BHAJA GOVINDAM - 19. Swami Sri Adi Sankaracharya.

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Chaturdasha Manjarika Stotram

PART III – Slokas : 14-27

“Where Is Happiness?”

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Sunday, 03 Sep 2023. 05:30. 

Song - 19: The Source of Happiness

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Song - 19: The Source of Happiness

1 yogarato vaa bhogarato vaa  = Whether reveling in restraint or enjoyment,

2 sangarato vaa sanga- viheenah;  = whether in company or in solitude,

3 yasya brahmani ramate chittam  = so long as he revels in the Self within,

4 nandati nandati nandaty-eva. =  he alone truly enjoys, without any doubt.

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Thus far we have traced both Dispassion and Desire to its first principles. We have 

seen the importance of going back to the very roots of these. Without having clarity of 

thought on such matters, we can easily make incorrect assessments of ourselves, and 

mislead others, too. We are liable to pass futile judgements on others due to basing them 

on external evidence only.

Now in this verse we do the same for Happiness, and trace where it comes from.

Happiness is in Self Alone

In the few verses before this one we saw how important it was to understand that 

dispassion could only come by cleansing the mind, for desire is born in the mind. In the 

same vein we are now made to understand that Happiness, the goal of all desire, is 

something which comes only from the Self or Brahman. That is the only source of happiness.

1-2 

When this source is not understood, then we are very prone to attribute 

happiness to the objects that we like. That is the most common error made by practically all 

people. For one who has found happiness in Brahman, all his external conditions become 

irrelevant to that happiness. They are simply not related to it. 

The first two Padas need to be understood carefully. They do not give license to the 

seeker to behave as he pleases. That would spell disaster to his spiritual life. They are simply 

telling us that whatever he may be engaged in or not engaged in is not at all relevant to 

one’s happiness.

3-4 

The sage’s happiness comes only from the Self, and not from the external 

engagements. Since the Self is his own true nature, that means he is happy at all times. 

Needless to say, those who have no idea that the Self is the only source of true 

happiness, chase it in many other ways. As Acharyaji put it, “They do not even know the 

‘spelling’ of happiness!”

Happiness is thus shown to be an inner state, independent of external conditions.

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Next

Song - 20: Taking the First Few Steps

To be continued

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