Roopdhyan

 

Roopdhyan is the practical process by which a devotee can absorb his mind in Shri Radha Krishna’s beauty and pastimes, and the the process is usually most fruitful when accompanied by devotional chants written by a Rasik. Unlike the passive meditation of the yogis, the roopdhyan of the Rasik devotees of Braj incorporates into it the selfless serving sentiment of the Gopis. It is in fact these sentiments of bhav, which when directed towards the Divine Couple Shyama Shyam, result in the formation of the bhav deha (or internal, transcendental body) by Their grace. This is the actual goal of the process of bhakti, as it is only in this body, that one can serve Shri Radha Krishna, with one’s Guru as an intermediary.

It is vital that roopdhyan be conducted exactly according to the writings and sentiments of the Rasiks, because their writings are revelations of the divine world for which the Sadhak is being prepared. Roopdhyan which is independent of Rasik revelations will also get results, but will not take one to the highest levels of ras.

There are four important points in roopdhyan:
i. One should see the visualised form of Shri Radha Krishna as having various divine qualities – infinite compassion and mercy, intense attachment for Their devotees, being ultimate repositories of selfless divine love and so on. This will create intense attachment to Their forms as compared to beautiful worldly forms devoid of these qualities.

ii. One should have a strong sense of identification with the Personalities in the roopdhyan. It is not passive viewing, like watching a film, but an active identification with the object of roopdhyan. For example, the person sitting next to Shyamsundar on the swing in the kunjas of Vrindavan is my Swamini.

iii. One should enter that roopdhyan with a sense of one’s own identity. For example, I am a lover of Shyamsundar or I am a serving maid of Shri Radha.

iv. One should have a selfless serving sentiment towards the Divine Couple in the pastime being visualised. For example, one could be fanning Them in the sentiment of a serving maid and so on. The selfless serving sentiment attracts Their grace and They immediately clearly appear in the sadhak’s mind, to receive the service. This has to be practically done to be experienced.

It is to be noted that at each stage the Guru accompanies the disciple in a more evolved divine form. The sadhak sees himself in increasingly selfless and evolved stages of divine identity. For example in the initial stages one will see the Guru only in terms of his physical identity in relationship with the world and in the final stages one will see him in his divine identity as an eternal associate of Shyama Shyam.

By: Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj
Prema Rasa Madira – The intoxicating Bliss of Divine Love (Vol. I)

Courtesy: Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat - Official