Bhaja Govindam – Sloka 26: Kāmaṁ Krodhaṁ Lobhaṁ Moham

What prevents us from discovering who we truly are?

In this episode of Hari Kavi Explains, we reflect on the twenty-sixth sloka of Bhaja Govindam, where Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya identifies four powerful forces that cloud our understanding: desire, anger, greed, and delusion.

Shankaracharya asks us to gradually free ourselves from these influences and turn our attention inward with the fundamental question: “Who am I?” This inquiry is not about our name, profession, relationships, or social identity, but about discovering the deeper Self that exists beyond these temporary definitions.

The verse also offers a strong warning. Without Ātma-jñāna, or knowledge of the Sel ...