Msg for the day - Smaran and Roopa Dhyaan

[Guest guest]

Jaya Sri Radhey! Namaste.

 

A question was raised by a devotee about the 'proper and improper'

methods of 'Lila Smarana and Roopa-Dhyan', loving remembrance and

contemplation upon the Divine form of the Lord.

 

My answer is given as:

 

Whether the 'Smarana' and 'Roopa Dhyan' is done on familiar

personalities or paintings, pictures or deities, the 'smarana' is all

still material and it is not considered as Divine contemplation.

 

So whatever helps the sadhaka to fondly remember his/her Divine

Beloved, Ishta Deva, should be practiced, naturally and

spontaneously.

 

"yena tena prakAreNa

manaH kRSNe nivezayat.."

 

Divine contemplation is only possible with Divinized (liberated) mind

and senses, when the heart of the devotee is completely purified and

blessed with 'Divya Prema', 'Svaroopa Shakti' of the Lord.

 

In other words only Siddha Prema Bhaktas, Rasik Saints are ever

engaged in the Divine contemplation of Nitya lila.

All the rest are still have to engage their 'material' minds

in 'sadhana' until they attain Siddha Prema Bhakti.

 

One can choose the most beautiful form of the Divine Couple according

to one's taste, mellow (rasa) and affection for contemplation, so

that one's Divinelove is constantly increased, totally purifying

one's heart, destroying all 'anartha', impediments and the impurities

of material mind.

 

This is the declaration of the Scriptures:

 

"bhidyate hRdaya graMthiz

chidyante sarva saMzayAh

kSIyante cAsya karmANi

mayi dRSTe 'khilAtmani."

 

(Bhagavatam 11. 24. 30)

 

The Blessed Lord said:

 

"When the devotee SEES ME,

the SELF OF ALL, the material knot

(body, mind, intellect, ego etc.,)

of his heart BREAKS TO PIECES,

all his doubts of avidya,

ignorance are dispelled and

all the accumulated karmas of the past

as well as karmas of the future are destroyed."

 

At the blessed moment of God-realization the pure devotee, Siddha

Premi, only perceives Lord's original Divine Form, no matter on what

form he or she has been contemplating during sadhana all along.

 

"premAGjanacchurita bhakti vilocanena

santaH sa daiva hRdayeSu vilokayanti,

yaM zyAma sundaram acintya guNa svarUpaM

govindam Adi puruSaM tamahaM bhajAmi"

 

(Sri Brahma Samhita. 38)

 

"I worship my Lord Beloved Govinda,

the Primeval Supreme Personality,

Syama Sundara Whom the PURE DEVOTEES

ever SEE in the CORE of their HEARTS

with EYES ANOINTED with DIVINE LOVE,

as His transcendental form is beyond

the contemplation of the material mind

and His Blissful attributes as well as

lilas are INCONCEIVABLE to ordinary MINDS

(acintya guNa svarUpam)"

 

"aMgAni yasya sakalendriya vRttimanti

pazyanti pAnti kalayanti ciraM jaganti,

Ananda cinmaya sadujjvala vigrahasya

govindam Adi puruSaM tamahaM bhajAmi"

 

(Sri Brahma Samhitam. 32)

 

"I worship my Divine Beloved Govinda,

the primeval Supreme Personality,

Whose transcendental form is full of

Amorous Love, absolute Knowledge,

Truth and eternal Bliss.

 

EACH of the limbs of His transcendental figure

POSSESSES the FULL FLEDGED functions of ALL ORGANS,

and eternally percieves, pervades and maintains

countless souls and universes,

both spiritual as well as material."

 

Saint Tulasidas says in Sri Rama Carita Manas,

 

'prabhu vyApaka sarvatra samAnA,

prEma sE prakata hOm mai jAnA"

 

The Lord is present equally (samaanaa) every where (sarvatra)

and is known to be OMNIPRESENT.

 

But He MANIFESTS His Divine form by ONLY THROUGH Siddha PREMA Bhakti,

DIVINE LOVE, to His pure devotees!

 

That is why Gauranga Mahaprabhu also said:

 

"athaH zrI kRSNa nAmAdi

na bhaved grAhyam indriyaiH,

sevonmukhe jihvAdau

svayam eva sphuraty adaH"

 

"ataeva kRSNera 'nAma','deha','vilAsa'

prAkRtendriya grAhya nahe, haya sva prakAza"

 

C.C.2.17.134, BRS

 

With these "MATERIAL MIND, SENSES DEVOID OF PURE LOVE",

ONE CAN NOT UNDERSTAND NOR PERCIEVE the TRANSCENDENTAL

FORM, HOLY NAME AND HIS BLISSFUL EXPLOITS.

 

HOWEVER, WHEN ONE IS ACTUALLY DEVOTED TO HIM

IN SPONTANEOUS LOVING SERVICE, Prema Seva,

Lord is REVEALED by His Divine GRACE."

 

I hope this information is helpful to the devotees.

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!