Text 24] Prahlada, the Saintly Son of Hiranyakaéipu 255
remembering. These are as follows: (a) conducting research into the
worship of a particular form of the Lord, (6) concentrating the mind on
one subject and withdrawing the mind’s activities of thinking, feeling
and willing from all other subjects, (c) concentrating upon a particular
form of the Lord (this is called meditation), (d) concentrating one’s
mind continuously on the form of the Lord (this is called dhruvanusmrti,
or perfect meditation), and (e) awakening a likening for concentration
upon a particular form (this is called samadhi, or trance). Mental con-
centration upon particular pastimes of the Lord in particular circum-
stances is also called remembrance. Therefore samadhi, trance, can be
possible in five different ways in terms of one’s relationship. Specifically,
the trance of devotees on the stage of neutrality is called mental
concentration.

(4) Pada-sevanam. According to one’s taste and strength, hearing,
chanting and remembrance may be followed by pada-sevanam. One ob-
tains the perfection of remembering when one constantly thinks of the
lotus feet of the Lord. Being intensely attached to thinking of the Lord’s
lotus feet is called pada-sevanam. When one is particularly adherent to
the process of pdda-sevanam, this process gradually includes other pro-
cesses, such as seeing the form of the Lord, touching the form of the
Lord, circumambulating the form or temple of the Lord, visiting such
places as Jagannatha Puri, Dvaraka and Mathura to see the Lord’s form,
and bathing in the Ganges or Yamuna. Bathing in the Ganges and serving
a pure Vaisnava are also known as tadiya-updsanam. This is also pada-
sevanam. The word tadiya means “‘in relationship with the Lord.”’ Ser-
vice to the Vaisnava, Tulasi, Ganges and Yamuna are included in pdada-
sevanam. All these processes of pdda-sevanam help one advance in
spiritual life very quickly.

(5) Arcanam. After pdda-sevanam comes the process of arcanam,
worship of the Deity. If one is interested in the process of arcanam, one
must positively take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and learn the
process from him. There are many books for arcana, especially Narada-
paricaratra. In this age, the Paricaratra system is particularly recom-
mended for arcana, Deity worship. There are two systems of arcana —
the bhdgavata system and pdjicaratriki system. In the Srimad-
Bhagavatam there is no recommendation of pdricaratriki worship be-
cause in this Kali-yuga, even without Deity worship, everything can be
