Antaryami (God within) or Archa murthi (God as Deity)

God is always along with us within us. But, if you want to experience God directly, it is recommended that we approach the Deity form. Why? If you try to experience God within this body, all you may see is hunger, thirst, lust, etc. You don’t know what Antaryami looks like or how to approach Him inside of you. But, we all know archa murthi, the Deity form. He is visible. He is fully accessible as a Deity. You may feel that He is not talking to you. Try connecting with Him through your heart, not your brain. Don’t be under the assumption that Deity worship is the beginning stage of realising God. Goda Devi proves that it is also the ultimate state of a realised soul.

However, it is okay to be curious of Antaryami. After all, He is within us. So, why not see what the divine antaryami form is like?! Are you ready? The knowledge of Antaryami, God within is termed as ‘Dahara Vidya’. A yogi can experience Antaryami. Goda Devi elaborates on the state of such yogi in the 14th pasuram of Thiruppavai.

Dahara Vidya

Let’s imagine a beautiful big house with a backyard. The backyard has a bushy area. There is an open water-well in the bushy area. This house belongs to a beautiful gopika and is right next to Sri Krishna’s house. He comes to meet her. They both walk along the open-well, and enjoy a moment with each other. She has beautiful black eyes (as stunning as the wide petals of a beautiful blue lotus). He has divine radiant eyes (as beautiful as the petals of a gorgeous red lotus). They look into each other and experience divine union, the eternal bliss.

Antaryami-God-within-or-Archa-murthi-God as Deity-Goda-Dream

The gopika represents a yogi
The beautiful big house represents that yogi’s body
The backyard represents the interior view of the body
The bushy area represents the 101 nadis
The open-well represents the hrudayam
The walk Krishna takes with the gopika and the time they spend together represent the blissful experience of the yogi with the Supreme divine compassionate power, Srimannarayana

Sva:ngushtta pramitham cha yo:gi hrudaye:shu a:si:nam i:sam bhaje:

God exists in the hearts of yo:gis for the sake of their upa:sana (worship, to attend them) limiting Himself to the size of their own thumb

Qualities of a yogi

🌸 They have va:k suddhi (purity in speech) and aaha:ra suddhi (purity in food). Their speech has five great qualities: satyam, priyam, hitham, mitham and madhuram. They only intake satvik food (only foods accepted by Sri Krishna in Bhagavad Gita). You may hear that non-satvik food is good for your health. It may be good for the health of the body, but very dangerous for the health of your mind. It is wise to keep your mind healthy not giving up the health of the body as they are also intimately connected.

🌸 These yogis purify themselves with such practises. They then open the doors for such a blissful state for people who approach them. They have the necessary “keys” to satisfy the quench of truth seekers.

🌸 They wear kashayam, saffron coloured clothes, not merely the physical colour but the colour of their body represents true adoration and devotion towards God. Such ragam, love for God is represented by saffron colour.