Since my childhood whenever I imagine about Lord Krishna, the form of the Lord that I saw on the TV serial Mahabharat comes to my mind. When I see Mahabharat's Lord Krishna I feel as if He is my Beloved Lord Himself and not any character played by the actor. But all my friends and relatives warn me that I am doing a sin worshiping an actor in the costume of Lord Krishna. Please help me, Swamiji. Shall I meditate on the Lord's form as portrayed by the actor?

     For Roop Dhyan, the form of God that you meditate upon can either be made by the mind, according to your liking, or you can take the help of a deity or picture of God, and meditate upon it. Now your question is that instead of the deity etc., you wish to meditate upon the form of an actor who played the role of Shree Krishna in the famous Mahabharat TV Serial.

    This is not wrong. If you attach the mind to that form with the sentiments that this is the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna, you will get the benefit of your Sentiments. This is like when one worships a stone deity with sentiments that is Lord Krishna, one gets the benefit of engaging in devotion to God. The Lord is seated in your heart and notes and rewards the Divine sentiments. Similarly, if you worship the form of a TV actor with the sentiments that it is the Supreme Lord, you will get Divine results.

    However, it is usually not recommended that you meditate upon a living material personality. Tomorrow if you hear about his faults, you will not be able to retain your Divine sentiments. Hence it is suggested that either you imagine the form of God with your mind itself, or else take the support of a deity or a picture, where there is no scope for seeing faults.


-Excerpted from Spiritual Dialectics by Swami Mukundananda