Hari
OM
Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!
The text under study is BHAJA GOVINDAM, song of despair of time-wasting, by Sri Adi Shankaraachaarya.
As
we draw close to the end of the song of lament at the state of Mankind, there
are now two verses pointing out, once again, the faults which halt us,
spiritually.
Sauot>
i³yte rama_aaeg>
píaÏNt
zrIre raeg>,
y*ip
laeke mr[< zr[<
Tadip
n muÂit papacr[!.28.
AwRmnwR<
_aavy inTy<
naiSt
tt> suolez> sTym!,
puÇadip
xn_aja< _aIit>
svRÇE;a
ivihta rIit>.29.
sukhataH
kriyate raamaabhogaH
Pashchaaddhanta
shariire rogaH,
Yadyapi
loke maranam sharanam
Tadapi
na mungchati paapaacharanam ||28||
Arthamanartham
bhaavaya nityam
Naasti
that sukhaleshaH satyam,
Putraadapi
dhanabhaajaam bhiitiH
Sarvatraishaa
vihitaa riitiH ||29||
Very readily one indulges in carnal pleasures,
Later on, alas, come diseases of the body;
Even though in the world the ultimate end is death,
Even then, man leaves not his sinful behaviour.
Wealth is calamitous - thus reflect constantly;
The truth is that there is no happiness to be got from
it;
To the rich, there is fear even from one's own son -
This is the way of wealth everywhere.
Doesn't
hold back, eh?! It's the cruel to be kind philosophy. In fact, there is nothing
said here that we cannot see is the case in our modern living - showing that
nothing is new under this sun! We are all the time being advised by
governments, health authorities, various organisations invested in one part of
our being or other, that to live carelessly, partying, extreme activities,
altering our body chemistry with one thing or another, indulging our lusts,
will result in serious health issues if not early death. Despite this, due to
nature of addiction (attachment), we keep up the self-destructive behaviours.
Perhaps,
for some, the idea of 'wealth' seems distant and we might be muttering "I
should have that as a problem!" - but the thing is that we in the West,
even on low income, are still significantly wealthier than many others in the
world… yet in a great proportion of cases, we are far less happy. If we have
it, we find that we are in defence mode in order to preserve it or obtain more.
For there is never enough, it seems.
Where
is the happiness in that?
