atrāgny-ādau tad-antaryāmi-rūpasyaiva cintanaṁ kāryam, na jātu nija-prema-sevā-viśeṣāśraya-svābhīṣṭa-rūpa-viśeṣasya | sa tu sarvathā parama-sukumāratvādi-buddhi-janitayā prītyaiva sevanīyaḥ | … teṣāṁ yathā-bhakti-rītyā parameśvarasyāpi tathā-bhāvaḥ śrūyate | yathā nāradīye—bhakti-grāhyo hṛṣīkeśo na dhanair dharaṇī-surāḥ | bhaktyā saṁpūjito viṣṇuḥ pradadāti manoratham || jalenāpi jagannāthaḥ pūjitaḥ kleśahā hariḥ | paritoṣaṁ vrajaty āśu tṛṣārtaḥ sujalair yathā || iti | … paricaryā-vidhau tad-deśa-kāla-sukhadāni śataśo vihitāni | tad-viparītāni niṣiddhāni ca | … ata evoktaṁ—‘yad yad iṣṭatamaṁ loke’ … | tatra tatreṣṭa-mantra-dhyāna-sthalaṁ ca sarva-rtu-sukhamaya-manohara-rūpa-rasa-gandha-sparśa-śabda-mayatvenaiva dhyātuṁ vihitam asti | anyathā tat-tad-āgrahasya vaiyarthyaṁ syāt | tasmād agny-ādau tat-tad-antaryāmi-rūpa eva bhāvya iti sthitam |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 295)
“Now [in regard to worship of Bhagavān], in [locations such as] fire and so forth, thought only of his form as the Inner Regulator (Antaryāmī) is to be performed, and never of one’s own specific cherished form [of Bhagavān, i.e., one’s Iṣṭa-devatā], who is the recipient of one’s own specific loving service (prema-sevā). He [i.e., one’s Iṣṭa-devatā], rather, is always to be served with love (prīti) manifest from the sense of [his] being supremely tender and so forth. … Even the Supreme Lord’s being just as is the manner of their [i.e., bhaktas’] bhakti [i.e., even Bhagavān’s appearing to his bhaktas in a form and manner perfectly suited to reciprocate exactly the bhāva and service his bhaktas offer him] is heard of, as in Nāradīya Purāṇa [2.3.3–4]: ‘O suras of the earth [i.e., O brāhmaṇas]! Hṛṣīkeśa is attainable by bhakti, and not by wealth. Viṣṇu, [upon being] fully worshiped with bhakti, grants one’s desire. Hari, the Lord of the universe and destroyer of distress, [upon being] worshiped even with water, quickly becomes fully satisfied just as a person afflicted with thirst does by [receiving] pure water.’ … In rendering attendance [to Śrī Bhagavān], hundreds of pleasing arrangements in accord with the time and place are enjoined, and their opposites are forbidden [i.e., all offerings of service to Śrī Bhagavān should be in accord with the time and place so as to be pleasing to him, and offerings that are contrary to what is pleasing in a given time and place are forbidden]. … Therefore, it is said [by Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa in SB 11.11.41], ‘Whatever is most desired in the world and whatever is most dear to oneself—offer that to me. This leads to the infinite.’ … In each case, it is enjoined to meditate on the place of meditation related to the mantra of one’s cherished object [i.e., as one meditates on one’s Iṣṭa-devatā and one’s mantra related to him, the environment in which one’s Iṣṭa-devatā is situated is to be meditated on] as being filled with forms, tastes, fragrances, textures, and sounds that are charming and pleasing in all seasons. Otherwise, futility of the insistence on such particulars [i.e., of the śāstra’s injunctions to meditate on one’s Iṣṭa-devatā situated in his abode being served in a pleasing manner] would occur. Therefore, it is established that in fire and elsewhere only the appropriate form of the Inner Regulator (Antaryāmī) is to be meditated [and not the form of one’s Iṣṭa-devatā].”
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