SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 6 Text 13-14
samam kaya-siro-grivam
dharayann acalam sthirah
sampreksya nasikagram svam
disas canavalokayan

prasantatma vigata-bhir
brahmacari-vrate sthitah
manah samyamya mac-citto
yukta asitamat-parah

samam--straight; kaya--body; sirah--head; grivam--and neck; dharayan--holding; acalam--unmoving; sthirah--still; sampreksya-- looking; nasika--of the nose; agram--at the tip; svam--own; disah--on all sides; ca--also; anavalokayan- -not looking; prasanta--unagitate d; atma--mind; vigata-bhih- -devoid of fear; brahmacari-vrate- -in the vow of celibacy; sthitah--situated; manah--mind; samyamya--completel y subduing; mat--upon Me (Krsna); cittah--concentrati ng the mind; yuktah--the actual yogi; asita--should sit; mat--Me; parah--the ultimate goal.

TRANSLATION

One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada opens his purport with this statement; The goal of life is to know Krsna, who is situated within the heart of every living being as Paramatma, the four-handed Visnu form. The yoga process is practiced in order to discover and see this localized form of Visnu, and not for any other purpose. The localized visnu-murti is the plenary representation of Krsna dwelling within one's heart. One who has no program to realize this visnu-murti is uselessly engaged in mock yoga practice and is certainly wasting his time.

My desire while practicing japa is to have some experience with the Paramatma within. This may seem a little selfish but when I read statements like the one above I feel justified in wanting to experience Him each and every time I pick up my beads. I try hard to temper this desire with humility. After all, who am I that God should do what I want?