JOIN USYogiraj Sri Sham Churn Lahiri, (popularly known as Lahiri Mahasya), provided a beautiful explanation of the symbolism contained in the image of Sri Krishna. The lord holds a flute in his hands with six holes. The holes represent the six yogic chakras. The first hole above the six represents the (sahasrachakra) or the thousand-petaled lotus.
The lord is playing his flute, activating the internally oriented actions (pranakarma) that block the six chakras. It is through the practice of pranakarma that the godhead (kutastha) is visualized. This is why lord Krishna wears the peacock feather on his head because the eye in the feather symbolizes the godhead.
The lord is depicted in the Tribhangamurari position: a posture having three bends at the head, waist and legs. These bends represent release from obstacles caused by the tongue and from the trinity of creation, preservation and destruction by going beyond the three attributes of purity represented by Vishnu, activity represented by Brahma and indolence represented by Shiva.
We are unconnected to our inner reality because of our strong identification with our bodies. As a result, we are under the influence of these three attributes, the six tastes, (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and spicy) and the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether). If the attributes control our minds, the elements control our bodies and the tastes control our internal chemistry. Together with the five senses and the tongue, hands, feet, anus and genitals, they together constitute the twenty four limitations which cause human consciousness to identify with our limited personalities. The six chakras are a manifestation of these limitations. The practice of spirituality lies in overcoming these.
There is a beautiful story of Lord Krishna and Radha and it is centered round the lord's flute. Radha is jealous of the flute because it is always with the lord. The lord who is omniscient divines her state of mind and deliberately leaves the flute with her. She grabs the opportunity and asks the flute: "what is it that you have that I do not that he is always with you?"
The flute gently replies: "Perhaps he likes me because I am empty." When we empty ourselves of "me" and "mine" and replace that with yearning, the lord enters and fills that space.