4 Dec 2012
Who is Govinda?,Photo gallery of Lord Sri Srinivasa Govinda ,lord balaji lord govinda songs lord krishna lord venkateswara wallpapers lord govinda wallpaper lord vishnu lord ganesha lord of the rings 2013
There
has been an ongoing controversy in Indian religious circles. And that
controversy is thus. Why would Sripad Shankaracharya recommend in his famous
"Moha Mudgara" (also known as the Bhaja Govindam prayers) to worship
Govinda? Why didn't Shankara recommend Shiva or Shakti? Or did the great master
nonchalantly or randomly choose a form of God to be worshipped and meditated
upon? If so he could have easily mentioned to worship (bhaja) any one of a
number of incarnations of godhead. But mysteriously he chose Govinda. It's
possible but unlikely his reference to Govinda was non-consequential (due to
Sankara being one of the greatest spiritual thinkers that India has ever known).
Suppose for a moment that Shankara (as a supra intellect) selected a form of God
to worship that was deemed to be of greater importance than the Others. It is
definitely food for thought.
And what about the sages who subscribe to the doctrine of "merging with the Absolute (Brahman)" as the ultimate spiritual realization? In this regard it may not matter which form of God one subscribes to. Because, according to the impersonal philosophies, these incarnations have manifested from the same Spirit (the One God), and have descended as teachers (gurus), saviors, prophets or incarnations in order to redeem and liberate human kind. This philosophy is accepted amongst the Jews, Muslims, Christians and many Hindu sects. So we can either presuppose that Shankara had a penchant for this particular impersonally manifested form of Godhead (Govinda) or he was trying to make a greater point. Could that point be that actually worshipping Govinda is the goal of true self-realization? Was he intimating that his followers should do some inquiry into the purport and personal form of Govinda?
If one studies the verses of Moha Mudgara one will find that the fundamental nature of God consciousness is contained within the poetry. One may also find that the essence of the path to God consciousness is also contained therein, i.e. - Worship Govinda! If we agree to this supposition and desire to learn more about Govinda, we can either inquire from a person who knows about Him or reference the great Vedic literatures that contain the same information. In this regard there is an ancient literature called the Hymns of Brahma or better known as the "Brahma-Samhita." As transcendental history goes, this famous treatise was recited by the first created being in the universe, Lord Brahma, some countless millennium ago. The text was discovered in the sixteenth century by Sri Chaitanya while on pilgrimage in South India. Within Brahma-Samhita there are many verses that describe Govinda. Text 1 starts directly describing Govinda as "isvarah paramah krsna" or Supreme Godhead and "anandir adir govindah" or having no origin. He is the origin of all - known as Govinda or Krsna. Herein I have included many verses from this Samhita. By reading the following verses, and sincerely meditating on them, the reader will come to their own conclusion about "Who is Govinda?"
And what about the sages who subscribe to the doctrine of "merging with the Absolute (Brahman)" as the ultimate spiritual realization? In this regard it may not matter which form of God one subscribes to. Because, according to the impersonal philosophies, these incarnations have manifested from the same Spirit (the One God), and have descended as teachers (gurus), saviors, prophets or incarnations in order to redeem and liberate human kind. This philosophy is accepted amongst the Jews, Muslims, Christians and many Hindu sects. So we can either presuppose that Shankara had a penchant for this particular impersonally manifested form of Godhead (Govinda) or he was trying to make a greater point. Could that point be that actually worshipping Govinda is the goal of true self-realization? Was he intimating that his followers should do some inquiry into the purport and personal form of Govinda?
If one studies the verses of Moha Mudgara one will find that the fundamental nature of God consciousness is contained within the poetry. One may also find that the essence of the path to God consciousness is also contained therein, i.e. - Worship Govinda! If we agree to this supposition and desire to learn more about Govinda, we can either inquire from a person who knows about Him or reference the great Vedic literatures that contain the same information. In this regard there is an ancient literature called the Hymns of Brahma or better known as the "Brahma-Samhita." As transcendental history goes, this famous treatise was recited by the first created being in the universe, Lord Brahma, some countless millennium ago. The text was discovered in the sixteenth century by Sri Chaitanya while on pilgrimage in South India. Within Brahma-Samhita there are many verses that describe Govinda. Text 1 starts directly describing Govinda as "isvarah paramah krsna" or Supreme Godhead and "anandir adir govindah" or having no origin. He is the origin of all - known as Govinda or Krsna. Herein I have included many verses from this Samhita. By reading the following verses, and sincerely meditating on them, the reader will come to their own conclusion about "Who is Govinda?"
Selected verses from the ...
Sri
Brahma-Samhita
Text 50:
YAT-PADA-PALLAVA-YUGAM
VINIDHAYA KUMBHA-
DVANDVE PRANAMA-SAMAYE SA GANADHIRAJAH
VIGHNAN VIHANTUM ALAM ASYA JAGAT-TRAYASYA
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, whose lotus feet are
always held by Ganesha upon the pair of tumuli protruding from His elephant head
in order to obtain power for His functions of destoying all the obstacles on the
path of progress of the three worlds.
Text 1:
ISVARAH
PARAMAH KRSNA
SAC-CID-ANANDA-VIGRAHAH
ANADIR ADIR GOVINDAH
SARVAH-KARANAH-KARANAM
Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has
an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other
origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.
Text 29:
CINTAMANI-PRAKARA-SADMASU
KALPA-VRKSA
LAKSAVRTESU SURABHIR ABHIPALAYANTAM
LAKSMI-SAHASRA-SATA-SAMBHRAMA-SEVYAMANAM
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor
who is tending the cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built with spiritual
gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great
reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of laksmis or gopis.
Text 30:
VENUM
KVANANTAM ARAVINDA-DALAYATAKSAM
BARHAVATAMSAM ASITAMBUDA-SUNDARANGAM
KANDARPA-KOTI-KAMANIYA-VISESA-SOBHAM
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept at playing
on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with
peacock's feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds,
and His unique lovliness charming millions of Cupids.
Text 31:
ALOLA-CANDRAKA-LASAD-VANAMALYA-VAMSI-
RATNANGADAM PRANAYA-KELI-KALA-VILASAM
SYAMAM TRI-BHANGA-LATITAM NIYATA-PRAKASAM
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round whose neck is
swinging a garland of flowers beautified with the moon-locket, whose two hands
are adorned with the flute and jeweled ornaments, who always revels in the
pastimes of love, whose graceful threefold-bending form of Syamasundara is
eternally manifest.
Text 32:
ANGANI
YASYA SAKALENDRIYA-VRTTI-MANTI
PASYANTI PANTI KALAYANTI CIRAM JAGANTI
ANANDA-CINMAYA-SAD-UJJVALA=VIGRAHASYA
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental
form is full of bliss, truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most
dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in
Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and eternally sees,
maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.
Text 33:
ADVAITAM
ACYUTAM ANANDIM ANANTA-RUPAM
ADYAM PURANA-PURUSAM NAVA-YAUVANAM CA
VEDESU DURLABHAM ADURLABHAM ATMA-BHAKTAU
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to
the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without
a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is
endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal purusa; yet He is a person
possessing the beauty of blooming youth.
Text 34:
PANTHAS
TU KOTI-SATA-VATSARA-SAMPRAGAMYO
VAYOR ATHAPI MANSO MUNI-PUNGAVANAM
S0 PY ASTI YAT-PRAPADA-SIMNY AVICINTA-TATTVE
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tip of the toe
of whose lotus feet is approached by the yogis who aspire after the
transcendental and betake themselves to pranayama by drilling the respiration;
or by the jnanis who try to find out the nondifferentiated Brahman by the
process of elimination of the mundane, extending over thousands of millions of
years.
Text 36:
YAD-BHAVA-BHAVITA-DHIYO
MANUJAS TATHAIVA
SAMPRAPYA RUPA-MAHIMASANA-YANA-BHUSAH
SUKTAIR YAM EVA NIGAMA-PRATHITAIH STUVANTI
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I adore the same Govinda, the primeval Lord, in whose praise
men, who are imbued with devotion, sing the mantra-suktas told by the vedas, by
gaining their appropriate beauty, greatness, thrones, conveyances and ornaments.
Text 37:
ANANDA-CINMAYA-RASA-PRATIBHAVITABHIS
TABHIR YA EVA NIJA-RUPATAYA KALABHIH
GOLOKA EVA NIVASATY AKHILATMA-BHUTO
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own
realm, Goloka, with Radha, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment
of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the
company of Her confidants (sakhis), embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily
form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.
Text 38:
PREMANJANA-CCHURITA-BHAKTI-VILOCANENA
SANTAH SADAIVA HRDAYESU VILOKAYANTI
YAM SYAMASUNDARAM ACINTYA-GUNA-SVARUPAM
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who is Syamsundara, Krsna
Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in
their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.
Text 39:
RAMADI-MURTISU
KALA-NIYAMENA TISTHAN
NANVATARAM AKAROD BHUVANESU KINTU
KRSNAH SVAYAM SAMABHAVAT PARAMAH PUMAN YO
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself
personally as Krsna and the different avataras in the world in the form of Rama,
Nrsimha, Vamama, tec., as His subjective portions.
Text 40:
YASYA
PRABHA PRABHAVATO JAGAD-ANDA-KOTI-
KOTISU ASESA-VASUDHADI VIBHUTI-BHINNAM
TAD BRAHMA NISKALAM ANANTAM ASESA-BHUTAM
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the
source of the nondifferenciated Brahman mentioned in the Upanisads, being
differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as
the indivisible, infinite, limitless truth.
Text 41:
MAYA
HI YASYA JAGAD-ANDA-SATANI SUTE
TRAIGUNYA-TAD-VISAYA-VEDA-VITAYAMAMA
SATTVAVALAMBI-PARA-SATTVAM VISUDDHA-SATTVAM
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is the absolute
substantive principle being the ultimate entity in the form of the support of
all existence, whose external potency embodies the threefold mundane qualities (satva,
rajas and tamas) and diffuses the Vedic knowledge regarding the mundane world.
Text 42:
ANANA-CINMAY-RASATMATAYA
MANAHSU
YAH PRANINAM PRATIPHALAN SMARATAM UPETYA
LILAYITENA BHUVANANI JAYATY AJASRAM
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose glory ever
triumphantly dominates the mundane world by the activity of His own pastimes,
being reflected in the mind of recollecting souls as the transcendental entity
of ever-blissful cognitive rasa.
Text 43:
GOLOKA-NAMNI
NIJA-DHAMNI TALE CA TASYA
DEVI-MAHESA-HARI-DHAMASU TESU TESU
TE TE PRABHAVA-NICAYA VIHITAS CA YENA
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
Lowest of all is located Devi-dhama (mundane world), next
above is Mahesa-dhama (abode of Shiva),above Mahesa-dhama is placed Hari-dhama
(abode of Hari) and above them all is located in Krsna's own realm named Goloka.
I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who has alloted their respectful authorities
to the rulers of those graded realms.
Text 44:
SRSTI-STHITI-PRALAYA-SADHANA-SAKTIR
EKA
CHAYEVA YASYA BHUVANANI BIBHARI DURGA
ICCHANURUPAM API YASYA CA CESTATE SA
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
The external potency Maya who is of the nature of the shadow
the cit potency, is worshipped by all people as Durga, the creating, preserving
and destroying agency of this mundance world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda
in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself.
Text 45:
KSIRAM
YATHA DADHI VIKARA-VISESA-YOGAT
SANJAYATE NA HI TATAH PRTHAG ASTI HETOH
YAH SAMBHUTAM API TATAH SAMUPAITI KARYAD
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
Just as milk is transformed into curd by the actions of
acids, but yet the effect curd is neither the same as, nor different from, its
cause (milk), so I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whom the state of Sambhu
is a transformation for the performance of the work of destruction.
Text 46:
DIPARCIR
EVA HI DASANTARAM ABHYUPTEYA
DIPAYATE VIVRTA-HETU-SAMANA-DHARMA
YAS TADRG EVA HI CA VISNUTAYA VIBHATI
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
The light of one candle being communicated to other candles,
although it burns separately in them, is the same in its quality. I adore the
primeval Lord Govinda who exibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in
His various manifestations.
Text 47:
YAH
KARANARNAVA-JALE BHAJATI SMA-YOGA
NIDRAM ANANTA-JAGAT-ANDA-SA-ROMA-KUPAH
ADHARA-SAKTIM-AVALAMBYA PARAM SVA-MURTIM
GOVINDAM ADI-PURUSAM TAM AHAM BHAJAMI
I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who assuming His own great
subjective form, who bears the name of Sesa, replete with the all-accomodating
potency, and reposing in the Causal Ocean with the inifinity of the worlds in
the pores of His hair, enjoys creative sleep (yoganidra).