Chapter 97

Vishnu Smriti 97

Placing one foot on the opposite thigh, and the other hand on the left hand, with his tongue held still on his palate, without his teeth touching his teeth, looking at the tip of his own nose, and not looking at the directions, fearless and with a tranquil mind, he should meditate on that which is beyond the twenty-four principles. // Vi_97.1 // Eternal, beyond the senses, without qualities, beyond sound, touch, form, taste, and smell, all-knowing, most gross. // Vi_97.2 // All-pervading, most subtle. // Vi_97.3 // Having hands and feet on all sides, eyes, heads, and faces on all sides, having the power of all senses on all sides. // Vi_97.4 // Thus he should meditate. // Vi_97.5 // And for one devoted to meditation (dhyāna (ध्यान)), the manifestation of yoga occurs in a year. // Vi_97.6 // If he is unable to fix his attention on the formless, then having meditated on earth, water, fire, wind, ether, mind, intellect, self, the unmanifest, and the puruṣa (पुरुष), one after the other, and having gained focus on the preceding one, he should abandon it and meditate on the next. // Vi_97.7 // Thus he should begin the meditation on the puruṣa (पुरुष). // Vi_97.8 // If he is unable even in that, he should meditate on the puruṣa (पुरुष) like a lamp in the middle of the downward-facing lotus of his own heart. // Vi_97.9 // If he is unable even in that, he should meditate on the blessed Vāsudeva, wearing a diadem, earrings, and armlets, with the Śrīvatsa mark, his chest adorned with a forest-garland, of gentle form, with four arms, holding a conch, discus, mace, and lotus, with the Earth goddess between his feet. // Vi_97.10 // Whatever he meditates on, that he attains—this is the secret of meditation (dhyāna (ध्यान)). // Vi_97.11 // Therefore, having abandoned all that is perishable, he should meditate on the imperishable alone. // Vi_97.12 // And without the puruṣa (पुरुष), there is nothing imperishable at all. // Vi_97.13 // Having attained him, he becomes liberated. // Vi_97.14 //

Because the great lord, having entered the entire city (pura (पुर)), lies within it, / Therefore he is called puruṣa (पुरुष) by the thinkers on reality. || Vi_97.15 ||

In the first and last watches of the night, a yogin (योगिन्), ever vigilant, / Should meditate on the puruṣa (पुरुष), Vishnu, the twenty-fifth principle, who is without qualities. || Vi_97.16 ||

The soul of all principles, yet hard to attain, and devoid of all principles, / Powerless, yet the supporter of all, without qualities, yet the enjoyer of qualities. || Vi_97.17 ||

Outside and inside of beings, unmoving and also moving, / Because of its subtlety, it is unknowable; it is far away and also near. || Vi_97.18 ||

Undivided, yet it stands as if divided in beings; / The form of the past, present, and future, the devourer and the creator. || Vi_97.19 ||

It is the light even of lights, it is said to be beyond darkness; / It is knowledge, the object of knowledge, and that which is to be reached by knowledge, established in the heart of all. || Vi_97.20 ||

Thus the field (kṣetra (क्षेत्र)), as well as knowledge and the object of knowledge, have been told in brief; / My devotee, having understood this, becomes fit for my state of being. || Vi_97.21 ||