence have I come? Who is my mother? Who, my father? Thus enquire, leaving aside the entire world which is comparable to a dream, and is essenceless.

tvayi mayi cānyatraiko viṣṇuḥ
vyarthaṁ kupyasi mayyasahiṣṇuḥ |
bhava samacittaḥ sarvatra tvaṁ
vāñchasyacirādyadi viṣṇutvam || 25 ||

Meaning: In you, in me, and elsewhere too, there is but one Viúïu (God). Vainly do you get angry with me, being impatient. See the Self in all things, and leave off everywhere ignorance which is the cause of difference.

śatrau mitre putre bandhau
mā kuru yatnaṁ vigrahasandhau |
sarvasminnapi paśyātmānaṁ
sarvatrotsṛja bhedājñānam || 26 ||

Meaning: Make no effort to be either at war with, or in league with, enemy, friend, son, or relative. If you want to attain the status of Viúïu (Godhood) soon, be equal-minded towards all things.

kāmaṁ krodhaṁ lobhaṁ mohaṁ
tyaktvā’tmānaṁ bhāvaya ko’ham |
ātmajñāna vihīnā mūḍhāḥ
te pacyante narakanigūḍhāḥ || 27 ||

Meaning: Leaving off desire, anger, greed, and delusion, make self-inquiry; who am I? They are fools who are without Self-knowledge; as captives in hell, they are tortured.

geyaṁ gītā nāma sahasraṁ
dhyeyaṁ śrīpati rūpamajasram |
neyaṁ sajjana saṇge cittaṁ
deyaṁ dīnajanāya ca vittam || 28 ||

Meaning: The BhagavadgItá and the Sahasranáma should be sung; the form of the Lord of Lakshmi(Vishnu) should always be meditated on; the mind should be led to the company of the good; and wealth should be distributed among the indigent.

sukhataḥ kriyate rāmābhogaḥ
paścāddhanta śarīre rogaḥ |
yadyapi loke maraṇaṁ śaraṇaṁ
tadapi na muñcati pāpācaraṇam || 29 ||

Meaning: One easily takes to carnal enjoyment afterwards, lo, there is disease of the body. Although, in the world, death is the refuge, even then one does not relinquish sinful ways.

arthamanarthaṁ bhāvaya nityaṁ
nāstitataḥ sukhaleśaḥ satyam |
putrādapi dhana bhājāṁ bhītiḥ
sarvatraiṣā vihiā rītiḥ || 30 ||

Meaning: `Wealth is no good’; thus reflect always; there is not the least happiness therefrom; this is the truth. For the wealthy, there is fear even from a son; everywhere this is the regular mode.

prāṇāyāmaṁ pratyāhāraṁ
nityānitya vivekavicāram |
jāpyasameta samādhividhānaṁ
kurvavadhānaṁ mahadavadhānam || 31 ||

Meaning: The regulation of breath, the withdrawal of the senses (from their respective objects), the inquiry consisting in the discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal, the method of mind-control associated with the muttering of mantras – perform these with great care.

gurucaraṇāmbuja nirbhara bhakataḥ
saṁsārādacirādbhava muktaḥ |
sendriyamānasa niyamādevaṁ
drakśyasi nija hṛdayasthaṁ devam || 32 ||

Meaning: Being devoted completely to the lotus-feet of the Master, become released soon from the transmigratory process. Thus, through the discipline of sense and mind-control, you will behold the Deity that resides in your heart.

mūḍhaḥ kaśchana vaiyākaraṇō
ḍuḥkṛṅkaraṇādhyayanadhurīṇaḥ ।
śrīmachChaṅkara-bhagavachChiṣyaiḥ
bōdhita āsīchChōdhita-karaṇaḥ ॥ 33 ॥

bhaja gōvindaṃ bhaja gōvindaṃ
gōvindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamatē ।
nāmasmaraṇādanyamupāyaṃ
nahi paśyāmō bhavataraṇē ॥ 34 ॥