भज गोविन्दं… न हि न हि रक्षति डुकृञ्करणे The first śloka opens with a stern admonition: the mind, though capable of learning and scholarship, is ultimately deluded if it does not turn to the Divine. Śaṅkara calls the mind mūḍha (foolish), emphasizing that mere intellectual accomplishments—grammar, philosophy, logic, or memorization—cannot save the soul at the time of death. **Philosophical perspective:** This śloka illustrates a core Vedantic principle: vidyā without bhakti is incomplete. Knowledge (jnāna) is useful only when it leads to realization of the Self (ātman) or surrender to God. **Practical insight:** In today's context, it reminds us that credentials, degrees, and intellectual skill cannot substitute for ethical living or spiritual awareness. The mind must be reoriented toward the eternal, not the ephemeral.