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- Read on →: mumukṣu-prabhṛtīnāṁ jñāni-pūjaiva mukhyā
mumukṣu-prabhṛtīnāṁ jñāni-pūjaiva mukhyā, puruṣāntara-pūjā tu tad-abhāva eva, tathā prema-bhakti-kāmānāṁ prema-bhakta-pūjā jñeyā | tataḥ prema-bhaktānām api yac cittasya paramāśraya-rūpaṁ, tad-abhivyakteḥ sutarām evārcāyā ādhikyam api | … tasmād arcāyā ādhikyam eva hi sthitam |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 294)“For seekers of liberation and others, worship of the jñānī is primary [i.e., is the primary existential seat of Bhagavān to be worshiped], and worship of other living beings is only in his absence [i.e., is only to be performed when a jñānī is not available]. Similarly, for those who desire prema-bhakti, worship of a prema-bhakta is to be understood [as the primary existential seat of Bhagavān to be worshiped]. The Deity (Arcā) is a manifestation of [Śrī Bhagavān,] he whose nature is that of the supreme shelter of the hearts of even prema-bhaktas, and thus is even more [worshipable] than them [i.e., that prema-bhaktas]. … Therefore, definitive superiority of the Deity [as the greatest object of worship and existential seat of Bhagavān] is established.”
- Read on →: adhiṣṭhāna-vicāre śrīmad-arcāto’pi yaḥ pūruṣa-mātrātiśayas tatrāpi jñāninaḥ
adhiṣṭhāna-vicāre śrīmad-arcāto’pi yaḥ pūruṣa-mātrātiśayas tatrāpi jñāninaḥ, sa ca kaivalya-kāmo bhakty-āśrayaḥ | … ca bhaktasyaiva tato’py utkarṣaḥ, kim uta tad-upāsyāyāḥ śrīmad-arcāyāḥ | …
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 286)“In deliberation upon dwelling places (adhiṣṭhānas) [of Śrī Bhagavān], a human being is [considered] greater [i.e., a greater dwelling places (adhiṣṭhānas) of Śrī Bhagavān] than even the sacred deity. Furthermore among them [i.e., among human beings], a possessor of knowledge (jñānī) [is greater]. He [i.e., a jñānī], furthermore, is [understood to be] a seeker of liberation (kaivalya) whose shelter is in [the path of] bhakti. … Furthermore, the excellence of a bhakta is indeed even greater than him [i.e., than a jñānī], so what more of the sacred deity, his object of worship? [Although it is said in general that a human being is a greater dwelling place (adhiṣṭhāna) of Bhagavān than a deity of Bhagavān because one who doesn’t recognize Bhagavān’s presence in all living beings has no eligibility (adhikāra) to perform worship of a deity of Bhagavān, the deity is also the object of worship of a bhakta, who is a greater dwelling place (adhiṣṭhāna) of Bhagavān than a common human being and a jñānī. Thus, the deity is actually the greatest dwelling place (adhiṣṭhāna) of Bhagavān and highest object of worship for all, provided one has the necessary understanding.]”
- Read on →: (jaya jaya) rādhe kṛṣṇa govinda
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- Read on →: śālagrāmādikaṁ tat-tad-bhagavad-ākārādhiṣṭhānam iti cintyam
śālagrāmādikaṁ tat-tad-bhagavad-ākārādhiṣṭhānam iti cintyam, ākāra-vailakṣaṇyāt, śālagrāma-śilā yatra tatra sannihito hariḥ ity-ādy-ukteḥ | tatra ca sveṣṭākārasyaiva bhagavato’dhiṣṭhānaṁ suṣṭhu siddhikaram, tasminn evāyatnatas tadīya-prākaṭyāt, ‘mūrtyābhimatayātmanaḥ’ ity ukteḥ |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 286)“A Śālagrāma and so forth [e.g., a Govardhana-śilā] is to be conceived of as a dwelling place (adhiṣṭhāna) of a particular appearance (ākāra) [i.e., specific figure] of Bhagavān because of dissimilarity of appearance [i.e., because Śālagrāma-śilās, Govardhana-śilās, and other such objects of worship do not resemble Bhagavān’s personal figures of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, and so on], and because of statements such as, ‘Where there is a Śālagrāma stone, there Hari is present.’ Therein, furthermore, [to meditate on a Śālagrāma and so forth as] a dwelling place (adhiṣṭhāna) of one’s own desired appearance of Bhagavān [i.e., one Iṣṭa-devatā] is highly efficacious because of his [i.e., one’s Iṣṭa-devatā’s] manifestation without effort [on the part of the sādhaka] there in particular [i.e., in that Śālagrāma or other object of worship], as per the statement [in SB 11.3.48], ‘[Worship the Supreme Puruṣa] In the form wished for by oneself.’”
- Read on →: atha mukhyaṁ dhyānaṁ śrī-bhagavad-dhāma-gatam eva
atha mukhyaṁ dhyānaṁ śrī-bhagavad-dhāma-gatam eva, hṛdaya-kamala-gataṁ tu yogi-matam, smared vṛndāvane ramye ity-ādy-uktatvāt | ata eva mānasa-pūjā ca tatraiva cintanīyā | … śrī-kṛṣṇādīnāṁ tu mathurādi-kṣetraṁ mahādhiṣṭhānam, ‘mathurā bhagavān yatra nityaṁ sannihito hariḥ’ ity-ādy-ukteḥ | tathā tat-tan-mantra-dhyeya-vaibhavatvena mathurā-vṛndāvanādīnāṁ śrī-gopāla-tāpany-ādau prakhyātatvāt | mathurādi-kṣetrāṇy evānyatrādhiṣṭhāne dhyānena prakāśya teṣu bhagavāṁś cintyate |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 286)“Now, [for bhaktas] the primary [meditation] is situated in Śrī Bhagavān’s dhāma alone [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān is to be meditated upon only as situated in his own abode], whereas it is considered by yogīs to be situated in the lotus in the heart [i.e., yogīs, unlike bhaktas, meditate on Bhagavān situated in their own hearts rather than in his own abode], since it is stated [in Śāradā-tilaka], ‘Remember [Govinda] in joyful Vṛndāvana,’ and so on. Therefore, worship in the mind (mānasa-pūjā) is to be conceived there alone [i.e., when worship is performed in the mind, Bhagavān should be conceived of as situated in his own abode, e.g., Vṛndāvana, and not in the heart, in the sun, or elsewhere, as yogīs may conceive of him]. … The domains of Mathurā and so forth, however, are grand existential seats (mahādhiṣṭhānas) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and so on, on account of statements such as [SB 1.10.28], ‘Mathurā, where Bhagavān Hari is eternally present,’ and because of Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, and so forth’s being made known in Śrī Gopāla Tāpanī and elsewhere to be the magnificence (vaibhava) of the object of meditation (dhyeya) in various mantras [i.e., to be aspects of Bhagavān’s own personal greatness]. The domains of Mathurā and so forth are to be manifested through meditation in existential seats elsewhere, and Bhagavān is to be conceived in them [i.e., if an object of worship, such as a Deity, is present in a location other than the district of Mathurā or another abode of Śrī Bhagavān, then a worshiper of that object of worship should situate that object of worship in the appropriate abode, e.g., Vṛndāvana, through meditation and then perform worship with the object of worship conceived to be situated there].”
- Read on →: naiva strī na pumān eṣa na caivāyaṁ napuṁsakaḥ
naiva strī na pumān eṣa na caivāyaṁ napuṁsakaḥ |
yad yac charīram ādatte tene tene sa yujyate ||
(Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad: 5.10)“It [i.e., the jīva] is not female and not male. It is also not of neuter gender [i.e., non-binary, lit., ‘non-male’]. Whatever body it accepts, it becomes united with that.”