Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Twenty-eight
SB3.28.16
TEXT 16
kanci-gunollasac-chronim
hrdayambhoja-vistaram
darsaniyatamam santam
mano-nayana-vardhanam
SYNONYMS
kanci—girdle; guna—quality; ullasat—brilliant; sronim—His loins and hips; hrdaya—heart; ambhoja—lotus; vistaram—whose seat; darsaniya-tamam—most charming to look at; santam—serene; manah—minds, hearts; nayana—eyes; vardhanam—gladdening.
TRANSLATION
His loins and hips encircled by a girdle, He stands on the lotus of His devotee’s heart. He is most charming to look at, and His serene aspect gladdens the eyes and souls of the devotees who behold Him.
PURPORT
The word darsaniyatamam, which is used in this verse, means that the Lord is so beautiful that the devotee-yogi does not wish to see anything else. His desire to see beautiful objects is completely satisfied by the sight of the Lord. In the material world we want to see beauty, but the desire is never satisfied. Because of material contamination, all the propensities we feel in the material world are ever unsatisfied. But when our desires to see, hear, touch, etc., are dovetailed for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are on the level of the topmost perfection.
Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His eternal form is so beautiful and pleasing to the heart of the devotee, He does not attract the impersonalists, who want to meditate on His impersonal aspect. Such impersonal meditation is simply fruitless labor. The actual yogis, with half-closed eyes, fix on the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not upon anything void or impersonal. SB3.28.17 TEXT 17 apicya-darsanam sasvat sarva-loka-namaskrtam santam vayasi kaisore bhrtyanugraha-kataram SYNONYMS apicya-darsanam—very beautiful to see; sasvat—eternal; sarva-loka—by all the inhabitants of every planet; namah-krtam—worshipable; santam—situated; vayasi—in youth; kaisore—in boyhood; bhrtya—upon His devotee; anugraha—to bestow blessings; kataram—eager. TRANSLATION The Lord is eternally very beautiful, and He is worshipable by all the inhabitants of every planet. He is ever youthful and always eager to bestow His blessing upon His devotees. PURPORT The word sarva-loka-namaskrtam means that He is worshipable by everyone on every planet. There are innumerable planets in the material world and innumerable planets in the spiritual world as well. On each planet there are innumerable inhabitants who worship the Lord, for the Lord is worshipable by all but the impersonalists. The Supreme Lord is very beautiful. The word sasvat is significant. It is not that He appears beautiful to the devotees but is ultimately impersonal. Sasvat means “ever existing.” That beauty is not temporary. It is ever existing—He is always youthful. In the Brahma-samhita (5.33) it is also stated: advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca. The original person is one without a second, yet He never appears old; He always appears as ever fresh as a blooming youth. The Lord’s facial expression always indicates that He is ready to show favor and benediction to the devotees; for the nondevotees, however, He is silent. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, although He acts equally to everyone because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and because all living entities are His sons, He is especially inclined to those engaged in devotional service. The same fact is confirmed here: He is always anxious to show favor to the devotees. Just as the devotees are always eager to render service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord is also very eager to bestow benediction upon the pure devotees. SB3.28.18 TEXT 18 kirtanya-tirtha-yasasam punya-sloka-yasaskaram dhyayed devam samagrangam yavan na cyavate manah SYNONYMS kirtanya—worth singing; tirtha-yasasam—the glories of the Lord; punya-sloka—of the devotees; yasah-karam—enhancing the glory; dhyayet—one should meditate; devam—upon the Lord; samagra-angam—all the limbs; yavat—as much as; na—not; cyavate—deviates; manah—the mind. TRANSLATION The glory of the Lord is always worth singing, for His glories enhance the glories of His devotees. One should therefore meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead and upon His devotees. One should meditate on the eternal form of the Lord until the mind becomes fixed. PURPORT One has to fix his mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead constantly. When one is accustomed to thinking of one of the innumerable forms of the Lord—Krsna, Visnu, Rama, Narayana, etc.—he has reached the perfection of yoga. This is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita: a person who has developed pure love for the Lord, and whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of transcendental loving exchange, always sees within his heart the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The devotees especially see the Lord in the beautiful blackish form of Syamasundara. That is the perfection of yoga. This yoga system should be continued until the mind does not vacillate for a moment. Om tad visnoh paramam padam sada pasyanti surayah: the form of Visnu is the highest individuality and is always visible to sages and saintly persons. The same purpose is served when a devotee worships the form of the Lord in the temple. There is no difference between devotional service in the temple and meditation on the form of the Lord, since the form of the Lord is the same whether He appears within the mind or in some concrete element. There are eight kinds of forms recommended for the devotees to see. The forms may be made out of sand, clay, wood or stone, they may be contemplated within the mind or made of jewels, metal or painted colors, but all the forms are of the same value. It is not that one who meditates on the form within the mind sees differently from one who worships the form in the temple. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is absolute, and there is therefore no difference between the two. The impersonalists, who desire to disregard the eternal form of the Lord, imagine some round figure. They especially prefer the omkara, which also has form. In Bhagavad-gita it is stated that omkara is the letter form of the Lord. Similarly, there are statue forms and painting forms of the Lord. Another significant word in this verse is punya-sloka-yasaskaram. The devotee is called punya-sloka. As one becomes purified by chanting the holy name of the Lord, so one can become purified simply by chanting the name of a holy devotee. The pure devotee of the Lord and the Lord Himself are nondifferent. It is sometimes feasible to chant the name of a holy devotee. This is a very sanctified process. Lord Caitanya was once chanting the holy names of the gopis when His students criticized Him: “Why are You chanting the names of the gopis? Why not ‘Krsna’?” Lord Caitanya was irritated by the criticism, and so there was some misunderstanding between Him and His students. He wanted to chastise them for desiring to instruct Him on the transcendental process of chanting. The beauty of the Lord is that the devotees who are connected with His activities are also glorified. Arjuna, Prahlada, Janaka Maharaja, Bali Maharaja and many other devotees were not even in the renounced order of life, but were householders. Some of them, such as Prahlada Maharaja and Bali Maharaja, were born of demoniac families. Prahlada Maharaja’s father was a demon, and Bali Maharaja was the grandson of Prahlada Maharaja, but still they have become famous because of their association with the Lord. Anyone who is eternally associated with the Lord is glorified with the Lord. The conclusion is that a perfect yogi should always be accustomed to seeing the form of the Lord, and unless the mind is fixed in that way, he should continue practicing yoga. SB3.28.19 TEXT 19 sthitam vrajantam asinam sayanam va guhasayam preksaniyehitam dhyayec chuddha-bhavena cetasa SYNONYMS sthitam—standing; vrajantam—moving; asinam—sitting; sayanam—lying down; va—or; guha-asayam—the Lord dwelling in the heart; preksaniya—beautiful; ihitam—pastimes; dhyayet—he should visualize; suddha-bhavena—pure; cetasa—by the mind. TRANSLATION Thus always merged in devotional service, the yogi visualizes the Lord standing, moving, lying down or sitting within him, for the pastimes of the Supreme Lord are always beautiful and attractive. PURPORT The process of meditating on the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within oneself and the process of chanting the glories and pastimes of the Lord are the same. The only difference is that hearing and fixing the mind on the pastimes of the Lord is easier than visualizing the form of the Lord within one’s heart because as soon as one begins to think of the Lord, especially in this age, the mind becomes disturbed, and due to so much agitation, the process of seeing the Lord within the mind is interrupted. When there is sound vibrated praising the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, however, one is forced to hear. That hearing process enters into the mind, and the practice of yoga is automatically performed. For example, even a child can hear and derive the benefit of meditating on the pastimes of the Lord simply by listening to a reading from the Bhagavatam that describes the Lord as He is going to the pasturing ground with His cows and friends. Hearing includes applying the mind. In this age of Kali-yuga, Lord Caitanya has recommended that one should always engage in chanting and hearing Bhagavad-gita. The Lord also says that the mahatmas, or great souls, always engage in the process of chanting the glories of the Lord, and just by hearing, others derive the same benefit. Yoga necessitates meditation on the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, whether He is standing, moving, lying down, etc. SB3.28.20 TEXT 20 tasmil labdha-padam cittam sarvavayava-samsthitam vilaksyaikatra samyujyad ange bhagavato munih SYNONYMS tasmin—on the form of the Lord; labdha-padam—fixed; cittam—the mind; sarva—all; avayava—limbs; samsthitam—fixed upon; vilaksya—having distinguished; ekatra—in one place; samyujyat—should fix the mind; ange—on each limb; bhagavatah—of the Lord; munih—the sage. TRANSLATION In fixing his mind on the eternal form of the Lord, the yogi should not take a collective view of all His limbs, but should fix the mind on each individual limb of the Lord. PURPORT The word muni is very significant. Muni means one who is very expert in mental speculation or in thinking, feeling and willing. He is not mentioned here as a devotee or yogi. Those who try to meditate on the form of the Lord are called munis, or less intelligent, whereas those who render actual service to the Lord are called bhakti-yogis. The thought process described below is for the education of the muni. In order to convince the yogi that the Absolute Truth, or Supreme Personality of Godhead, is never impersonal at any time, the following verses prescribe observing the Lord in His personal form, limb after limb. To think of the Lord as a whole may sometimes be impersonal; therefore, it is recommended here that one first think of His lotus feet, then His ankles, then the thighs, then the waist, then the chest, then the neck, then the face and so on. One should begin from the lotus feet and gradually rise to the upper limbs of the transcendental body of the Lord. SB3.28.21 TEXT 21 sancintayed bhagavatas caranaravindam vajrankusa-dhvaja-saroruha-lanchanadhyam uttunga-rakta-vilasan-nakha-cakravala- jyotsnabhir ahata-mahad-dhrdayandhakaram SYNONYMS sancintayet—he should concentrate; bhagavatah—of the Lord; carana-aravindam—on the lotus feet; vajra—thunderbolt; ankusa—goad (rod for driving elephants); dhvaja—banner; saroruha—lotus; lanchana—marks; adhyam—adorned with; uttunga—prominent; rakta—red; vilasat—brilliant; nakha—nails; cakravala—the circle of the moon; jyotsnabhih—with splendor; ahata—dispelled; mahat—thick; hrdaya—of the heart; andhakaram—darkness. TRANSLATION The devotee should first concentrate his mind on the Lord’s lotus feet, which are adorned with the marks of a thunderbolt, a goad, a banner and a lotus. The splendor of their beautiful ruby nails resembles the orbit of the moon and dispels the thick gloom of one’s heart. PURPORT The Mayavadi says that because one is unable to fix his mind on the impersonal existence of the Absolute Truth, one can imagine any form he likes and fix his mind on that imaginary form; but such a process is not recommended here. Imagination is always imagination and results only in further imagination. A concrete description of the eternal form of the Lord is given here. The Lord’s sole is depicted with distinctive lines resembling a thunderbolt, a flag, a lotus flower and a goad. The luster of His toenails, which are brilliantly prominent, resembles the light of the moon. If a yogi looks upon the marks of the Lord’s sole and on the blazing brilliance of His nails, then he can be freed from the darkness of ignorance in material existence. This liberation is not achieved by mental speculation, but by seeing the light emanating from the lustrous toenails of the Lord. In other words, one has to fix his mind first on the lotus feet of the Lord if he wants to be freed from the darkness of ignorance in material existence. SB3.28.22 TEXT 22 yac-chauca-nihsrta-sarit-pravarodakena tirthena murdhny adhikrtena sivah sivo ’bhut dhyatur manah-samala-saila-nisrsta-vajram dhyayec ciram bhagavatas caranaravindam SYNONYMS yat—the Lord’s lotus feet; sauca—washing; nihsrta—gone forth; sarit-pravara—of the Ganges; udakena—by the water; tirthena—holy; murdhni—on his head; adhikrtena—borne; sivah—Lord Siva; sivah—auspicious; abhut—became; dhyatuh—of the meditator; manah—in the mind; samala-saila—the mountain of sin; nisrsta—hurled; vajram—thunderbolt; dhyayet—one should meditate; ciram—for a long time; bhagavatah—of the Lord; carana-aravindam—on the lotus feet. TRANSLATION The blessed Lord Siva becomes all the more blessed by bearing on his head the holy waters of the Ganges, which has its source in the water that washed the Lord’s lotus feet. The Lord’s feet act like thunderbolts hurled to shatter the mountain of sin stored in the mind of the meditating devotee. One should therefore meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for a long time. PURPORT In this verse the position of Lord Siva is specifically mentioned. The impersonalist suggests that the Absolute Truth has no form and that one can therefore equally imagine the form of Visnu or Lord Siva or the goddess Durga or their son Ganesa. But actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme master of everyone. In the Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi 5.142) it is said, ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya: the Supreme Lord is Krsna, and everyone else, including Lord Siva and Lord Brahma—not to mention other demigods—is a servant of Krsna. The same principle is described here. Lord Siva is important because he is holding on his head the holy Ganges water, which has its origin in the foot-wash of Lord Visnu. In the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, by Sanatana Gosvami, it is said that anyone who puts the Supreme Lord and the demigods, including Lord Siva and Lord Brahma, on the same level, at once becomes a pasandi, or atheist. We should never consider that the Supreme Lord Visnu and the demigods are on an equal footing. Another significant point of this verse is that the mind of the conditioned soul, on account of its association with the material energy from time immemorial, contains heaps of dirt in the form of desires to lord it over material nature. This dirt is like a mountain, but a mountain can be shattered when hit by a thunderbolt. Meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord acts like a thunderbolt on the mountain of dirt in the mind of the yogi. If a yogi wants to shatter the mountain of dirt in his mind, he should concentrate on the lotus feet of the Lord and not imagine something void or impersonal. Because the dirt has accumulated like a solid mountain, one must meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for quite a long time. For one who is accustomed to thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord constantly, however, it is a different matter. The devotees are so fixed on the lotus feet of the Lord that they do not think of anything else. Those who practice the yoga system must meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for a long time after following the regulative principles and thereby controlling the senses. It is specifically mentioned here, bhagavatas caranaravindam: one has to think of the lotus feet of the Lord. The Mayavadis imagine that one can think of the lotus feet of Lord Siva or Lord Brahma or the goddess Durga to achieve liberation, but this is not so. Bhagavatah is specifically mentioned. Bhagavatah means “of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu,” and no one else. Another significant phrase in this verse is sivah sivo ’bhut. By his constitutional position, Lord Siva is always great and auspicious, but since he has accepted on his head the Ganges water, which emanated from the lotus feet of the Lord, he has become even more auspicious and important. The stress is on the lotus feet of the Lord. A relationship with the lotus feet of the Lord can even enhance the importance of Lord Siva, what to speak of other, ordinary living entities. SB3.28.23 TEXT 23 janu-dvayam jalaja-locanaya jananya laksmyakhilasya sura-vanditaya vidhatuh urvor nidhaya kara-pallava-rocisa yat samlalitam hrdi vibhor abhavasya kuryat SYNONYMS janu-dvayam—up to the knees; jalaja-locanaya—lotus-eyed; jananya—mother; laksmya—by Laksmi; akhilasya—of the entire universe; sura-vanditaya—worshiped by the demigods; vidhatuh—of Brahma; urvoh—at the thighs; nidhaya—having placed; kara-pallava-rocisa—with her lustrous fingers; yat—which; samlalitam—massaged; hrdi—in the heart; vibhoh—of the Lord; abhavasya—transcendental to material existence; kuryat—one should meditate. TRANSLATION The yogi should fix in his heart the activities of Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, who is worshiped by all demigods and is the mother of the supreme person, Brahma. She can always be found massaging the legs and thighs of the transcendental Lord, very carefully serving Him in this way. PURPORT Brahma is the appointed lord of the universe. Because his father is Garbhodakasayi Visnu, Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, is automatically his mother. Laksmiji is worshiped by all demigods and by the inhabitants of other planets as well. Human beings are also eager to receive favor from the goddess of fortune. Laksmi is always engaged in massaging the legs and thighs of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Narayana, who is lying on the ocean of Garbha within the universe. Brahma is described here as the son of the goddess of fortune, but actually he was not born of her womb. Brahma takes his birth from the abdomen of the Lord Himself. A lotus flower grows from the abdomen of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and Brahma is born there. Therefore Laksmiji’s massaging of the thighs of the Lord should not be taken as the behavior of an ordinary wife. The Lord is transcendental to the behavior of the ordinary male and female. The word abhavasya is very significant, for it indicates that He could produce Brahma without the assistance of the goddess of fortune. Since transcendental behavior is different from mundane behavior, it should not be taken that the Lord receives service from His wife just as a demigod or human being might receive service from his wife. It is advised here that the yogi always keep this picture in his heart. The devotee always thinks of this relationship between Laksmi and Narayana; therefore he does not meditate on the mental plane as impersonalists and voidists do. Bhava means “one who accepts a material body,” and abhava means “one who does not accept a material body but descends in the original, spiritual body.” Lord Narayana is not born of anything material. Matter is generated from matter, but He is not born of matter. Brahma is born after the creation, but since the Lord existed before the creation, the Lord has no material body. SB3.28.24 TEXT 24 uru suparna-bhujayor adhi sobhamanav ojo-nidhi atasika-kusumavabhasau vyalambi-pita-vara-vasasi vartamana- kanci-kalapa-parirambhi nitamba-bimbam SYNONYMS uru—the two thighs; suparna—of Garuda; bhujayoh—the two shoulders; adhi—on; sobhamanau—beautiful; ojah-nidhi—the storehouse of all energy; atasika-kusuma—of the linseed flower; avabhasau—like the luster; vyalambi—extending down; pita—yellow; vara—exquisite; vasasi—on the cloth; vartamana—being; kanci-kalapa—by a girdle; parirambhi—encircled; nitamba-bimbam—His rounded hips. TRANSLATION Next, the yogi should fix his mind in meditation on the Personality of Godhead’s thighs, the storehouse of all energy. The Lord’s thighs are whitish blue, like the luster of the linseed flower, and appear most graceful when the Lord is carried on the shoulders of Garuda. Also the yogi should contemplate His rounded hips, which are encircled by a girdle that rests on the exquisite yellow silk cloth that extends down to His ankles. PURPORT The Personality of Godhead is the reservoir of all strength, and His strength rests on the thighs of His transcendental body. His whole body is full of opulences: all riches, all strength, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation. The yogi is advised to meditate upon the transcendental form of the Lord, beginning from the soles of the feet and then gradually rising to the knees, to the thighs, and finally arriving at the face. The system of meditating on the Supreme Personality of Godhead begins from His feet. The description of the transcendental form of the Lord is exactly represented in the arca-vigraha, the statue in the temples. Generally, the lower part of the body of the statue of the Lord is covered with yellow silk. That is the Vaikuntha dress, or the dress the Lord wears in the spiritual sky. This cloth extends down to the Lord’s ankles. Thus, since the yogi has so many transcendental objectives on which to meditate, there is no reason for his meditating on something imaginary, as is the practice of the so-called yogis whose objective is impersonal. SB3.28.25 TEXT 25 nabhi-hradam bhuvana-kosa-guhodara-stham yatratma-yoni-dhisanakhila-loka-padmam vyudham harin-mani-vrsa-stanayor amusya dhyayed dvayam visada-hara-mayukha-gauram SYNONYMS nabhi-hradam—the navel lake; bhuvana-kosa—of all the worlds; guha—the foundation; udara—on the abdomen; stham—situated; yatra—where; atma-yoni—of Brahma; dhisana—residence; akhila-loka—containing all planetary systems; padmam—lotus; vyudham—sprang up; harit-mani—like emeralds; vrsa—most exquisite; stanayoh—of nipples; amusya—of the Lord; dhyayet—he should meditate on; dvayam—the pair; visada—white; hara—of pearl necklaces; mayukha—from the light; gauram—whitish. TRANSLATION The yogi should then meditate on His moonlike navel in the center of His abdomen. From His navel, which is the foundation of the entire universe, sprang the lotus stem containing all the different planetary systems. The lotus is the residence of Brahma, the first created being. In the same way, the yogi should concentrate his mind on the Lord’s nipples, which resemble a pair of most exquisite emeralds and which appear whitish because of the rays of the milk-white pearl necklaces adorning His chest. PURPORT The yogi is advised next to meditate upon the navel of the Lord, which is the foundation of all material creation. Just as a child is connected to his mother by the umbilical cord, so the first-born living creature, Brahma, by the supreme will of the Lord, is connected to the Lord by a lotus stem. In the previous verse it was stated that the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, who engages in massaging the legs, ankles and thighs of the Lord, is called the mother of Brahma, but actually Brahma is born from the abdomen of the Lord, not from the abdomen of his mother. These are inconceivable conceptions of the Lord, and one should not think materially, “How can the father give birth to a child?” It is explained in the Brahma-samhita that each limb of the Lord has the potency of every other limb; because everything is spiritual, His parts are not conditioned. The Lord can see with His ears. The material ear can hear but cannot see, but we understand from the Brahma-samhita that the Lord can also see with His ears and hear with His eyes. Any organ of His transcendental body can function as any other organ. His abdomen is the foundation of all the planetary systems. Brahma holds the post of the creator of all planetary systems, but his engineering energy is generated from the abdomen of the Lord. Any creative function in the universe always has a direct connecting link with the Lord. The necklace of pearls which decorates the upper portion of the Lord’s body is also spiritual, and therefore the yogi is advised to gaze at the whitish luster of the pearls decorating His chest. SB3.28.26 TEXT 26 vakso ’dhivasam rsabhasya maha-vibhuteh pumsam mano-nayana-nirvrtim adadhanam kantham ca kaustubha-maner adhibhusanartham kuryan manasy akhila-loka-namaskrtasya SYNONYMS vaksah—the chest; adhivasam—the abode; rsabhasya—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; maha-vibhuteh—of Maha-Laksmi; pumsam—of persons; manah—to the mind; nayana—to the eyes; nirvrtim—transcendental pleasure; adadhanam—bestowing; kantham—the neck; ca—also; kaustubha-maneh—of the Kaustubha gem; adhibhusana-artham—which enhances the beauty; kuryat—he should meditate on; manasi—in the mind; akhila-loka—by the entire universe; namaskrtasya—who is adored. TRANSLATION The yogi should then meditate on the chest of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the abode of goddess Maha-Laksmi. The Lord’s chest is the source of all transcendental pleasure for the mind and full satisfaction for the eyes. The yogi should then imprint on his mind the neck of the Personality of Godhead, who is adored by the entire universe. The neck of the Lord serves to enhance the beauty of the Kaustubha gem, which hangs on His chest. PURPORT In the Upanisads it is said that the various energies of the Lord are working to create, destroy and maintain. These inconceivable varieties of energy are stored in the bosom of the Lord. As people generally say, God is all-powerful. That prowess is represented by Maha-Laksmi, the reservoir of all energies, who is situated on the bosom of the transcendental form of the Lord. The yogi who can meditate perfectly on that spot on the transcendental form of the Lord can derive many material powers, which comprise the eight perfections of the yoga system. It is stated herein that the beauty of the neck of the Lord enhances the beauty of the Kaustubha gem rather than vice versa. The gem itself becomes more beautiful because it is situated on the neck of the Lord. A yogi is therefore recommended to meditate upon the Lord’s neck. The Lord’s transcendental form can either be meditated upon in the mind or placed in a temple in the form of a statue and decorated in such a way that everyone can contemplate it. Temple worship, therefore, is meant for persons who are not so advanced that they can meditate upon the form of the Lord. There is no difference between constantly visiting the temple and directly seeing the transcendental form of the Lord; they are of equal value. The advantageous position of the yogi is that he can sit anywhere in a solitary place and meditate upon the form of the Lord. A less advanced person, however, has to go to the temple, and as long as he does not go to the temple he is unable to see the form of the Lord. Either by hearing, seeing or meditating, the objective is the transcendental form of the Lord; there is no question of voidness or impersonalism. The Lord can bestow the blessings of transcendental pleasure upon either the visitor of the temple, the meditator-yogi or one who hears about the Lord’s transcendental form from scriptures like the Srimad-Bhagavatam or Bhagavad-gita. There are nine processes for executing devotional service, of which smaranam, or meditation, is one. Yogis take advantage of the process of smaranam, whereas bhakti-yogis take special advantage of the process of hearing and chanting. SB3.28.27 TEXT 27 bahums ca mandara-gireh parivartanena nirnikta-bahu-valayan adhiloka-palan sancintayed dasa-sataram asahya-tejah sankham ca tat-kara-saroruha-raja-hamsam SYNONYMS bahun—the arms; ca—and; mandara-gireh—of Mount Mandara; parivartanena—by the revolving; nirnikta—polished; bahu-valayan—the arm ornaments; adhiloka-palan—the source of the controllers of the universe; sancintayet—one should meditate on; dasa-sata-aram—the Sudarsana disc (ten hundred spokes); asahya-tejah—dazzling luster; sankham—the conch; ca—also; tat-kara—in the hand of the Lord; saroruha—lotuslike; raja-hamsam—like a swan. TRANSLATION The yogi should further meditate upon the Lord’s four arms, which are the source of all the powers of the demigods who control the various functions of material nature. Then the yogi should concentrate on the polished ornaments, which were burnished by Mount Mandara as it revolved. He should also duly contemplate the Lord’s discus, the Sudarsana cakra, which contains one thousand spokes and a dazzling luster, as well as the conch, which looks like a swan in His lotuslike palm. PURPORT All departments of law and order emanate from the arms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The law and order of the universe is directed by different demigods, and it is here said to emanate from the Lord’s arms. Mandara Hill is mentioned here because when the ocean was churned by the demons on one side and the demigods on the other, Mandara Hill was taken as the churning rod. The Lord in His tortoise incarnation became the pivot for the churning rod, and thus His ornaments were polished by the turning of Mandara Hill. In other words, the ornaments on the arms of the Lord are as brilliant and lustrous as if they had been polished very recently. The wheel in the hand of the Lord, called the Sudarsana cakra, has one thousand spokes. The yogi is advised to meditate upon each of the spokes. He should meditate upon each and every one of the component parts of the transcendental form of the Lord. SB3.28.28 TEXT 28 kaumodakim bhagavato dayitam smareta digdham arati-bhata-sonita-kardamena malam madhuvrata-varutha-giropaghustam caityasya tattvam amalam manim asya kanthe SYNONYMS kaumodakim—the club named Kaumodaki; bhagavatah—of the Personality of Godhead; dayitam—very dear; smareta—one should remember; digdham—smeared; arati—of the enemies; bhata—soldiers; sonita-kardamena—with the bloodstains; malam—the garland; madhuvrata—of bumblebees; varutha—of a swarm; gira—with the sound; upaghustam—surrounded; caityasya—of the living entity; tattvam—principle, truth; amalam—pure; manim—the pearl necklace; asya—of the Lord; kanthe—on the neck. TRANSLATION The yogi should meditate upon His club, which is named Kaumodaki and is very dear to Him. This club smashes the demons, who are always inimical soldiers, and is smeared with their blood. One should also concentrate on the nice garland on the neck of the Lord, which is always surrounded by bumblebees, with their nice buzzing sound, and one should meditate upon the pearl necklace on the Lord’s neck, which is considered to represent the pure living entities who are always engaged in His service. PURPORT The yogi must contemplate the different parts of the transcendental body of the Lord. Here it is stated that the constitutional position of the living entities should be understood. There are two kinds of living entities mentioned here. One is called the arati. They are averse to understanding the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For them, the Lord appears with His hand clutching the terrible mace, which is always smeared with bloodstains from His killing of demons. Demons are also sons of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, all the different species of living entities are sons of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are, however, two classes of living entities, who act in two different ways. The Supreme Lord keeps on His neck those living entities who are pure, as one protects the jewels and pearls on the bosom and neck of one’s body. Those living entities in pure Krsna consciousness are symbolized by the pearls on His neck. Those who are demons and are inimical towards the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are punished by His mace, which is always smeared with the blood of such fallen living entities. The club of the Lord is very dear to Him because He uses this instrument to smash the bodies of the demons and mix their blood. As mud is kneaded with water and earth, so the earthly bodies of the enemies of the Lord, or the atheists, are smashed by the club of the Lord, which becomes muddied with the blood of such demons.