Bhaja Hu Re Mana Purport by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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Purport Author: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

May 27, 1972 Los Angeles, CA, USA

So this song was sung by Govinda dasa. Govinda-dāsa-abhilāsa re. What is his desire? Abhilāsa means desire. Bhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana: "My dear mind...'' Because mind is our friend and enemy. If you train the mind, then mind is your best friend. And if you cannot train your mind, then will be your bitterest enemy. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18]. Therefore mind has always to be engaged on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then mind automatically will be controlled and will become friend. So Govinda dasa is expressing his desire: "My dear mind, you just be engaged in devotional service of Nanda-nandana.'' His..., he does not say Kṛṣṇa. He says Nanda-nandana. If we address Kṛṣṇa directly, that is not very pleasing, but if we say Kṛṣṇa: Nanda-nandana, Yaśodā-nandana, Devakī-nandana, Pārtha-sārathi—in relationship with His devotee—then He becomes more pleased. So bhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana. Why Śrī-Nanda-nandana? Now, abhaya-caraṇāravinda re. If you take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, Nanda-nandana, then you'll have no more anxiety, fear.

samāṣritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ

mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ

bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ

padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

[SB 10.14.58]

This is Bhagavat-darśana. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. This material world, padaṁ padam means step by step there is danger. So one who takes shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ samāṣritā, for him there is no more danger. Abhaya-caraṇāravinda re. How it is possible to take complete shelter of Kṛṣṇa, which is fearlessness, no anxiety, vaikuṇṭha? Durlabha manava-janama sat-saṅge. This is possible if you associate with devotees. If you think that "Now I have become very much advanced. Now I shall live alone and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura,'' this is nonsense. You cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. You have to associate with devotees. Durlabha manava-janam sat sange. Sat-sange. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido [SB 3.25.25]. If you remain with the devotees, then by their association, by talking with them, you'll get real understanding of God consciousness. It is very practical to understand. Just like in material world there are many associations, societies. Businessmen, they have got their stock exchange association, those who are dealing in exchange. They have got an association. They go there, and their business facility is very good. Similarly, so many clubs. If you want to drink and enjoy sense, you go to so many clubs and associate with them and you'll learn how to drink, how to mate very nicely. So association is very important. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society are giving chance people to associate with us, so that he'll be able to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore Govinda dasa recommends, durlabha mānava-janama-sat-saṅge. Mānava. This human life is durlabha, very rarely obtained. Not dogs' association, crows' association, but swans' association. There are association even by nature. "Birds of the same feather flock together.'' The crows, they'll mix with crows, and the swans will mix with swan. White swan, very nice water, nice garden, they will like that. The crows will not like that. The crows will like where filthy things are thrown away. They'll take pleasure there. So similarly, according to the quality of nature, there are different association in human society. But it is recommended that durlabha mānava sat-saṅge: not with the crows but with the swans. That association.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society is the swans, paramahaṁsa. Haṁsa. Haṁsa means swan. Haṁsa, this example is given because the swan knows the technique how to take milk out of water. You give the swan milk and water, it will take the milk portion and give it up the water portion. Similarly a swan, a haṁsa, paramahaṁsa, means in this human form of life, one who takes the spiritual portion of life and rejects the material portion of life, he is called haṁsa, paramahaṁsa. We are mixed. Our body is material, but I am spirit soul. So we have to know the techniques how to get out of this material bondage. That is the process of jñāna vairāgya, knowledge and renunciation. The example is given, just like wood, firewood. If you somehow or other, you can ignite fire, then the fire will vanquish the wood. The blazing fire will consume the whole wood. Similarly, you have got the fire of spiritual consciousness. If you can evoke that spiritual consciousness, this material consciousness will be burnt up. It will come out from this material body, but when it comes out, then it will vanquish the material body. Very good, good example. The fire, there is..., in the wood there is fire, everyone knows. So you ignite fire, and if you make it dry, then the fire takes place very quickly. And when it is blazing fire, then the wood becomes vanquished. There is no more existence of the wood. Similarly, if you can invoke your spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when it will be very nicely going on, then your material existence will be finished. This is the process. Durlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge taraha e bhava-sindhu re. In this way, just get on the other side of this ocean of nescience.

Then, one may say that "If I associate with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, then how my family affairs will go on? Who will look after my wife and children, society, friendship, love? I have got so many business.'' There, therefore he says, śīta ātapa bāta bariṣaṇa ei dina jāminī jāgi re: "My dear mind, you are working so hard.'' Śīta ātapa. "In severe cold you are going to work. In scorching heat you are going to work. Torrents of rain... You cannot stop your work.'' Śīta ātapa bāta bariṣaṇa. "Night duty, whole night working.'' People are doing that. Śīta ātapa bāta bariṣaṇa ei dina jāminī jāgi re. Whole day work, again I'll get some more money, I'll let you work at night also, extra. In this way we are working. Why? Why you are working? Why you are working?

śīta ātapa bāta bariṣaṇa

ei dina jāminī jāgi re

biphale sevinu kṛpaṇa durajana

capala sukha labha lāgi' re

"In this way I have wasted my time,'' biphale sevinu, "to serve kṛpana durajana, some so-called society, friendship and love. Kṛpaṇa, they will not, never, be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but I am engaged in their service.'' So this is general, not that every, every family. Mostly 99.9. So biphale sevinu, "In this way I am wasting my time. And what is the pleasure?'' Capala sukha-labha lāgi' re. "Few minutes' sex, that's all.'' Behind the sex, so many labor. Therefore Govinda dāsa says that "You are trying to enjoy wealth,'' ei-dhana, yauvana, putra, parijana. Material happiness means to acquire money, dhana;, and then jana, many adherents or dependents-wife, children, friends, society, so many things, country. So putra, parijana, ithe ki āche paratīti re. "You cannot have any transcendental bliss in this.'' kamala-dala-jala, jīvana ṭalamala. The life is tottering. You cannot say when the life will be finished. The example is given, kamala-jala-dala. Just like lotus leaf. If you put water on the leaf, it will not stay; it will be tiltering. At any moment it slips. Similarly, our life is like that, tiltering. At any moment—finished. Kamala-jala-dala, jivana..., bhajahu hari-pada nīti re. Therefore engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness as much as you can. Finish before the death comes. That is your mission. And what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Śravana, kīrtana, smarana, vandana, pāda-sevana, dāsya re, pūjana, sakhī-jana, ātma-nivedana, the nine kinds of devotional service, govinda-dāsa-abhilāṣa re.

So everyone should desire like Govinda dasa. Śravana kīrtana, these are the devotional processes: hearing; chanting; remembering; arcana, worshiping the Deity; vandana, offering prayer. There are nine kinds. So human life is meant for this purpose. By this process, gradually we ignite the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or spiritual consciousness. Then, by that fire, as by blazing fire the wood itself becomes burnt into ashes, so our, all of our covering... The spirit soul is covered by matter, by ignorance. So this covering and ignorance will be burnt into ashes, and you'll become free and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the purport of this song.

Now you can begin. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

UPDATED: April 1, 2009