Gita 10.17
Vibhuti Yoga
कथं विद्यामहं योगिंस्त्वां सदा परिचिन्तयन् | केषु केषु च भावेषु चिन्त्योऽसि भगवन्मया ||१७||
kathaṁ vidyām ahaṁ yogiṁs tvāṁ sadā paricintayan | keṣu keṣu ca bhāveṣu cintyo 'si bhagavan mayā ||17||
In essence: The eternal seeker's question: How do I think of You always? Where do I place my mind to find You constantly?
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "I want to meditate on God, but my mind can't hold onto anything abstract. When I try to think of the 'Supreme Being,' my mind goes blank or wanders."
Guru: "This is exactly Arjuna's situation. What is your mind able to hold?"
Sadhak: "Specific things - images, memories, plans. Concrete stuff."
Guru: "Then why try to meditate on the abstract? Arjuna asks for 'bhāvas' - specific forms, beings, aspects where he can locate God. The Infinite doesn't demand you perceive infinitude directly. It invites you to recognize It in finite forms first."
Sadhak: "But isn't that limiting God to forms?"
Guru: "Does looking at the ocean through a window limit the ocean to the window's size?"
Sadhak: "No, you're just viewing a portion of it."
Guru: "Exactly. Contemplating God through specific forms doesn't limit God - it limits your view to what you can handle. As your capacity grows, the window widens. Eventually you walk out of the house entirely and stand in the ocean itself. But you start at the window. What forms attract you? Start there."
Sadhak: "Nature moves me deeply. Certain faces of compassion. Music sometimes."
Guru: "Beautiful. These are your bhāvas, your entry points. When nature moves you, recognize: 'This is divine presence.' When compassion moves you, acknowledge: 'This is God's face.' When music transports you, know: 'This is divine sound.' These recognitions, repeated, become continuous meditation."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Set meditation anchors: Before starting the day, choose 3-5 specific 'bhāvas' - forms in which you'll contemplate God today. Perhaps: 'In morning light, I'll see divine radiance. In my children's faces, I'll see divine innocence. In the taste of food, I'll sense divine nourishment. In evening stillness, I'll feel divine peace.' These pre-set anchors create structure for continuous remembrance.
Contemplation triggers: When your chosen bhāvas appear, pause briefly for recognition. Don't force lengthy meditation in busy moments; just acknowledge: 'Here You are.' Even a half-second recognition counts. If you chose morning light as a bhāva, then each time you notice light streaming through a window, think: 'This light is You becoming visible.' Over time, triggers multiply naturally.
Continuity audit: Before sleep, review: how continuous was your God-contemplation today? Not to judge, but to notice patterns. Were there long gaps? What broke the chain of remembrance? What maintained it? Adjust tomorrow's anchors based on what you learn. Set the intention: 'Tomorrow may my sadā paricintayan - constant contemplation - deepen.' Fall asleep with God as your last conscious thought.