Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.12.17
Mukti· LiberationBecome Absorbed in the Lord's Form
“In Badarikāśrama Dhruva Mahārāja’s senses became completely purified because he bathed regularly in the crystal-clear, purified water. He fixed his sitting position and by yogic practice controlled the breathing process and the air of life; in this way his senses were completely withdrawn. Then he concentrated his mind on the arcā-vigraha form of the Lord, which is the exact replica of the Lord and, thus meditating upon Him, entered into complete trance.”
What the purport teaches
- In the solitude of Badarikāśrama, Dhruva Mahārāja practiced aṣṭāṅga-yoga, controlled his breathing, and withdrew his senses. He concentrated on the Lord's arcā-vigraha form and entered complete trance.
- The arcā-vigraha, or worshipable Deity, is an incarnation of the Lord in a form accessible to the devotee. This worship is not idol worship, because the Lord's Deity form is nondifferent from His original spiritual form.
- By following the regulative principles of Deity worship, devotees become absorbed in thought of the Lord. Such constant remembrance is the ultimate goal of life and makes one the topmost yogī.
Try this today
Spend a quiet minute today attentively contemplating the Lord's worshipable Deity form.
Ask yourself
How can I give more attentive thought to the Lord's worshipable form?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.