Roopdhyan Meditation

VISUALISING THE DIVINE FORM OF GOD

The most significant aspect of devotional practice is ‘Roopdhyan’ – the visualisation and loving remembrance of the divine form of God. It is a powerful meditation technique taught by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj. Roopdhyan enables spiritual seekers to deepen their practice and purify their minds. This is crucial in the path of bhakti (devotion).

In roopdhyan meditation, while visualising, one establishes a relationship with their chosen form of God (such as Shri Krishna, Shri Ram). There are typically four types of relationships that one can develop with Shri Krishna:

One can keep changing one’s relationship with Shri Krishna as per one’s liking and devotional sentiments.

सब साधन जनु देह सम, रुपध्यान जनु प्राण ।

खात गीध अरु स्वान जनु कामादिक शव मान ॥

Meaning: All the means (self-control, penance, fasting, karma, yoga, gyan, etc.) to attain Lord Krishna are like a body without life if they do not include roopdhyan. As a dead body is eaten away by vultures and other animals, similarly without practising roopdhyan all vices such as lust, anger and so on, will put an end to your sadhana.

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj
(Bhakti Shatak, Couplet No. 10)

Practising Roopdhyan

Roopdhyan is best practised while sitting in meditation (either alone or in a group), but should also be practised while performing your daily tasks and duties. As you continue to practise roopdhyan, you may begin to feel the ever-presence of God in all parts of your life.

Close your eyes and visualise an image of your chosen form of God.

In order to practise roopdhyan, one must conceive a chosen form of God; for example, the beautiful divine form of Lord Krishna. It is suggested that one should use the description of God’s form and ornamentation, as described in the scriptures and by the saints. Typically, using an idol or picture is common; however, one is free to conceive of any form of God during roopdhyan meditation, as per one’s personal inclination. It is important that one must imbibe that image with divine sentiments, because the actual form of God is divine.

God has uncountable forms and can have countless more according to the desires of His devotees. The devotee is even free to change the chosen form whenever he wants, and in whichever way he prefers. He can also visualise pastimes according to his own preferences. This is because Shri Krishna has uncountable names, qualities, forms and pastimes.

Feel the divine form to be alive and conscious.

If using an idol or picture, it is important to visualise it as alive and moving. Imagine God to be fully imbued with divine qualities – omnipresent, omniscient, causelessly merciful, and redeemer of the fallen. Unless we believe that the picture or deity possesses God’s divine and infinite qualities, our devotion will remain only as devotion to a statue or a picture. It will not be considered as devotion to Lord Shri Krishna. Further, we must become aware that along with the feeling of God’s actual existence or presence in the deity or picture, we should always feel Him to be with us every moment.

One’s roopdhyan should correspond to one’s loving sentiments (bhav) in one or more of the chosen relationships – loving sentiments as a servant, friend, parent or a lover. In the chosen form and relationship, one can meditate on pastimes of one’s choice and engross the mind in devotional activities to serve Shri Krishna selflessly.

Engross your mind in devotional activities with God and serve Him selflessly.

While practising roopdhyan with the feeling of ‘milan’, one visualises Shri Radha and Shri Krishna to be present before us. The devotee actually experiences Them with all the five senses – one feels that he can hear Them and talk to Them, smell Their divine fragrance, experience Their touch and divine love.

While practising roopdhyan with the feeling of ‘viraha’, the devotee visualises Shri Radha Krishna standing before oneself and sheds tears asking for Their divine vision and touch.

Roopdhyan with Sankirtan

In the current age of kaliyug, sankirtan (singing and chanting the divine name of God in a group) has been prescribed as the most accessible means to attain God. Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj states that the most important aspect of sankirtan is roopdhyan meditation.

The Ramayaṇ says,

ehi kali kala na sadhana duja
joga na japa tapa vrata makha puja
ramahim sumiria gaia ramahim
santata sunia rama guna gramahim
kaliyuga kevala nama adhara
sumiri sumiri nara utarahim para

“There is no other method in kaliyug. Neither yog, nor jap, nor austerity, nor abstinence, nor yajnas, nor worship will take you to your goal. Just sing the glories of the Lord, engage your mind in roopdhyan, loving remembrance, and listen to His glories from the saints. This is the only means in kaliyug to attain God realisation.”