Bhaja Govindam Verse 12e – dvādaśamañjarikā

द्वादशमञ्जरिकाभिरशेषः कथितो वैयाकरणस्यैषः ।
उपदेशो भूद्विद्यानिपुणैः श्रीमच्छङ्करभगवच्चरणैः ॥
dvādaśamañjarikābhiraśeṣaḥ kathito vaiyākaraṇasyaiṣaḥ |
upadeśo bhūdvidyānipuṇaiḥ śrīmacchaṅkarabhagavaccaraṇaiḥ ||

  • The Bouquet of Twelve Flowers: This concluding verse acts as a completion note added by someone else to appreciate the text. The word mañjarikā translates to a bouquet or a cluster of flowers. Thus, dvādaśamañjarikā refers to these twelve beautiful, flower-like verses, glorifying the profound teaching presented in this section.
  • The Honey-Like Wisdom: Swamiji explains that flowers are beautiful to look at from a distance, and when brought closer, they offer a wonderful fragrance. Similarly, bhaja govindam is highly appealing just for chanting, even without knowing its meaning. However, if one probes deeper into it, one can extract honey-like wisdom. Through these twelve attractive flowers, absolutely everything that needs to be taught (aśeṣaḥ kathitaḥ) has been comprehensively imparted.
  • The Recipient of the Teaching: The phrase vaiyākaraṇasya points out exactly to whom this teaching (eṣaḥ upadeśaḥ abhūta) was given. It was comprehensively imparted to that very same Sanskrit pandit in Kashi who was studying grammar and who served as the original inspiration for this entire discourse.
  • The Master of Compassion and Knowledge: The verse clarifies by whom this wisdom was given: śrīmacchaṅkarabhagavaccaraṇaiḥ. It was imparted directly by ādi śaṅkarācārya himself. He is glorified as vidyānipuṇaiḥ, meaning he was a supreme master and the very embodiment of all the śāstras. Furthermore, he was an abode of compassion (karuṇālayaṃ). It was out of this immense compassion that he instructed the deluded pandit, and through that single pandit, compassionately blessed all of us.
  • Offering Reverence: Recognizing this profound blessing, Swamiji expresses deep gratitude by quoting namāmi bhagavatpādaśaṅkaraṃ lokaśaṅkaram, offering humble namaskara to śaṅkarācārya. With this grateful acknowledgment, the dvādaśamañjarikāstotram (the section of twelve verses) comes to a close.
  • The Contribution of the Disciples: While the twelve foundational verses explicitly given by śaṅkarācārya end here, there are many other verses that make up the rest of the bhaja govindam text. These additional verses were not composed by śaṅkarācārya himself, but by his devoted disciples who, deeply inspired by his teachings, each contributed a verse of their own.