सत्पुण्डरीकनयनं मेघाभं वैद्युताम्बरम् ।
द्विभुजं ज्ञानमुद्राढ्यं वनमालिनमीश्वरम् ॥
गोपगोपीगवावीतं सुरद्रुमतलाश्रितम् ।
दिव्यालङ्करणोपेतं रक्तपङ्कजमध्यगम् ॥
कालिन्दीजलकल्लोलसङ्गिमारुतसेवितम् ।
चिन्तयंश्चेतसा कृष्णं मुक्तो भवति संसृतेः ॥
sat-puṇḍarīka-nayanaṁ meghābhaṁ vaidyutāmbaram |
dvi-bhujaṁ jñāna-mudrāḍhyaṁ vana-mālinam īśvaram ||
gopa-gopī-gavāvītaṁ sura-druma-talāśritam |
divyālaṅkaraṇopetaṁ rakta-paṅkaja-madhyagam ||
kālindī-jala-kallola-saṅgi-māruta-sevitam |
cintayaṁś cetasā kṛṣṇaṁ mukto bhavati saṁsṛteḥ ||
(Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad: 1.9–11; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 3.107–109, Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 153, Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.2)
“Excellent lotus eyes,
The luster of a cloud,
Cloth like lightning,
Two-arms,
Endowed with the posture of wisdom,
Wearing a forest garland,
Capable,
Surrounded by gopas, gopīs, and cows,
Situated at the base of a sura-tree,
Endued with divine ornaments,
Centered on red lotus [seat],
Attended by breezes
Bearing [the mist from] the waves
Of the waters of the Kālindī—
Meditating with the heart on Kṛṣṇa [in this way],
One becomes liberated from saṁsāra.”
Commentary
Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī cites this verse in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa as the first example of a morning meditation to be performed by sādhakas. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī explains that “the posture of wisdom” (jñāna-mudrā) means a state of silence (mauna), and that a variant of the text is found as mauna-mudrāḍhyam [“Endowed with the posture of silence”]. He further comments that the gopas mentioned in the verse are those led by Śrīdāma and the gopīs mentioned are those led by Rādhā (gopāḥ Śrīdāmādayaḥ; gopyo Rādhādyāḥ).
Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments on this verse in his Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.87.2) as follows:
atra siddha-bhaktānām aprākṛta-buddhīndriyair aprākṛta-puṇḍarīka-megha-vidyutāṁśu-grāhyatvāt tābhir upāmateṣu bhagavan-nayana-vapur-vasaneṣv aprākṛtī tāpanī śrutir bhagavan-nayanādi-varṇayitrī sukhenaiva carati | sādhaka-bhaktānāṁ tu buddhy-ādibhir agrāhyatve’pi tatra prākṛta-puṇḍarīkādi-sādṛśyāropeṇaiva te yathā kathañcid eva buddhiṁ praveśayantaś cittaikāgryeṇāpi vastuto’spṛṣṭa-tad-rūpa-bhāsā api bhagavantaṁ prabhuṁ dhyāyāma ity abhimānino hṛṣyanti, bhagavān apy apāra-kṛpā-taraṅga-vaśād eva ebhir bhaktair ahaṁ dhyāta ity abhimanyamānas, tad-bhakti-paripāke sati tān sva-bhaktān sva-caraṇāntikaṁ sevārtham ānayatīti bhagavat-svarūpasya śruti-gamyatvaṁ tat-kṛpayaiva siddham |
“Here, on account of supramundane (aprākṛta) lotuses, clouds, and lightning bolts being perceptible to the supramundane intellect and senses of siddha-bhaktas, the supramundane Tāpanī Śruti [i.e., the siddha-bhakta who is the author of the statements under discussion], [who is thus] a describer of Bhagavān’s eyes and so forth, with these [i.e., with a supramundane intellect and senses] easily moves between the objects of comparison [i.e., supramundane (aprākṛta) lotuses, clouds, and lightning bolts] and Bhagavān’s eyes, figure, and dress [i.e., a siddha-bhakta can truly describe and meditate on Bhagavān by means of composing and cognizing descriptions comparing Bhagavān’s eyes to lotuses and so forth because such a siddha-bhakta has direct personal experience of both Bhagavān and the supramundane lotuses and so forth in Bhagavān’s divine abode to which Bhagavān is being compared; the descriptions made and meditation performed by such a siddha-bhakta on the basis of such personal direct experiences are thus authentic in every respect]. Although, on the contrary, [Bhagavān’s eyes and so forth are] imperceptible to the intellect and so forth of sādhaka-bhaktas, they [i.e., sādhaka-bhaktas] somehow or other cause the intellect to enter [into Bhagavān, i.e., focus on Bhagavān by means of some general understanding of him] just by ascribing the similarity of mundane (prākṛta) lotuses and so forth [to Bhagavān] even though they actually have not touched [i.e., perceived] even the effulgence of Bhagavān’s form even by one-pointedness of mind [i.e., a state of perfection in meditation upon him], and, fostering the mentality, ‘We are meditating upon Bhagavān, [our] Master,’ [these sādhaka-bhaktas] become delighted. Bhagavān too, simply compelled by waves of boundless grace, fosters the mentality, ‘I am meditated upon by these [sādhaka-] bhaktas,’ and when maturity of their bhakti comes about, then he brings these bhaktas of himself near his feet for service. The essential nature (svarūpa) of Bhagavān being attainable by Śruti [i.e., by hearing the śāstra, wherein descriptions of his nature are found that include comparisons of his appearance to lotuses and so forth of the world] is [thus ultimately] accomplished solely by his grace.”