When Your Last Breath Arrives, Grammar Can Do Nothing.
Adi Shankaracharya, Bhaja Govindam
This is the first verse of the famous Bhaja Govindam written by Adi Shankaracharya. This is a profound thought to awaken spiritually aspirants from all mindless rituals and actions they indulge in, in the name of religion. This is so relevant even today when Hindu society is up their chin in mindless rituals believing that they are doing some kinds of religious activities.
What we do, why we do, whether it’s relevant, whether it’s right, whether it serves the purpose no question being asked about our so-called religious activities and rituals. We just follow the past, traditions. We even get perked up if someone tries to ask the relevance of our religious activities.
People learn a language, people learn grammar, people do Yoga, people do rituals, people do a pilgrimage, people remember scriptures, people dip in the river, people do charity, people wear a particular colour dress, people believe in apartheid or caste system, all these rituals prove useless for the spiritual aspirants when the death arrives.
Here (In Bhaja Govindam) Shankara says only knowing the self as a Soul different from the body is going to help you. Nothing else. If the activities you do in the name of religion and spirituality are not helping to know this difference it is of no use. Period.
The great Gujarati poet Akha Bhagat wrote centuries ago, “You turned 53 by applying tilak on the forehead yet did not know the Self.”
While another poet Narsiha Mehta wrote, “Till the time you did not know the self, all the rituals are useless. It is nothing but means to fill the stomach.”
Aren’t we all are indulging in one of the other religious activities and believe we are a religious person? The real religion starts with knowing and believing the self as a soul different from the body and not by doing anything. Doing part is of the body while liberation or moksha is of the Soul.
Unless we know who we are, how are we going to do anything for the benefit of our real self? Should this occur to us naturally? When we see a dead body can we not make out what left and what has remained to be cremated? Shouldn’t this ignite a thought who the real one was?
This is why we are all indulged in bodily activities in the name of religion or spirituality. Know who you are is the 1st step for any religious and spiritual activities. This is the reason with pain Adi Shankaracharya says the above quote when he saw people busy in all kinds of rituals and believe they are doing religious activities.
In another great creation Atma Bodh, Adi Shankaracharya writes,” One should, through discrimination, separate the pure and inmost Self from the sheaths by which it is covered, as one separates a rice-kernel from the covering husk by striking it with a pestle.”
The focus of Shankara is crystal clear. The self i.e. the soul which is covered inside the body. Since it is invisible, we (Souls) have lived for millions of years believing the self as a body. To awaken knowing the real self i.e. Soul is fundamental. This is why he renounces all other rituals and religious activities and asks us to know the real self-first.
