Text 5] The Activities of Maharaja Agnidhra 85

senses, practicing yoga with half-open eyes, he could see her with
his lotuslike eyes, and when he heard the sweet tinkling of her
bangles, he opened his eyes slightly more and could see that she
was just nearby.

PURPORT

It is said that yogis always think of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead within their hearts. Dhydndvasthita-tad-gatena manasa
pasyanti yarn yoginah (Bhag. 12.13.1). The Supreme Personality of
Godhead is always observed by yogis who practice controlling the
venomous senses. As recommended in Bhagavad-gita, yogis should prac-
tice sampreksya nasikagram, keeping their eyes half-open. If the eyes
are closed completely, there will be a tendency to sleep. So-called yogis
sometimes practice a fashionable form of yoga by closing their eyes and
meditating, but we have actually seen such so-called yogis sleeping and
snoring while meditating. This is not the practice of yoga. To actually
practice yoga, one should keep his eyes half-open and gaze at the tip of
his nose.

Although Agnidhra, the son of Priyavrata, was practicing mystic yoga
and trying to control his senses, the tinkling sound of Piarvacitti’s ankle
bells disturbed his practice. Yoga indriya-sariyamah: actual yoga prac-
tice means controlling the senses. One must practice mystic yoga, to con-
trol the senses, but the sense control of a devotee who fully engages in
the service of the Lord with his purified senses (hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam) can never be disturbed. Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati
therefore stated, durdantendriya-kdla-sarpa-patali protkhata-darstra-
yate (Caitanya-candramrta 5). The practice of yoga is undoubtedly
good because it controls the senses, which are like venomous serpents.
When one engages in devotional service, however, completely employing
all the activities of the senses in the service of the Lord. the venomous
quality of the senses is completely nullified. It is explained that a serpent
is to be feared because of its poison fangs, but if those fangs are broken.
the serpent, although it seems fearsome, is not at all dangerous. Devo-
tees, therefore, may see hundreds and thousands of beautiful women
with fascinating bodily movements and gestures but not be allured.
whereas such women would make ordinary yogis fall. Even the advanced
yogi Visvamitra broke his mystic practice to unite with Menaka and
