Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11 Chapter 14 Verses 36-42

Canto 11: General History | Chapter 14: Lord Kṛṣṇa Explains the Yoga System to Śrī Uddhava

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.14.36-42

hṛt-puṇḍarīkam antaḥ-stham

ūrdhva-nālam adho-mukham

dhyātvordhva-mukham unnidram

aṣṭa-patraḿ sa-karṇikam

karṇikāyāḿ nyaset sūrya-

somāgnīn uttarottaram

vahni-madhye smared rūpaḿ

mamaitad dhyāna-mańgalam

samaḿ praśāntaḿ su-mukhaḿ

dīrgha-cāru-catur-bhujam

su-cāru-sundara-grīvaḿ

su-kapolaḿ śuci-smitam

samāna-karṇa-vinyasta-

sphuran-makara-kuṇḍalam

hemāmbaraḿ ghana-śyāmaḿ

śrīvatsa-śrī-niketanam

śańkha-cakra-gadā-padma-

vanamālā-vibhūṣitam

nūpurair vilasat-pādaḿ

kaustubha-prabhayā yutam

dyumat-kirīṭa-kaṭaka-

kaṭi-sūtrāńgadāyutam

sarvāńga-sundaraḿ hṛdyaḿ

prasāda-sumukhekṣanam

su-kumāram abhidhyāyet

sarvāńgeṣu mano dadhat

indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyo

manasākṛṣya tan manaḥ

buddhyā sārathinā dhīraḥ

praṇayen mayi sarvataḥ

SYNONYMS

hṛt — in the heart; puṇḍarīkam — lotus flower; antaḥ-stham — situated within the body; ūrdhva-nālam — having erected the lotus stalk; adhaḥ-mukham — with eyes half closed, staring at the tip of the nose; dhyātvā — having fixed the mind in meditation; ūrdhva-mukham — enlivened; unnidram — alert without dozing off; aṣṭa-patram — with eight petals; sa-karṇikam — with the whorl of the lotus; karṇikāyām — within the whorl; nyaset — one should place by concentration; sūrya — the sun; soma — moon; agnīn — and fire; uttara-uttaram — in order, one after the other; vahni-madhye — within the fire; smaret — one should meditate; rūpam — upon the form; mama — My; etat — this; dhyāna-mańgalam — the auspicious object of meditation; samam — balanced, all the parts of the body proportionate; praśāntam — gentle; su-mukham — cheerful; dīrgha-cāru-catuḥ-bhujam — having four beautiful long arms; su-cāru — charming; sundara — beautiful; grīvam — neck; su-kapolam — beautiful forehead; śuci-smitam — having a pure smile; samāna — alike; karṇa — in the two ears; vinyasta — situated; sphurat — glowing; makara — shaped like sharks; kuṇḍalam — earrings; hema — golden colored; ambaram — dress; ghana-śyāmam — the color of a dark rain cloud; śrī-vatsa — the unique curl of hair on the Lord's chest; śrī-niketanam — the abode of the goddess of fortune; śańkha — with the conchshell; cakra — Sudarśana disc; gadā — club; padma — lotus; vana-mālā — and a garland of forest flowers; vibhūṣitam — decorated; nūpuraiḥ — with ankle bells and bracelets; vilasat — shining; pādam — the lotus feet; kaustubha — of the Kaustubha gem; prabhayā — with the effulgence; yutam — enriched; dyumat — shining; kirīṭa — crown or helmet; kaṭaka — gold bracelets; kaṭi-sūtra — a band for the waist or upper hip; ańgada — bracelets; āyutam — equipped with; sarva-ańga — all the parts of the body; sundaram — beautiful; hṛdyam — charming; prasāda — with mercy; sumukha — smiling; īkṣaṇam — His glance; su-kumāram — most delicate; abhidhyāyet — one should meditate; sarva-ańgeṣu — in all the parts of the body; manaḥ — the mind; dadhat — placing; indriyāṇi — the material senses; indriya-arthebhyaḥ — from the object of the senses; manasā — by the mind; ākṛṣya — pulling back; tat — that; manaḥ — mind; buddhyā — by intelligence; sārathinā — which is like the driver of a chariot; dhīraḥ — being grave and self-controlled; praṇayet — one should strongly lead; mayi — unto Me; sarvataḥ — in all limbs of the body.

TRANSLATION

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. 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 conchshell, 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. Pulling the senses back from the sense objects, one should be grave and self-controlled and should use the intelligence to strongly fix the mind upon all of the limbs of My transcendental body. Thus one should meditate upon that most delicate transcendental form of Mine.

PURPORT

Lord Kṛṣṇa here answers Uddhava's question concerning the correct procedure, nature and object of meditation for those desiring liberation.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari