They Ask to See the Formless with Their Eyes
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 144
Doha 144 · Movement 1 of 2
Keep this contemplation
Preserve, print, or share
The couple live on vegetables, fruits, and roots while remembering Brahman as existence, consciousness, and bliss. Their austerity deepens for Hari. Water is relinquished, bodily need grows faint, and one desire becomes constant within both hearts: may they behold the Supreme Lord with their own eyes.
The One they seek is without attributes, indivisible, infinite, and beginningless. Knowers of truth contemplate him, while the Vedas approach through the great negation, not this, not this. He is pure incomparable bliss beyond every boundary, and from his powers arise Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
Yet the same immeasurable Lord comes under the loving command of devotees and accepts a playful form for their sake. Manu and Shatarupa place their longing upon that Vedic promise. If it is true, let the unseen Absolute become visible before them.
The Vedas say not this, not this, while two devotees wait to see Him face to face.
Read the passage from the Manas
AI-created devotional illustration · Chaupai 144
First plant-food phase: greens, fruit and roots, inward remembrance of Satcitananda Brahman
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 153, 154 · printed pages 151, 152. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chaupai-144. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- FIRST greens fruit roots food and Satcitananda Brahman remembrance. THEN water-only tapas abandoning roots/fruits, not reversed diet.
- Continuing desire see supremeLord withEYES, qualityless INDIVISIBLE infinitebeginningless, NetiNeti naturalbliss limitless incomparable; Shiva/Brahma/Vishnu arise from Hisparts as doctrinalstatement.
- Lord devotee-responsive takesplaybody; fulfillment asked notalreadyrealizedappearance.
Artistic choices
- Approved imagined Manu/Shatarupa identities/simplecreamtealrustrobes fromD144 retained; exactfaceageswardrobe unauthenticated.
- Seatedmats handsownknees/opennearplatter, sharedleafplatter cookedgreens fruitroots unspecifiedspecies artistprops/pose, imaginaryforesthermitage andriver; no literalBrahmanapparition/laterwaterdiet.
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
करहिं अहार साक फल कंदा। सुमिरहिं ब्रह्म सच्चिदानंदा।। पुनि हरि हेतु करन तप लागे। बारि अधार मूल फल त्यागे।। उर अभिलाष निंरंतर होई। देखअ नयन परम प्रभु सोई।। अगुन अखंड अनंत अनादी। जेहि चिंतहिं परमारथबादी।। नेति नेति जेहि बेद निरूपा। निजानंद निरुपाधि अनूपा।। संभु बिरंचि बिष्नु भगवाना। उपजहिं जासु अंस तें नाना।। ऐसेउ प्रभु सेवक बस अहई। भगत हेतु लीलातनु गहई।। जौं यह बचन सत्य श्रुति भाषा। तौ हमार पूजहि अभिलाषा।।
They lived on greens, fruits, and roots alone, remembering Brahman, who is sat-chit-ananda. Then, for the sake of Hari, they took up still fiercer tapas, giving up fruits and subsisting on water and roots.