Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 8
The Lord in the Heart and the Discipline of Yoga-Bhakti
केचित् स्वदेहान्तर्हृदयावकाशे प्रादेशमात्रं पुरुषं वसन्तम् । चतुर्भुजं कञ्जरथाङ्गशङ्ख- गदाधरं धारणया स्मरन्ति ॥ ८ ॥
kecit sva-dehāntar-hṛdayāvakāśe prādeśa-mātraṁ puruṣaṁ vasantam catur-bhujaṁ kañja-rathāṅga-śaṅkha- gadā-dharaṁ dhāraṇayā smaranti
บางพวกด้วยการเพ่งกำหนด (ธารณา) ระลึกถึงพระบุรุษสูงสุดผู้สถิตในบริเวณหัวใจภายในกาย มีขนาดเพียงหนึ่งช่วงคืบ เป็นผู้มีสี่กร ทรงดอกบัว จักร สังข์ และคทา
The all-pervading Personality of Godhead resides as Paramātmā in the heart of each and every living entity. The measurement of the localized Personality of Godhead is estimated to expand from the ring finger to the end of the thumb, more or less eight inches. The form of the Lord described in this verse with distribution of different symbols — beginning from the lower right hand up and down to the lower left hand with lotus, wheel of a chariot, conchshell and club respectively — is called Janārdana, or the plenary portion of the Lord who controls the general mass. There are many other forms of the Lord with varied situations of the symbols of lotus, conchshell, etc., and they are differently known as Puruṣottama, Acyuta, Narasiṁha, Trivikrama, Hṛṣīkeśa, Keśava, Mādhava, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Śrīdhara, Vāsudeva, Dāmodara, Janārdana, Nārāyaṇa, Hari, Padmanābha, Vāmana, Madhusūdana, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu-mūrti, Adhokṣaja and Upendra. These twenty-four forms of the localized Personality of Godhead are worshiped in different parts of the planetary system, and in each system there is an incarnation of the Lord having a different Vaikuṇṭha planet in the spiritual sky, which is called the paravyoma. There are many other hundreds and scores of different forms of the Lord, and each and every one of them has a particular planet in the spiritual sky, of which this material sky is only a fragmental offshoot. The Lord exists as puruṣa, or the male enjoyer, although there is no comparing Him to any male form in the material world. But all such forms are advaita, nondifferent from one another, and each of them is eternally young. The young Lord with four hands is nicely decorated, as described below.
FAQs
This verse describes dhāraṇā—fixing the mind on the Paramātmā within the heart—visualizing the Supreme Person as four-armed Viṣṇu holding lotus, disc, conch, and mace.
He is teaching practical God-realization for Parīkṣit Mahārāja—how to remember the Lord steadily, especially as a direct path of inner worship and liberation.
Set aside daily time to quietly focus on the Lord within the heart, remembering His protective four-armed form and qualities; this trains attention, reduces agitation, and strengthens devotion.