Published in Deccan Chronicle on April 28 and Asian Age on April 30, 2015.
Out of about 650 books written by Osho, the most appreciated title among Osho’s followers has been The Books I Have Loved. In this book, Osho talks about Adi Shankaracharya, the first Shankaracharya, and his book Bhaj Govindam. This is a rare book on devotion, as the Adi Shankaracharya is very famous for his sharp logic and arguments in favour of the philosophy of Vedanta.
The book is 1,000 years old, and is nothing but a small song — the titular Bhaj Govindam. Bhaj Govindam Moodh Mate, i.e., “Sing the song of the Lord, Oh idiot. Oh idiot, sing the song of the Lord.” Shankaracharya wrote many books but none of them as beautiful as the song Bhaj Govindam Moodh Mate.
The Shankaracharya wrote the first verse of this sweet song — “Oh idiot! Sing the song of the divine, sing the song of the divine, sing the song of the divine, because at the time of death the memorisation of grammar will not save you…” — when he was passing through a village and saw an old man memorising the rules of grammar. He felt pity for this old man who was on his death bed — he had wasted his whole life and was now wasting his last moment too. During his whole life he had never remembered the divine and even now he was busy with grammar. What will he gain by memorising the rules of grammar?
Osho explains that religion is not in the rules of grammar but in singing the song of the divine. In fact, it is not even in the song of the divine, for when the song is lost, only you are left. How can you express your gratitude in words? Words are too small and gratitude too vast. It can only be expressed by dancing. If there is nothing to be said then it is better to remain quiet, so that the divine may speak and you may listen. Bhajan (devotional singing), kirtan (divine songs) and dance — these are the means of expressing your feelings. Shankaracharya is hinting that you yourself should become a song, a divine song. These verses are very simple, these sutras direct.
Shankaracharya is basically a philosopher; whatever he has written is very complex; it is all words, scriptures, logic, analysis and thinking. But he knows that godliness cannot be attained through logic, analysis and thinking. The way to attain it is through song and dance — through feeling and not through thinking.
Swami Chaitanya Keerti, editor of Osho World, is the author of ‘Osho Fragrance’.
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