Sharanagati

“Keeping the eyes half closed and fixed on the tip of one’s nose, being enlivened and alert, one should meditate on the lotus flower situated within the heart. This lotus has eight petals and is situated on an erect lotus stalk. One should meditate on the sun, moon and fire, placing them one after the other within the whorl of that lotus flower. Placing My transcendental form within the fire, one should meditate upon it as the auspicious goal of all meditation.”[1]

The English is a little bit difficult, but what is pointed here? Your heart is a lotus flower. Put the sun, the moon and the fire on this lotus throne and in the middle put Krishna. What is the sun and the moon and the fire? They are called “witnesses”, they see all the activities of humans, so therefore these witnesses are there – sun, moon and fire. And also added the bramins and the guru and the stars – they see everything. All these natural elements should be there, and of course they are representatives of Krishna, no doubt. So they should be there in our heart.

If you go deeper in the symbols, then the sun is the divine male function, like king; the moon is the keeper of the secrets – artistic, poetic, mystic experience; and fire is the connection between earth and heaven. In this way everything you can include in this visualized meditation on the throne of your heart. And then in the center there should be Krishna. But in what form – this will be described further.

“That form is perfectly proportioned, gentle and cheerful. It possesses four beautiful long arms, a charming, beautiful neck, a handsome forehead, a pure smile and glowing, shark-shaped earrings suspended from two identical ears. That spiritual form is the color of a dark rain cloud and is garbed in golden-yellowish silk. The chest of that form is the abode of Śrīvatsa and the goddess of fortune, and that form is also decorated with a conch shell, disc, club, lotus flower and garland of forest flowers. The two brilliant lotus feet are decorated with ankle bells and bracelets, and that form exhibits the Kaustubha gem along with an effulgent crown. The upper hips are beautified by a golden belt, and the arms are decorated with valuable bracelets. All of the limbs of that beautiful form capture the heart, and the face is beautified by merciful glancing.”[2]

So this form of Krishna should be invited on the lotus throne of our heart. Therefore we can say that this is an instruction for meditation: try to find your Lord in such a way – charming, beautiful, attracting, like this.

Yashoda: It was mentioned four arms?

Tirtha Maharaj: Here four arms, because this is process of yoga, meditation, right? Krishna gives some morsels to the yogis also.

“Withdrawing the senses from their objects with the help of mind and separating the mind from all objects with the help of intellect, the driver of the chariot of the body, a wise man, should focus it on Me.”[3] This is a very famous parable, comparing the body to a chariot, the horses to the senses, the reins to the mind and the driver to the intellect and the soul to the person riding the cart.

So this is like a technical description how to practice your meditation. But what is our practice? So to say the upgrade to all these technical details – archa-vigraha. Because there you see the charming form of your Lord and you can be personally attracted to Him.