Punarapi Jananam Punarapi Maranam — Benefits & How to Chant
पुनरपि जननं पुनरपि मरणम्
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Punarapi Jananam Punarapi Maranam
Awakens deep vairagya (detachment) toward the cycle of birth and death
Teaches total surrender (sharanagati) to the Lord as the only refuge
A heartfelt prayer for liberation (moksha) from samsara
Soothes the fear of death by placing trust in Murari's boundless grace
Among the most beloved and easily memorized verses of Bhaja Govindam
Deepens devotion and the longing for the Lord's protection
How to Chant Punarapi Jananam Punarapi Maranam
Instructions
Recite this verse slowly, feeling the weight of repeated births and deaths in the words 'punarapi... punarapi.' Let the final plea 'pahi murare' (save me, O Murari) rise from the heart as a genuine prayer of surrender. It may be repeated as a standalone prayer for refuge, or chanted within the full Bhaja Govindam.
Spiritual Significance
Tradition holds that sincere recitation of this prayer of surrender, with tears of devotion, draws the immediate compassion of the Lord. Devotees through the ages have found that 'pahi murare' — 'save me, O Murari' — uttered with true longing, dissolves the fear of death and the burden of countless past lives.
Origin & History
Source: Bhaja Govindam (Moha Mudgara), verse on rebirth and surrender
Author: Adi Shankaracharya
This verse belongs to Adi Shankaracharya's Bhaja Govindam, the great hymn composed in Varanasi to awaken the soul from worldly delusion. After describing the fleeting nature of life, the body, and relationships, the hymn turns to the inescapable cycle of rebirth. Here Shankaracharya, in the voice of the longing soul, cries out to Murari for rescue, teaching that liberation comes not by one's own striving but by the Lord's boundless grace.