सत्सङ्गत्वे निःसङ्गत्वम्
निःसङ्गत्वे निर्मोहत्वम्
निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वम्
निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः
Satsaṅgatve niḥsaṅgatvam
Niḥsaṅgatve nirmohatvam
Nirmohatve niścalatattvam
Niścalatatve jīvanmuktiḥ
From satsaṅga (company of the wise) comes niḥsaṅgatva (non-attachment);
From non-attachment comes nirmohatva (freedom from delusion);
From freedom from delusion comes niścalatatva (steadiness of mind);
From steadiness of mind comes jīvanmuktiḥ (liberation while living).
Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam
Commentary
We are all attached to something or the other. Desire is always present. It is what tethers us to the world. So it does not do well to try to overcome it. Overcoming, or completely letting go of it, eventually leads to alienation. Śaṅkarācārya offers a beautiful solution to this problem. He says that attach yourself to what is infinite. So for example, when in the world, we use sevā as a medium to stay connected to the infinite, while living at the scale of the finite. That eventually leads to stronger attachment with what is the Truth. And elegantly, this also resolves the apparent paradox of staying in the world while remaining perfectly detached. Sevā is a means to not just detach, but attach oneself to the Infinite even during mundane affairs, so that detachment is a natural consequence. And attachment to the Infinite Truth is what matters; the objective realities are ultimately pleasurably pointless through their impermanence. Sevā allows one to live with this as a moment to moment reality. A beautifully engineered mechanism to act in the finite, transient and often hollow or hostile world, while remaining in and remaining with the Infinite, Absolute Truth, and acting with utter love, compassion and creativity.
And this constant presence and attachment to the Truth is liberation: Niścalatatve jīvanmuktiḥ. Therefore, Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam. (Serve Govind, Serve Govind)
A beautiful verse that is a direct attack on sevā as an "emotional" thing. It is a very conscious, very deliberate, almost engineered way towards a concrete purpose of niścalatatvam. And through that niścalatatvam, attaining jīvanmukti.