Bhaja Govindam (also called Moha Mudgara—"Hammer of Delusion") stands as Shankara's most accessible and urgent work. The composition arose from compassion. Walking through Varanasi with disciples, Shankara encountered an elderly scholar mechanically memorizing Panini's grammar rules: "Dhukrin karane... karoti, kurutaha, kurvanti..." Moved by this misplaced effort as death approached, Shankara spontaneously composed verses: "Bhaja govindam bhaja govindam, govindam bhaja moodhamate / Samprapte sannihite kale, nahi nahi rakshati dukrinkarane" (Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, O deluded mind! When the appointed time of death comes, rules of grammar will surely not save you). The text consists of 31 verses: 13 by Shankara (Dvadashamanjarika), 14 by his disciples contributing one verse each (Chaturdasha Manjarika), and 4 concluding verses. It systematically addresses human delusions: verse 1 targets intellectual obsession, verse 2 wealth accumulation, verse 3 sensual pleasure, verses 5-6 family attachments, verse 7 life stages ("childhood lost in play, youth lost in passion, old age in regret—hardly anyone yearns for Brahman"), verse 8 reveals relationship conditionality ("Who is your wife? Who is your son? Strange is this samsara. Of whom are you?"). The famous verse 9 provides a spiritual roadmap: "From satsanga comes non-attachment, from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, from freedom from delusion comes self-settledness, from self-settledness comes liberation." Verse 21's emotional prayer—"Born again, death again, again to lie in mother's womb—hard to cross this ocean of samsara. Oh Murare, redeem me through Thy mercy"—shows that even knowledge-emphasizing Advaita recognizes grace's role. The text balances harsh wake-up calls with practical guidance, integrating karma yoga, bhakti, and jnana. It remains popular because it addresses universal human conditions in simple Sanskrit set to music, making profound philosophy accessible while maintaining urgency about life's true purpose.