VERSE 31

God is in our heart like the lantern in the hand. Forgetting this, we wander about seeking Him in other places. Sri Sankara refers to this lamp in the heart in his last verse. Nijahridayastam devam refers to the shining Deity seated in our own hearts. U only we control our senses and our hearts and tread the path of virtue with faith and devotion to the Supreme Being, we need nothing else.. By that very process, we attain light and obtain a vision of the dazzling lustre inside us. Sri Sankara ends his Bhaja Govindam with this assurance.

If we seek Govinda's grace, we shall succeed in keeping our senses in check.

Human society is based on the principle of cooperation. That principle is Dharma. If avarice and sin get hold of men, that principle is shattered. Men will not have faith in one another. Everyone will have to live in dread of others and be afflicted by anxiety and hatred. Co-operative life will come to a halt. Everyone will be unhappy. Dharma and bhakti are society’s precious assets.

Having allowed these precious assets to be lost, we suffer in various ways. To rectify this sad state of affairs, unconcerned about what others do or do not do, each one of us mist act according to the dictates of his conscience – that is the command of the God in the heart. If we do so, even as little drops of water make a big downpour, dharma will grow, and society and the country will prosper.

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