The Lords pure spiritual form

During this auspicious month which in Sanskrit is called kartika, we sing a song every evening entitled damadorastakam. The whole song is quite sublime and esoteric so I will not go into the details of the song except for the first line. The song starts by saying namamisvarmam sat-chit ananda rupam. Namamisvaram means that I offer my obeisances and respects to the supreme lord. Next is sat-chit ananda rupam meaning that person who has a form of bliss, knowledge and eternity. While our bodies are made of all sorts of temporary material elements the lords beautiful form is sat- eternal; chit-full of sentience; and ananda-full of bliss. These are some basic qualities of the Lord's existence as revealed by great sages and spiritual literatures.

One of the important points in this verse comes from the word rupam which means form. This indicates the lord is not some formless entity but instead has a form that is composed of sat-chit and ananda as opposed to temporary material elements. Later in the song it is described how the Lord's pure devotees are awash in oceans of bliss simply thinking of the lords beautiful form. The best way for that form to be revealed to one is through sincere chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra.

The good new is that our actual self is qualitatively one with the Lord. One of the differences between the Lord and the eternally individual living entities is that the Lord is never conquered by illusory energy while we are conquered by that energy. So when we meditate or contemplate on the pure qualities of the Lord we also wash away the material contamination and even in this body can realize the true nature of ourselves as eternal, fully sentient and full of bliss.

In one sense that is why we are always striving to live forever (or at least longer), always desiring to know and always searching for happiness. Death, ignorance and misery are actually foreign to our real spiritual nature. When we truly realize this fact then we become qualified, by the Lord's mercy, to enter into eternal transcendental activities with the Lord. The great souls can experience this in their heart even in their present body.

HARE KRISHNA!