In the last several centuries, in all regions of the world, a number of saints and deep thinkers have carefully and dispassionately observed and evaluated the process of human life. They concluded that compassion, truth, detachment, and devotion to God should be the hallmark and central theme of every human being’s life. According to these great saints and thinkers, this is the only way to ensure peace and harmony in individual lives, as well as in society and the world.
As the thought process of individuals is the determining factor in shaping one’s attitude towards life, all saints and deep thinkers have said that the “battle” for a peaceful human life must be fought in the mind. In other words, reforming the thought processes of human beings is vitally necessary to ensure peace all around.
In India, there have been several saints and deep thinkers who renounced all material desires and focused on spiritual pursuits throughout their lives. They exhorted people to develop a spirit of nobility and love for everyone around them, whether fellow humans, animals and other creatures, or even trees and plant species.
The Indian saint Adi Sankara was born several centuries ago and lived for only around 39 years. During his short lifespan, he crisscrossed India, evolving and fine-tuning his thoughts. He established several mutts (centres of spiritual excellence) to propagate his philosophy, which aligns with traditional Hindu thought and is not very different in essence from the philosophies of several other religions, particularly with regard to faith in God and the importance of harmony and peace.
Adi Sankara wrote several poems invoking God’s blessings, and while all of them possess great merit and significance, Bhaja Govindam stands out like a jewel among them.
A careful study of Bhaja Govindam clearly reveals that it reflects the salient teachings of all religions and can be described as a “one-stop shop” where multiple requirements for a peaceful life are highlighted in just 31 poems, each consisting of four lines written forcefully and eloquently in the Sanskrit language.
In Bhaja Govindam, Adi Sankara minces no words and is blunt in calling those who harbour jealousy, hatred, greed, and indulge in quarrels “fools.” In today’s context, this could also refer to leaders of governments who launch wars and cause destruction and mass killings due to greed and ambitions of territorial expansion.
In Bhaja Govindam, it is stressed that everyone should introspect and ask, “Who are you?” Such introspection would certainly help one take a realistic view of the process of life.
Adi Sankara further implies that human life is essentially a temporary journey, with no one clearly knowing when or how the end will come. The acquisition of property and wealth has no real purpose or lasting significance, and only fools fail to realise this. Continuing on the same theme, he also highlights the ageing process and how priorities change with advancing age, with many past activities appearing wasteful as one grows older. The insignificance of human life and worldly activities is emphatically explained through the observation that when a person dies, even the husband or wife fears the lifeless body.
Adi Sankara firmly states in Bhaja Govindam that human beings must devote themselves to the worship of God (whom he refers to as Govindam). Such lifelong devotion and focus on God elevate the thought process and enable one to live a life of peace and harmony. When individuals possess such mental attributes, it will certainly create a peaceful atmosphere in society and the world. At the same time, Adi Sankara also says that mere knowledge of religious texts and spiritual postures is futile in the absence of wisdom and deep faith in God.
In spite of such teachings and advocacy by saints all over the world, the ground reality is that quarrels, greed, jealousy, intolerance, and violence have not disappeared. On the contrary, the intensity of conflicts appears to be increasing over the years. Science and technology have brought great changes to the material world through advances in research and innovation. However, with the mental attitudes of human beings remaining largely unchanged despite the teachings of great saints in the past, wars and conflicts have now become more frequent and destructive. World peace appears like a mirage and a utopian expectation.
However, such prevailing conditions do not render the teachings and advocacy of saints for peace and harmony irrelevant or obsolete. Far from it, they remain extremely relevant and important, and these teachings continue to serve as benchmarks for the civilised world to aspire towards.
While no one can predict when such transformation will happen, or whether it will happen at all, the need is for it to happen sooner rather than later.
Recognising the universal relevance of Bhaja Govindam and the urgent need to inculcate a spirit of tolerance and peace in today’s strife-torn world, it would be appropriate if the United Nations Organisation were to declare Bhaja Govindam as an anthem for the world. Such a step would be in tune with the earlier initiatives taken by the United Nations Organisation to celebrate International Yoga Day and Meditation Day.
