Bhaja Govindam Verse- 7

बालस्तावत्क्रीडासक्तः

तरुणस्तावत्तरुणीसक्तः ।

वृद्धस्तावच्चिन्तासक्तः

परमे ब्रह्मणि कोऽपि न सक्तः ॥ ७॥

Baalastaavat kriiDaasaktaH

 TaruNastaavat taruNiisaktaH .

vRiddhastaavachchintaasaktaH

 parame brahmaNi kopi na saktaH

(baalaH = childhood; taavat.h = till then; kriiDaa = play; saktaH = attached / engrossed / absorbed; taruNaH = adolescent; young man; taavat.h = till then; taruNii = young woman; saktaH = attached / engrossed; vR^iddhaH = old man; taavat.h = till then; chintaa = worry; saktaH = attached / engrossed / absorbed; parame = in the lofty; high; supreme; brahmaNi = (in) Brahman ; God; ko.api = whosoever (nobody); na = not; saktaH = attached / absorbed; engrossed.)

(Baalastaavat kriiDaasaktaH= as a child, (one is) absorbed in play; TaruNastaavat taruNiisaktaH . = as young man, engrossed in girls; vR^iddhastaavachchintaasaktaH = as old man, immersed in anxious thoughts; parame brahmaNi ko.api na saktaH = (Alas!) nobody is attracted to the Para Brahman!)

The philosopher in Sri Sankara portrays the truth about man’s journey of life and laments that everybody is immersed in worldly pursuits, but none is interested in realising God. As a child, he is immersed in play and games without a worry of the world. The play in childhood gives way to lust in his youth. His sole aim now is to attract the opposite sex and enjoy their company. As he gets older, he understands his folly a little, but not much. He is a worried man now; but the worry is not about God realization: his worries are mostly on his past life, his relatives, his sons and perhaps their children. Life is spent like this in vain, without any purpose. Alas! He finds no time to contemplate on God and thus fulfill his life’s mission. He refuses to believe there is anything beyond this mundane existence and keeps himself busy with meaningless worldly activities. He thinks that all he sees here is the everlasting thing and whole-heartedly devotes his time to it. When the messengers of death suddenly force him, it is perhaps with a heavy heart that he leaves this world reluctantly.

Man spends most of his time in ‘kamini kanchana’, wealth and woman and forgets his aim. Most people do not even know that there is an aim. People are so busy in their day- to- day affairs, too engrossed in keeping their position in society, that there is no question of even remembering God. Some realize this only at a time when it is too late. We forget that life is of five minutes and the sooner we search for God, the better it is.