há¹›t-puṇá¸arÄ«kam antaḥ-stham
Å«rdhva-nÄlam adho-mukham
dhyÄtvordhva-mukham unnidram
aṣṭa-patraṠsa-karṇikam
karṇikÄyÄá¹ nyaset sÅ«rya-
somÄgnÄ«n uttarottaram
vahni-madhye smared rÅ«paá¹
mamaitad dhyÄna-maá¹…galam
samaá¹ praÅ›Äntaá¹ su-mukhaá¹
dÄ«rgha-cÄru-catur-bhujam
su-cÄru-sundara-grÄ«vaá¹
su-kapolaṠśuci-smitam
samÄna-karṇa-vinyasta-
sphuran-makara-kuṇá¸alam
hemÄmbaraá¹ ghana-Å›yÄmaá¹
śrīvatsa-śrī-niketanam
Å›aá¹…kha-cakra-gadÄ-padma-
vanamÄlÄ-vibhūṣitam
nÅ«purair vilasat-pÄdaá¹
kaustubha-prabhayÄ yutam
dyumat-kirīṭa-kaṭaka-
kaá¹­i-sÅ«trÄá¹…gadÄyutam
sarvÄá¹…ga-sundaraá¹ há¹›dyaá¹
prasÄda-sumukheká¹£anam
su-kumÄram abhidhyÄyet
sarvÄá¹…geá¹£u mano dadhat
indriyÄṇīndriyÄrthebhyo
manasÄkṛṣya tan manaḥ
buddhyÄ sÄrathinÄ dhÄ«raḥ
praṇayen mayi sarvataḥ

 há¹›t - in the heart; puṇá¸arÄ«kam - lotus flower; antaḥ-stham - situated within the body; Å«rdhva-nÄlam - having erected the lotus stalk; adhaḥ-mukham - with eyes half closed, staring at the tip of the nose; dhyÄtvÄ - having fixed the mind in meditation; Å«rdhva-mukham - enlivened; unnidram - alert without dozing off; aṣṭa-patram - with eight petals; sa-karṇikam - with the whorl of the lotus; karṇikÄyÄm - within the whorl; nyaset - one should place by concentration; sÅ«rya - the sun; soma - moon; agnÄ«n - and fire; uttara-uttaram - in order, one after the other; vahni-madhye - within the fire; smaret - one should meditate; rÅ«pam - upon the form; mama - My; etat - this; dhyÄna-maá¹…galam - the auspicious object of meditation; samam - balanced, all the parts of the body proportionate; praÅ›Äntam - gentle; su-mukham - cheerful; dÄ«rgha-cÄru-catuḥ-bhujam - having four beautiful long arms; su-cÄru - charming; sundara - beautiful; grÄ«vam - neck; su-kapolam - beautiful forehead; Å›uci-smitam - having a pure smile; samÄna - alike; karṇa - in the two ears; vinyasta - situated; sphurat - glowing; makara - shaped like sharks; kuṇá¸alam - earrings; hema - golden colored; ambaram - dress; ghana-Å›yÄmam - the color of a dark rain cloud; Å›rÄ«-vatsa - the unique curl of hair on the Lord's chest; Å›rÄ«-niketanam - the abode of the goddess of fortune; Å›aá¹…kha - with the conchshell; cakra - SudarÅ›ana disc; gadÄ - club; padma - lotus; vana-mÄlÄ - and a garland of forest flowers; vibhūṣitam - decorated; nÅ«puraiḥ - with ankle bells and bracelets; vilasat - shining; pÄdam - the lotus feet; kaustubha - of the Kaustubha gem; prabhayÄ - with the effulgence; yutam - enriched; dyumat - shining; kirīṭa - crown or helmet; kaá¹­aka - gold bracelets; kaá¹­i-sÅ«tra - a band for the waist or upper hip; aá¹…gada - bracelets; Äyutam - equipped with; sarva-aá¹…ga - all the parts of the body; sundaram - beautiful; há¹›dyam - charming; prasÄda - with mercy; sumukha - smiling; Ä«ká¹£aṇam - His glance; su-kumÄram - most delicate; abhidhyÄyet - one should meditate; sarva-aá¹…geá¹£u - in all the parts of the body; manaḥ - the mind; dadhat - placing; indriyÄṇi - the material senses; indriya-arthebhyaḥ - from the object of the senses; manasÄ - by the mind; Äkṛṣya - pulling back; tat - that; manaḥ - mind; buddhyÄ - by intelligence; sÄrathinÄ - which is like the driver of a chariot; dhÄ«raḥ - being grave and self-controlled; praṇayet - one should strongly lead; mayi - unto Me; sarvataḥ - in all limbs of the body.


Text

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.