My Foolish Heart / Bhaja Govinda

My foolish heart
Why do you weep?
You throw yourself away again
Now you cry yourself to sleep.
Cry yourself to sleep…

My foolish heart
When will you learn?
You are the eyes of the world
And there’s nowhere else to turn.
Nowhere else to turn…

Bhaja Govindam, bhaja Govindam
My foolish heart.
Govindam Govindam Govindam
My foolish heart
My foolish heart
My foolish heart…

Raadhe Raadhe Govinda Govinda
Raadhe Raadhe Govinda Govinda
Govinda Bhaja Govinda
Govinda Bhaja Govinda

The words “Bhaja Govindam” are an exhortation to adore and love God. In the 8th century, the great saint, Adi Shankaracharya, wrote a beautiful hymn called “Bhaja Govindam.” It is a unique prayer as it unifies the path of Wisdom (Jnana Marg) and the path of Devotion (Bhakti Marg). Shankaracharya praises Devotion as a spiritual path that leads to liberation. The legend is that he was walking with his disciples when he saw an old scholar teaching his young students the rules of Sanskrit grammar. Shankaracharya told the old man that now that he was so old he should turn his mind toward God and stop wasting time. In every verse he described the ways that life is passing by and with it our opportunity to find freedom from suffering. Each verse was addressed to “my foolish mind/heart,” mudhamate in Sanskrit. I wrote a couple of verses in English with the same feeling.