Page 50 - NAMAH-Apr-2022

Namah Vol. 30, Issue 1, 24th April 2022

our loved ones, to the trees, the animals, to
the machines we use. Maybe she can remind भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं
us to tell them we are grateful, that we love गोविन्दं भज मूढमते ।
them. When we are swearing she can utter a सम्प्राप्ते सन्निहिते काले
beep, when we are shouting, she can honk a नहि नहि रक्षति डुकृङ्करणे ॥ १॥ (2)
warning, when we are sad she can pray with us.
There are apps that encourage you to exercise “bhaja govindamm bhaja govindamm
and meditate and motivate you by giving you govindamm bhaja muddhamate.
points. Wouldn’t the voice of conscience you sampraapte sannihite kaale
cannot silence be a cool app? I wonder whose nahi nahi rakssati ddukrrnn karanne.
algorithm it will run — the average human’s,
your religion’s, your guru’s, or something you The body is weak, the head is bald, the teeth
could tweak at will? You know what — forget have fallen, the old man walks leaning on a
the app. You already have it built in. You have stick, and yet he clings to desires.
the most reasonable, adaptable, just and noble
organ in yourself. Sometimes it lodges itself in अङ्गं गलितं पलितं मुण्डं
a most elastic thing called the brain, or in the दशनविहीनं जातं तुण्डम् ।
compassionate heart, or in something purer and वृद्धो याति गृहीत्वा दण्डं
surer, the soul. And this thing, the conscience, तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशापिण्डम् ॥ १५॥ (2)
gets activated by looking at others’ expressions, anngamm galitamm palitamm munnddam
by sensing their feelings, by touching their dassanavihıinam jaatamm tunnddam.
r
n
d
a
hearts, by living and loving consciously. vrddho yati grhitva dandam
r
a
a
tadapi na muñcatyasapindam.
s
d
n
a
If Shankaracharya came by now, how many
more useless pursuits would he find? I
wonder if he would also find some new
soul nourishments.
The ancient artists in India took a lifetime
to build a temple. They carved a goddess
Wisdom texts in stone and made her so full of life that a
person stopping by carried her spirit with
A long time ago, some 1,500 years back, Saint him, which was hundreds of years old but
Shankaracharya found a man struggling also timelessly eternal. In that age, there
to memorise grammar rules. He pitied the were thousands of soul nourishments. Every
fellow and told him life was too short to pursuit of life, whether of high art or simply
throw it away in useless pursuits. Rather offering a glass of water, could be done with a
nourish your soul by thinking of the lord. sense of sacrifice to the Supreme. All life was
Pray to Govinda, pray to Govinda, O fool, a yajña, an offering. And the answering grace
for at the time of death grammar will not united the individual soul to the supreme
come to save you. soul, making all life yoga.

50