96. Mirror of the Heart

Mirror of the Heart:

Jagannath is seen and understood in so many ways by so many devotees. Yet when the Lord wants to see Himself, how does He do so?

Krishna asks, "What is My beauty?" But how can He understand it? Can you see your own face? You may see the face of someone else, but to see your own face the help of a mirror is required. Then you can see your own face, but that is only a reflection. A mirror reflects and you see the reflection. How can Krishna see His beauty? What kind of mirror is required? 

sat-prema-hrdaya-darpana - The heart is a mirror, darpana, and sat-prema-hrdaya is the heart of a premi-bhakta, one who has developed completely pure love. So the heart of such a premi-bhakta is a mirror and in that mirror Krishna sees His form. But that is not a reflection. In a mirror you may see the reflection, but in the heart of a premi- bhakta, in the mirror of pure love, Krishna sees Himself.... In English prati-bimba means reflection, but Krishna never sees the prati-bimba; Krishna sees the bimba. In other words, He sees Himself. Not prati-bimba, but bimba. That is sat-prema- darpana. The heart of a premi-bhakta is such a mirror where Krishna sees Himself. And the best mirror is the heart of Srimati Radharani.

In Jagannath Puri, the heart of Gaura Ray is a golden mirror wherein the Lord of the universe finds delight in His own image of Vraja Mohana Krishna, the enchanter of Vrindavan.

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