In Russia you can often hear something like: "Krishna is not present in this Murti. A lot of special rituals must be executed before Krishna will reside in the Murti".
Sounds foolish, is not it?
Actually, there is not such notion as, excuse me, "dead Murti" or "Murti, in which Bhagavan Shree Krishna is not Present", as Murti is always remains Murti (Chinmaya and Shuddha-Sattwa with Bhagavan Shree Krishna eternally dwelling).
In the following Darshan Shree Shreemad PurnaPurushottama SwamiNarayan ruins such foolish nastik claims.
"Vachanmrut", Gadhadã I – 68
Bhagvãn Resides In The Eight Types Of Murtis And In A Sant
68.1 In the Samvat year 1876, on Chaitra sud 9 [23 rd March, 1820], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a decorated bedstead under the neem tree in front of the mandir of Shree Vãsudev-Nãrãyan in Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã.
He was wearing a white khes and had covered Himself with a white chãdar. Around His head, He had tied a white cloth with border of silken thread. A sabhã of munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places had gathered before Him.
68.2 Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “Allow me to ask a question.”
68.3 The munis responded by saying, “Please do ask.”
68.4 Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “For one month during the famine of Samvat 1869, whenever I entered samãdhi, I felt I had gone to Purushottam-Puri, where I entered and resided in the murti of Shree Jagan-Nãthji.
That murti may appear to be wooden, but through its eyes I observed everything. I observed both the bhakti and the deceitful ways of the mandir’s pujãri.
In the same way, those people in our satsang who have mastered samãdhi can also enter the bodies of others through samãdhi, and see and hear everything.
The shãstras also mention that Shukji spoke through the body of a tree.
Therefore, a great sat-purush or Bhagvãn can enter wherever they wish.
68.5 “Bhagvãn has given eight types of murtis for worship by His ãgnã –
1. shaili (stone),
2. dãrumayi (wood),
3. lauhi (metal),
4. lepyã (earth or sandalwood paste),
5. lekhyã (engraved or drawn),
6. saikati (sand),
7. manimayi (gems), and
8. manomayi (mental).
Bhagvãn Himself personally enters those murtis and resides within them.
A bhakta of Bhagvãn, who worships those murtis, should maintain the same respect for them as he does for pratyaksha Bhagvãn.
68.6 “In the same way, Bhagvãn also resides in the heart of a sant. Therefore, a sant should also be respected. In spite of that, a bhakta totally fails to respect him. He considers a murti to be merely a painting or to be made of stone or other materials.
Furthermore, he looks upon that sant as an ordinary human being.
But Bhagvãn Himself has said, ‘I forever reside in the eight types of murtis and in a sant’.
Still, that bhakta behaves disrespectfully before the murtis of Bhagvãn and before a sant, not at all fearing Bhagvãn.
Does such a person have nishchay in Bhagvãn, or not? That is the question.”
68.7 The paramhans replied, “As he does not realise Bhagvãn to be antaryãmi and fails to respect Him, such a bhakta does not have nishchay in Bhagvãn at all. He does not have nishchay, so his bhakti is like that of a hypocrite.”
68.9 The sãdhus replied, “No, he will not attain kalyãn.”
68.10 Shreeji Mahãrãj then continued, “A person who develops such a nãstik attitude towards the murtis of Bhagvãn and a sant, will not stop there.
He will also develop nãstik feelings towards the pratyaksha svarup of Bhagvãn whom he worships.
He will also develop nãstik feelings towards the dhãms of Bhagvãn, such as Golok and Brahmpur.
Furthermore, he will come to believe that the creation, sustenance, and destruction of this universe are due to Kãl, Mãyã, and karma, but not due to the will of Bhagvãn.
In this way, he will become a firm nãstik.”
68.11 Muktãnand Swãmi then asked, “Is this nãstik attitude due to a person’s past karmas, or due to the influence of kusang?”
68.12 Shreeji Mahãrãj explained, “The sole cause of the development of such a nãstik attitude is listening to the shãstras of nãstiks and keeping the company of a person who has faith in those shãstras.
Furthermore, kãm, krodh, lobh, ahankãr, mãn, and irshyã also cause a nãstik attitude to develop.
A person who possesses any one of these svabhãvs, will not be able to believe the talks of even sãdhus, such as Nãrad and the Sanakãdik.
68.13 “When is such a nãstik attitude overcome?
Well, when a person listens to talks of the leelãs of Bhagvãn, such as the creation, sustenance, and destruction of the universe as described in ãstik shãstras, like the Shreemad Bhãgvat, and also understands the greatness of Bhagvãn and a sant, the nãstik attitude is overcome and an ãstik attitude develops.”
