Sevā-pūjā

Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj conceived of Deity worship as “simple heart service”

with “affection as the main principle”. He did not encourage highly
reverential and grandiose worship. He principally referred to Deity worship as
sevā-pūjā, worship in the form of rendering practical services for the Deity,
rather than archan or other words which often conjure up the notion of
worship as complex ritual and opulent ceremony observed with awe and
reverence.
The Deities’ sevā-pūjā can be divided into six parts: (1) waking the Deities, (2)
worshipping the Deities (ārati), (3) feeding the Deites,
(4) bathing the Deities (archan), (5) dressing the Deities, and (6) putting the
Deities to rest. These will be explained individually.
It should be noted that all the rules and regulations given here are meant to
be understood as principles and recommendations along which
devotees can express their hearts’ desire to the serve the Lord under the
guidance of Śrī Guru and the Vaiṣṇavas.
They are should be seen as guidelines which describe ideal practices more so
than fundamental strictures. They are meant to inspire and
support devotees and not to discourage devotees if they seem complicated
or stringent. Moreover, they are not meant to be used as a law
book for rebuking others but rather as a standard oneself should aspire
towards.

Section Indicator
Waking the Deities
Preparation
Bathe.
Put on clean clothes.
Apply tilak.
Perform āchaman.
Pray to Śrī Gurudev to be engaged in this service properly.
Paraphernalia
Bell
Pañchapātra filled with sanctified water
Small spoon for the pañchapātra
Visarjanīya-pātra
Procedure
Stand outside the Deity room and, ringing the bell, chant:
so ’sāv adabhra-karuṇo bhagavān vivṛddha-prema-smitena
nayanāmburuhaṁ vijṛmbhan utthāya visva-vijayāya cha no
viṣādaṁ mādhvyā girāpanayatāt puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.9.25)
“May the deeply merciful Lord, the primordial Person, open His lotus eyes
with a wide, loving smile, arise to conquer the world
(delight the world by spreading devotion to Himself), and graciously relieve
our sorrow with His sweet words.”
deva prapannārtihara prasādaṁ kuru keśava avalokana-dānena bhūyo
māṁ pārayāchyuta
“O Lord! ¡O remover of the surrendered souls’ distress! ¡Be merciful! ¡O
Keśava! ¡O eternal Lord! Please purify me with the gift of Your glance”
uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha govinda tyaja nidrāṁ jagat-patetvayi supte jagannāthe jagat
suptaṁ bhaved idam utthite cheṣṭate sarvam
uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha mādhava
(Hbv: 16.322–3)
“O Govinda! O Lord of the universe! Please give up Your sleep and arise.
When You, the Lord of the universe, are asleep, the universe
remains asleep, and when You arise, the world becomes active. O Mādhava,
please arise!”
jaya jaya krpāmaya jagatera nātha sarva-jagatere kara śubha dṛṣṭi-pāta
“Glory! Glory to the merciful Lord of the universe! Please cast Your
auspicious glance over the entire world.”
Turn on the lights inside the Deity room (or light a portable light) before
entering, make it known your are entering by thrice clapping your
hands or knocking, and then enter the Deity room while giving jay to the
Deities.
If beds are kept in the Deity room, you may approach the beds when you
pray to Śrī Gurudev and the Deities to arise as follows, and if shoes
are kept for the Deities, you may transport them between the beds and the
altar when the Deities arise.
Ringing the bell, pray to Śrī Gurudev to arise, chanting:
uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha śrī-guro tyaja nidrāṁ krpāmaya
“O merciful Śrī Gurudev, please give up your sleep and arise.”
Pray to Śrī Nityānanda to arise, chanting:
uttiṣṭha jāhnaveśvara yoga-nidrāṁ tyaja prabhonāmno haṭṭe divya-nāmaṁ
suśraddhārthaṁ vitarasi
“O Master, Lord of Jāhnava, please give up Your divine sleep and arise. At the
marketplace of the Name, You distribute the divine Name for
the price of pure faith.” Pray to Śrī Gaurāṅga to arise, chanting:
uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha gaurāṅga jahi nidrāṁ mahāprabho śubha-dṛṣṭi-pradānena
trailokya-maṅgalaṁ kuru
“O Gaurāṅga, please give up Your divine sleep and arise. O Mahāprabhu!
Please bless the three worlds with the gift of Your auspicious
glance.”
Meditate that the Deities have arisen from Their resting places and resumed
Their places on the altar.
Now offer water for Śrī Gurudev to wash his hands, face, and mouth. Ringing
the bell with your left hand, hold out a spoonful of water from
the pañchapātra and then pour it into the visarjanīya-pātra with your right
hand, chanting:
idaṁ hasta-mukha-prakṣālanam aiṁ guruve namaḥ
Repeated the process for Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda, chanting:
idaṁ hasta-mukha-prakṣālanaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ
idaṁ hasta-mukha-prakṣālanaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ
By meditation, offer a cloth for each of Them to dry Their hands and face.
Put on the Deities’ crowns as appropriate and ensure the Deities’ hair and
dress are in order.
Ensure that the altar is clean.
Offer obeisance to the Deities outside the Deity room.
Section Indicator
Ārati
Paraphernalia
Tray containing:
An odd number of incense sticks in a holder
2 tulasī leaves
Sandalwood paste in a small dish
Bathing conchshell on a three-legged stand Water kept in a covered cup
Clean cloth
Pañchapradīp loaded with 5 ghee wicks
Freshly picked flower(s) (or petals) on a small plate
Visarjanīya-pātra
Tray to hold articles after they are offered
Āsan to stand on
Bell on a plate
Pañchapātra filled with sanctified water (do not add tulasī leaves to this)
Small spoon for the pañchapātra
Additional freshly picked flower(s) (or petals) on a small plate
Chāmara
Peacock fan
Cloth fan (this is not offered when it is cold)
Blowing conchshell
Cup filled with water and an empty bowl to wash the blowing conch after it is
blown
A fire source (lighter, match, etc.)
The items on the tray are typically stored in the Deities’ private storage area.
The items not on the tray are typcially stored in the Deity room. The fans
ideally are hung apart so that they do not touch one another while hanging.
The cup and wash receptable for washing the blowing conch should be kept
outside the Deity room but may be kept in the Temple room.
The flowers and tulasī leaves should be freshly picked (picked on the same
day they are used). If necessary, tulasī leaves picked on
previous days may be used, but flowers picked the previous day should not
be.
Timing
Ārati is offered three times a day: morning, midday, and evening. These āratis
are known as maṅgal ārati, madhyāhna ārati, and sandhyā
ārati.
Maṅgal ārati should be offered during the brāhma muhūrta, in other words,
during the 48 mintue period that starts approximately 96 mintues
before sunrise. For example, if sunrise is at 6:36 a.m., then maṅgal ārati
should start between 5 a.m. and 5:48 a.m..
Madhyāhna ārati should be offered and completed before the end of the
second quarter of the day. For example, if sunrise is at 6 a.m. and
sunset is at 6 p.m., ārati should be completed before noon.
Sandhyā ārati should be offered during the first muhūrta after sunset, in
other words, within approximately 48 mintues after sunset.
For example, if sunset is at 6 p.m., the ārati should start between 6 p.m. and
6:48 p.m..
Over the course of the year, the exact time ranges for the āratis shift by an
average of about one or two minutes each day
(depending on your location’s latitude), and may vary by a margin of hours
between the winter and summer solstices
 (uttarāyaṇ and dakṣiṇāyan).
Particularly in Western countries, ārati is often set at a fixed time so that
devotees living outside the Temple can easily participate.
Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj also allowed for the morning ārati in some Temples to
start later than the brāhma muhūrta, in some places as late
as 7 a.m., so that devotees on late work schedules could regularly attend.
A schedule such as maṅgal ārati at 6 a.m., madhyāhna ārati at 12 p.m., and
sandhyā ārati at 6 p.m. is reasonable.
During festivals or special programmes, the time of ārati may also be
adjusted to allow for other forms of worship (kīrtan, class, etc.)
to be conducted at the convenient time.
Kīrtan
The assembled devotees should conduct a kīrtan during the ārati. The kīrtan
is the most important aspect of the worship.
Only if no devotees are assembled at the ārati should the pūjārī lead the
kīrtan while offering the articles.
At maṅgal ārati, the kīrtans Kali-kukura-kadana yadi chāo he, Yaśomatī-
nandana Vraja-vara-nāgara, and Jaya Śachī-nandana
sura-muni-vandana are sung.
Before madhyāhna ārati during the process of offering bhoga, Bhaja
Bhakata-vatsala Śrī Gaurahari is sung.
At madhyāhna ārati, Yaśomatī-nandana Vraja-vara-nāgara and Jaya Śachī-
nandana sura-muni-vandana are sung.
At sandhya ārati, Jaya jaya Gorāchā̐dera āratika śobhā and Jayare jayare jaya
Gaura-Sarasvatī are sung.
When worshipping Śrī Śrī Gaura Nitāi, Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj’s composition
Jaya Guru-Mahārāja karuṇā-sāgara may be sung at each ārati
before the songs listed above or may be sung instead of them (if the worship
is to be kept short).
The kīrtan at each ārati should begin with the Pañcha Tattva mantra,
continue in the appropriate kīrtans, and then end with the Hare Kṛṣṇa
mahāmantra and Nitāi Gaura Haribol!
The kīrtan leader should be attentive to the speed at which the articles are
being offered in the ārati and sing the kīrtans so that they are
completed and the mahāmantra is chanted for some time before the
conchshell is blown. The pūjārī should also bear in mind the length
of time necessary to sing the kīrtans at each particular ārati and adjust the
speed that the articles are offered to allow sufficient time for
the kīrtans and at least a few minutes of the mahāmantra to be sung before
the conchshell is blown. The conchshell is usually blown in
coordination with two rounds of ‘Haribol’ to end the kīrtan.It is not
customary to include the chanting of Jaya Gurudeva during worship of
Deities such as Mahāprabhu, Rādhārāṇī, and Kṛṣṇa, or Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī
Nityānanda. Jaya Gurudeva may be chanted at the end of an
ārati in which Śrī Gurudev is the primary object of worship, such as the āratis
at the Samādhi Mandirs of Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj and Śrīla
Śrīdhar Mahārāj, or at the end of a kīrtan in praise of Śrī Guru. Śrīla Govinda
Mahārāj in particular expressed that he did not like that
devotees would start or end the Deities’ ārati kīrtan with Jaya Gurudeva.
It is not customary to include the chanting of the particular names of the
Deites being worshipped in the ārati kīrtan.
Preparation
Bathe.
Put on clean clothes.
Apply tilak.
Offer obeisance to the Deities outside of the Deity room and pray to Śrī
Gurudev to be engaged in this service properly.
Perform āchaman outside the Deity room.
Assemble the required paraphernalia. Make sure that all the articles are
clean and in an offerable condition.
Ring a bell, make an announcement, or in someway notify everyone in the
vicinity that ārati will start soon, and allow some time for everyone
to assemble.
Make sure the cup outside the Deity room for washing the blowing conch has
water in it and that the bowl to catch the washwater is not
already full.
Purify your hands and then the bell with water from the pañchapātra.
Close the doors (or curtains) of the Deity room while ringing the bell and
giving jay to the Deities.
Position the āsan to the left the altar. Position it far enough to the left that
the pūjārī will not block the Deities and assembled devotees from
seeing one another, but not so far to the left that the pūjārī and the articles
being offering will be hidden from view.
Method
Hold the bell in your left hand throughout the ārati and ring it as each article
is being offered.
Before offering each of the articles, purify your right hand and then each
article with water using the spoon from the pañchapātra in the
right hand. The principle behind this is that bhoga and prasādam should
never mix: once your hand touches prasādam (holds an article
that has been offered to the Lord and then His devotees), it should be
washed before touching bhoga.
While offering each article, it is optional to chant the mūla-mantra of its
recipient and its sanskrit name if specified. The mūla-mantras
convey the sense of humbly presenting an offering to the Deity with a prayer
that it may be accepted, and the Name of the Deity and the
prayer itself, more so than the recitation of the mantra, are the essential
aspects of the worship.
The mūla-mantras:
Śrī Chaitanyadev: klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ
Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu: klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ
Tulasī Devī: om tulasyai namaḥ
Śrī Guru: aiṁ guruve namaḥ
Vaiṣṇavas: om sarva-vaiṣṇavebhyo namaḥ
Each article in the ārati should be offered gracefully with an understanding of
its purpose and the prayer that your offering is satisfying to
the Deity. Articles should not be offered too fast, too slow, or in a showy or
mechanical manner.
First show each article to Śrī Gurudev. If your Guru is not pictured on the
altar, show the article to Śrī Gurudev mentally.
Pray to Śrī Gurudev for permission to offer the article to Śrī Śrī Gaura Nitāi,
meditate that Śrī Gurudev is engaging you (the pūjārī)
as his assistant in offering the article, and then offer the article to the Deities.
Note that it is not necessary to chant the mūla-mantra
for Śrī Gurudev when you show Śrī Gurudev each article prior to offering it to
the Deities; Śrī Gurudev’s mūla-mantra is chanted when
offering him the article later as prasādam.
To offer each article: (1) show it to Śrī Nityānanda as you showed it to Śrī
Gurudev, (2) offer it to Śrī Gaurāṅga as bhoga, and then
(3) offer it to Śrī Nityānanda as prasād. Observe this order with each of the
articles in combination with the specific manner in which each
of them should be offered (this will be explained ahead). Next, offer each
article to Tulasī Devī, the Guru-paramparā (from right to left, chronologically
from past towards present), and then the assembled devotees.
Important: Never offer prasādī articles to feet. No servant of the Lord would
ever touch the Lord’s prasādam with their feet or be pleased
that anyone places the Lord’s prasādam on their feet.
Having completed the offering of an article, do not place the article back on
the tray where there are unoffered articles (bhoga) as it has
now become prasādam. Place it on the second tray so that no prasādam
mixes with bhoga.
Procedure
Having purified your right and left hands and the bell with water from the
pañchapātra, hold the bell with your left hand and pick up
the plate of flowers that is not on the ārati tray with your right hand.
While ringing the bell, show the flowers to Śrī Gurudev and then offer them
to Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda while chanting the article’s
Sanskrit name, eṣa puṣpāñjaliḥ, and the appropriate mūla-mantras.
Offer the flowers by waving the plate in a clockwise circular motion with the
right hand (no specific number of times, 3 or 4 is customary),
transfer the plate to your left hand, and then place the flowers with your
right hand. Offer them first to the feet of Śrī Gaurāṅga and then to
Śrī Nityānanda. Optionlly, you may also offer additional flowers as prasādam
to Tulasī Devī, the Guru-paramparā, and the Vaiṣṇavas.
If you do this, offer the flowers to the head or hand of the recipient and then
place them beneath their picture.
Place the plate and any extra flowers that may remain on the prasādam tray.
When it is time for the ārati to start, while ringing the bell, give jay to the
Deities (e.g. Jay saparikar Śrī Śrī Guru Gaura Nitāi Jīu kī jay!)
and open the curtains of the Deity room.
The assembled devotees should now start the kīrtan.
Stand on the āsan.
While lighting the incense, you may chant:
vanaspati-rasotpanno gandhāḍhyo gandha uttamaḥāghreyaḥ sarva-
devānāṁ dhūpo ‘yam pratigṛhyatām1
“This incense is made from tree sap, is extremely fragrant, and is worthy of
being smelled by all the gods. Please accept it.”
Offer the incense, holding it within the holder, in a clockwise circular motion
to each recipient 4 times above the feet but not above the navel.
While doing this, chant the article’s Sanskrit name, eṣa dhūpaḥ, and the
appropriate mūla-mantras. The idea is that you are spreading the fragrance
of the incense in the general area of the recipient and not waving smoke in
their face or thrusting it upon them.
Next, place the incense holder on the prasādam tray. The incense may then
be transferred to a separate holder that will collect its ashes.
Pour the water in the covered cup into the bathing conchshell with the right
hand, and then place the cup on the prasādam tray. Stick a tulasī leaf dipped
in sandalwood paste on the small conchshell, and while doing so, you may
chant:
om uṁ soma-maṇḍalāya ṣoḍaśa-kalātmane namaḥ
You may also then wrap your sacred thread around your thumb, hold your
hand over the conch, and chant the Kṛṣṇa mūla-mantra.
As you pick up the bathing conchshell, pick up the three-legged stand also
and then gently drop the stand onto the prasādam tray before you offer the
conchshell so that the conchshell can be put directly onto the prasādam tray
after it is offered.
Offer the water in the bathing conch by waving the conchshell in a circular
motion 3 times above the head of the recipient while chanting the article’s
Sanskrit name, idam arghyaṁ, and the appropriate mūla-mantras with the
idea that you are pouring water for the recipient to freshen their hands and
face. Optionally, after you offer the conchshell water to each recipient, you
may pour some of the water out of the conchshell into the cup now situated
on the prasādam tray to illustrate the act of offering the water.
Lastly, place the bathing conch on its stand on the prasādam tray, and as you
do so, pour any water remaning in the conchshell into the cup used to hold it
before the offering or into the visarjanīya-pātra.
Offer the cloth, no specific number of times, with the idea that you are
providing a cloth to be used for drying off after receiving the water from the
conch. After offering the cloth, place it on the prasādam tray.
Stick a tulasī leaf dipped in sandalwood paste on the pradīp. While doing so,
you may chant:
om namaḥ dhīpeśvarāya
“I offer obeisance to the Lord of the lamp.”
You may also wrap your sacred thread around your thumb, hold your hand
over the pradīp, and chant the Kṛṣṇa mūla-mantra.
Light the wicks of the pradīp. While doing so, you may chant:
svaprakāśo mahātejaḥ sarvatas timirāpahaḥsabāhyābhyantara-jyotir dīpo
’yaṁ pratigṛhyatām
“This self-revealing and radiant lamp destroys all darkness and is illuminating
both externally and internally. Please accept it.”
Offer the pradīp a total of 14 times to Śrī Gaurāṅga—4 times to the feet, 2
times to the navel, 1 time to the face, and 7 times around the entire body.
When offering the pradīp as prasādam, there is no specific number of times it
should be waved, but it should be offered to Śrī Nityānanda, Tulasī Devī, the
Guru-varga, and the assembled devotees in a general manner and not waved
at their feet. Lastly, place the pradīp on the prasādam tray.
Pick up the plate of flowers on the ārati tray and offer it by waving it no set
number of times before each recipient. Unlike the offering of flowers before
ārati, at this time it is not necessary to place the flowers on the altar. Simply
wave the plate of flowers before each recipient while chanting the Sanskrit
name of the article, etāni puṣpāni (for multiple flowers) or idaṁ puṣpaṁ (for
a single flower), and the appropriate mūla-mantras. Lastly, place the plate of
flowers on the prasādam tray.
Offer the chāmara with the idea that you are flicking away flies and anything
else that may disturb the recipient. There is no set number of times to wave
the chāmara.
Offer the peacock fan with the idea that you are waving the fan to freshen
the atmosphere. There is no set number of times to wave the fan.
Offer the cloth fan with the idea that you are cooling the recipient. There is
no set number of times to wave the fan. Remember that the cloth fan should
not be offered when it is cold.
The appropriate mūla-mantras may be chanted for each recipient as these
three items are offered.
Pick up the blowing conchshell. Put some water from the pañchapātra into it
so that its hole is wet. You may also wet your lips with your tongue to ensure
the conchshell resounds nicely when blown. Come outside of the Deity room
and then blow the conchshell 3.5 times (blow it three times, and then once
more for half the duration that it was blown the first three times). Wash the
conch by pouring water from the cup kept outside the Deity room through
the conch into the bowl kept outside for this purpose.
Once the kīrtan has ended, see that a leading devotee chants the jaya dhvani.
If there is no one to chant it, then chant it yourself. The bell may be rung
while chanting, but not so loudly that the names being chanted cannot by
easily heard.
Re-enter the Deity room and put the conch and the bell back on the ārati tray
or in another clean place (but not on the prasādam tray). Then come out of
the Deity room again and offer obeisance.
Gather all the paraphernalia, clean it as is necessary, and store it in the
proper place.
Distribution
Any time after the ārati, the prasādam arghya, lamp, and flowers may be
distributed to the devotees. They should not be distributed to devotees
directly from the paraphernlia used for ārati, but transferred to other
containers and then distributed. Nothing should ever be offered to the
devotees directly from the paraphernalia used to worship the Deity.
Care should be taken that the prasādam is not given to anyone who will not
honour it properly. Flowers should be held to the head with the hand and
smelled. They may also be placed temporily in a clean, raised, and
respectable place. After honouring them, devotees should dispose of them
respectfully by placing them in running water (e.g. a nearby river or the
ocean) or a place designated for them (e.g. a designated bin or a special
compost heap). Arghya may be drunk, sprinkled on the head, or wiped on the
head. It should never be scattered broadly over a person or crowd, however,
because it is likely to be stepped on.
In some Temples, the pradīp is circulated amongst the devotees during the
ārati. Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj considered this unnecessary and a source of
distraction from the kīrtan. Still, if there is the custom of circulating the
pradīp at a particular Temple, it should ideally be carried by an initiated
devotee who has bathed, put on clean clothes, applied tilak, and made sure
that their hands are clean.
After the pradīp is offered by the pūjarī, the assisting devotee should take the
pradīp in their right hand and walk out into the midst of the devotees. If a
deity of one of the Gurus in the paramparā, a deity of an associate of the
Lord, such as Hanumān or Garuḍa, or the deity of a demigod is present in the
Temple, the pradīp should be offered to them before the assembled
devotees. It should be offered by holding it out for them to touch the flame
(not waved in circles as in ārati). The pradīp should then be offered in the
same manner to the assembled devotees, in order of senority: āchāryas,
sannyāsīs, brahmachārīs, leading male gṛhasthas, men in general, and then
women. The devotee circulating the pradīp should move throughout the
assembly so that devotees are offered the pradīp in the proper order, and
they may mildly (but not disrespectfully) check anyone who comes to touch
the flames at an inappropriate time. Devotees should touch the flame (and
not the pradīp itself) and then touch their head as a gesture of respectfully
receiving the prasādam. This may be done repeatedly. Devotees should not
be overly sensitive if, in the course of the lamp’s circulating, they are offered
the lamp after those who are junior to them. Devotees should feel blessed to
have received the prasādam of the Lord and the other devotees and not be
concerned about being shown greater or lesser honour within the assembly.
Devotees engaged in preparing offerings (touching any form of bhoga, e.g.
vegetables or flowers) should either not touch the prasādam flame at this
time or wash their hands immediately after doing so to avoid mixing
prasādam into the offering they are preparing for the Lord.
During a festival, a large pradīp with as many as 108 wicks is often offered to
the Deity and then circulated amongst the devotees. In this instance, the
pūjārī may allow initiated devotees who have bathed, put on clean clothes,
and applied tilak to assist in lighting the wicks and circulating the pradīp after
it is offered.
Section Indicator
Offerings
Timing and content
Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj established the standard of offering bhoga four times a
day: early morning, midday, late afternoon, and evening.
Bālya bhoga
The early morning offering is made just after maṅgal ārati and parikramā (it
may also be made before ārati, as is practical). It typically consists of water or
juice and sweets or fruits.
Madhyāhna bhoga
The midday offering is ideally made before the end of the second quarter of
the day (around 11:30) and is immediately followed by midday ārati. It is the
largest offering of the day, a full meal which should at minimum consist of a
grain prepration (e.g. rice, chapatis), cooked vegetables, and a sweet, and
may optionally contain beans (e.g. dal), bitter preparations, śāk, fried items
(e.g. pakora, samosas), chutney, salad, and other additions. On a festival day,
the midday offering can be expanded into a feast.
Vaikālika bhoga
The late afternoon offering is made during the early portion of the last
quarter of the day (typically between 3:30 and 4 p.m.). It should consist of
water or juice and fruits or sweets.
Rātri-kālīn bhoga
The evening offering is made after sandhyā ārati and before the end of the
first quarter of the night. At minimum, it should consist of a grain preparation
(e.g. chapatis, rice) and cooked vegetables or soup. Hot milk, sweets, and
other additions are optional.
Sakāl bhoga
A fifth offering during the midmorning is common in many Temples. Śrīla
Govinda Mahārāj established this in some places, and was happy to see it
done. It may consist of khichri, other grain preparations, cooked vegetables,
halava, yoghurt, or whatever else may be practical under the circumstances.
Siddhānta
Bhoga is always offered to the Lord, and prasādam is always offered to
devotees. This is the guiding principle in worship as a whole. So, Śrī Gaurāṅga
and Śrī Nityānanda are offered bhoga, and Śrī Gurudev and the Vaiṣānvas are
offered prasādam.
While offering bhoga, you should meditate that Śrī Gurudev himself is making
the offering and using you as his instrument to do this. The bhoga is offered
first to Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānnanda, and then Their prasādam is offered
to Śrī Guru and the Vaiṣṇavas. Lastly, the prasādam is removed from the
Deity room and distributed to the assembled devotees.
Paraphernalia
Tray containing:
Bell on a plate
Pañchapātra filled with sanctified water
Small spoon for the pañchapātra
Bathing conch on a three-legged stand
Tulasī leaves in a small dish
Flower petals on a small tray
Visarjanīya-pātra
Āsan to sit on
Āsans for the Deities
Table(s) for the offering plate(s) (optional)
Bhoga itself
Plates, bowls, and glasses for the bhoga
There should be separate sets of these for Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda
Preparation
Bathe, put on clean clothes, apply tilak, and perform āchaman (if you haven’t
done so already).
Offer obeisance to the Deities outside of the Deity room and pray to Śrī
Gurudev to perform this service properly.
Assemble the required paraphernalia. Make sure that all the articles are
clean and in an offerable condition.
Make it known your are entering the Deity room by thrice clapping your
hands or knocking
Enter the Deity room.
Close the curtains while giving jay to the Deities.
Wipe clean the area where the offering will be made.
Wash your hands.
Set out āsans for the Deities to sit on.
Go to the kitchen and fill the Deities’ plates with bhoga in a decorative
fashion.
Ensure that the offering has been organised on the plate properly. If the plate
is conceived of as a clock, the grain or primary dish in the offering should be
placed between 6 and 9 o’clock. The rest of the preparations should be
placed around the plate in the order they are normally honoured (bitters,
greens, fries, dry vegetables, beans or soups, wet vegetables, chutneys,
yoghurt, and sweets) starting at 4 o’clock and going around counter-
clockwise up to 9 o‘clock.
Cover the plates with a cloth or another plate so that they are not seen by
anyone or contaminated in any way en route to Deity room.
Carry the plates into the Deity room and place them in the freshly cleaned
places in front of the Deities’ āsans.
Close the Deity room door.
Procedure
Meditate that Śrī Gurudev is making the offering and using you as his
instrument.
Either by meditation or physically, remove the Deities’ crowns.
While ringing the bell with the left hand, offer flowers at the feet of Śrī
Gaurāṅga and then Śrī Nityānanda with the right hand while chanting:
eṣa puṣpañjali klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ
eṣa puṣpañjali klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ
Kneel on the floor or sit on an āsan reserved for the pūjārī in front of the
offering.
Place the tray of required paraphernlia near you.
Offer the āsans to Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda by placing a flower petal
on each āsan, motioning for the Deity to be seated, and chanting:
idam āsanaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ
idam āsanaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ
Offer water for Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda to sip by meditating on doing
this while ringing the bell with your left hand and with your right hand
holding out a spoonful of water from the pañchapātra and then pouring it
into the visarjanīya-pātra. While doing this, chant:
idam āchamanīyaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ
idam āchamanīyaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ
If it has not already been done, place tulasī leaves and/or mañjarīs on each
preparation using the middle finger and thumb of your right hand. If
available, place a soft tulasī mañjarī atop the rice or primary dish (a soft
mañjarī nestled between two leaves is the best of all). Place the tulasī first on
the preparations for Śrī Gaurāṅga and then those for Śrī Nityānanda.
With the bell in your left hand and the bathing conch filled with sanctified
water in your right hand, offer the food to Śrī Gaurāṅga by very lightly
sprinkling water on each preparation in front of His āsan while ringing the
bell and chanting:
idaṁ naivedyaṁ sarvaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ
Then offer the preparations placed in front of Śrī Nityānanda to Him in the
same manner, chanting:
idaṁ naivedyaṁ sarvaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ
Arise, leave the Deity room, close the door, and wait outside, meditating that
the Deities are now honouring the offering. For the early morning and late
afternoon offerings (small offerings), allow approximately ten mintues for the
offering to be honoured; for the midday and evening offerings (large
offerings), allow approximately fifteen or twenty mintues.
While waiting, meditate on Gaura-mantra, Gaura-gāyatrī, Nityānanda-
mantra, and Nityānanda-gāyatrī at least ten times each:
klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ
klīṁ kṛṣṇa-chaitanyāya vidmahe viśvambharāya dhīmahi tan no gauraḥ
prachodayāt
klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ
klīṁ nityānandāya vidmahe saṅkarṣaṇāya dhīmahi tan no balaḥ
prachodayāt
Once sufficient time has elapsed, make a sound and re-enter the Deity room,
meditating that the Deity has finished honouring the offering. Offer water for
Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda to sip, chanting:
idam āchamanīyaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ
idam āchamanīyaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ
Meditate that Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda have now returned to Their
places on the altar.
Next, offer Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda’s prasādam to Śrī Gurudev and
the Vaiṣṇavas, meditating that Śrī Gurudev is engaging you in offering the
prasādam. First offer them water to sip:
idam āchamanīyam aiṁ gurāve namaḥ
idam āchamanīyam om sarva-vaiṣṇavebhyo namaḥ
Then offer them the prasādam by praying to them to accept and chanting:
idaṁ mahāprasādam aiṁ gurāve namaḥ
idaṁ mahāprasādam om sarva-vaiṣṇavebhyo namaḥ
Arise and wait outside as before, meditating that Śrī Gurudev and the
Vaiṣṇavas are now honouring the prasādam. Meditate on Guru-mantra and
Guru-gāyatrī:
aiṁ guruve namaḥ
aiṁ gurudevāya vidmahe kṛṣṇānandāya dhīmahi tan no guruḥ prachodayāt
Once sufficient time has elapsed, meditate that Śrī Gurudev and the
Vaiṣṇavas have finished honouring the prasādam, make a sound, and re-
enter the Deity room. Offer water for them to sip, chanting:
idam āchamanīyam aiṁ gurāve namaḥ
idam āchamanīyam om sarva-vaiṣṇavebhyo namaḥ
Meditate that they have returned to their places and now consider the
offering complete.
Either by meditation or physically, put back the Deities’ crowns. Ensure that
Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda’s dress and garlands are in order.
If it is midday, you may now offer ārati.
Lastly, pick up the offering plates and put them in an appropriate place
outside the Deity room.
Ensure that the prasād is transferred from the offering plates to suitable
containers for distribution. Never transfer prasād directly from the Deities
plates to the plate or hand of a devotee (always transfer the prasād to
containers that are not used for personal consumption).
Wipe clean the area where the offering was made.
Finally, offer obeisance to the Deities.
Section Indicator
Archan
Method
Śrī Gurudev, Śrī Gaurāṅga, and Śrī Nityānanda are worshipped by meditation
and afterwards, if Their Deity forms are made of metal or stone, they may be
offered worship with physical articles.
There are three parts to the worship procedure: (1) meditation, (2) offering,
and (3) obeisance.
Articles are offered through a combination of meditation and mantras,
specifically the Sanskrit name of the articles and the mūla-mantras for the
Deities being worshipped. The mūla-mantras used in the worship are as
follows:
Śrī Guru: aiṁ guruve namaḥ
Śrī Gaurāṅga: klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ
Śrī Nityānanda: klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ
Tulasī Devī: om tulasyai namaḥ
Vaiṣṇavas: om sarva-vaiṣṇavebhyo namaḥ
Timing
The Deities are normally offered archan shortly aftering maṅgal ārati and the
bālya-bhoga offering. They may be offered archan any time before the
midday bhoga offering, but the earlier the better. If the Deities’ dress will be
changed on a given day, the archan can be offered before or afterwards, but
tulasī leaves and garlands should always be offered after the changing of
dress.
Preparation
Bathe.
Put on clean clothes.
Apply tilak.
Offer obeisance to the Deity outside the Deity room.
Pray to Śrī Gurudev to be engaged in performing the worship properly.
Wip cleap the area on the floor of the Deity room where the archan will be
performed with a cloth reserved for this purpose after dampening it.
Rinse your hands.
Perform āchaman.
Prepare all the paraphernalia required.
Paraphernalia
Āsan for the pūjārī to sit on
Cloth and wash receptacle with water to cleanse the floor of the Deity room
Tray containing:
Cotton ball
Alternative: three distinguishable cloths, one for Śrī Gurudev, one for Śrī
Gaurāṅga, and one for Śrī Nityānanda (used to wipe away the sandalwood
paste offered to them)
Flowers or flower petals on a plate
Pañchapātra and spoon
Visarjanīya-pātra
4 bowls for bathing (snān-pātras)
4 bowls for worship (archan-pātras)
These 8 bowls should be of varying sizes or design so that they are
distinguishable as pairs, one for Śrī Gurudev, one for Śrī Gaurāṅga, one for Śrī
Nityānanda, and one for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa
Bell on a plate
Blowing conch on a plate
Bathing conch on a three-legged stand
Bath water in a covered cup (warm the water if the air is cold, cool the water
if the air is hot)
11 tulasī leaves on a small plate (more leaves may be used)
Sandalwood paste in a small dish
Arghya: water mixed with flower petals and gandha (option: water mixed
with flower petals, unboiled rice, and sesame)
Madhuparka (optional): ghee, yoghurt, milk, honey, and sugar combined in
equal proportions (1 teaspoon of each is sufficient; any of combination any
three of these ingredients is also suitable if they are not all available).
4 distinguishable cloths (optional), one for Śrī Gurudev, one for Śrī Gaurāṅga,
one for Śrī Nityānanda, and one for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa (offered to them to
dry off after bathing)
Gandha (options: (1) sandalwood paste; (2) fragrant oil; (3) sandalwood
paste, camphor, and aguru combined; (4) 4 parts sandalwood paste, 3 parts
kumkum, 2 parts musk, and 1 part camphor combined)
4 sticks of incense and holders (optional)
4 small dīps filled with ghee wicks (optional)
1 standing dīp (optional)
Fire source (matches, lighter, etc.)
Tray to hold prasādī articles
Bowl of water to rinse one’s hands
3 bowls to hold the charaṇāmṛta
If the charaṇāmṛta from the previous day remains, respectfully dispose of it
and clean the bowls before starting the archan. Keep these bowls outside the
Deity room.
Preliminaries
Enter the Deity room with all the required paraphernalia and place it in the
freshly cleaned area or another suitable place.
Close the door(s) or curtain to the Deity room while ringing the bell and
giving jay to the Deities.
Rip the cotton ball into three pieces (or lay out the three cloths) and dampen
them.
Remove the tulasī offered to Śrī Gaurāṅga’s feet, place it on the prasādam
tray, wipe His feet clean with one piece of the ripped cotton (or the cloth
reserved for Him), and then place the ripped cotton on the prasādam tray.
Remove the tulasī offered to Śrī Nityānanda’s feet, place it on the prasādam
tray, wipe His feet clean with a second piece of ripped cotton (or the cloth
reserved for Him), and then place the ripped cotton on the prasādam tray.
Take off the tulasī leaves that were offered to the Guru-varga’s pictures the
previous day and wipe the pictures clean with the third piece of the ripped
cotton (or the third cloth), doing so from right to left in descending order.
Place the leaves and the ripped cotton on the prasādam tray.
The tulasī leaves are removed in this order because the Guru-varga will be
happy to be touched by your hands just after they have touched the feet of
Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda and Śrī Nityānanda will not want that we
touch Śrī Gaurāṅga immediately after touching His feet.
Rinse your hands with water from the pañchapātra.
Tīrtha-āhvān: invoking the holy rivers
Wrap the sacred thread around your right thumb, form the aṅkuśa-mudrā,
touch the water with the tip of your middle finger (without letting your
fingernails touch the water), and invoke the holy rivers into the water by
praying:
gaṅge cha yamune chaiva godāvari sarasvatinarmade sindho kāveri jale
’smin sannidhiṁ kuru
“O Gaṅgā, O Yamunā, O Godāvarī, O Saraswatī, O Narmadā, O Sindhu, O
Kāverī, please appear in this water.”
Now consider the water in the pañchapātra to be sanctified.
Puṣpa-śuddhi: sanctifying the flowers
Sanctify the flower petals by sprinkling them lightly with sanctified water
using the spoon from the pañchapātra and chanting:
puṣpe puṣpe mahāpuṣpe supuṣpe puṣpa-sambhavepuṣpa-chayāvakīrṇe cha
huṁ phaṭ svāhā
“O flowers, O great and auspicious flowers that have appeared from budding
creepers, may you be sanctified.”
Āsana-śuddhi: sanctifying the seat
Place the āsan on the ground in front of the altar so that when you sit on it
you will be either facing the Deities or facing perpendicular to Them with
your left shoulder near to Them. Worship the āsan by placing a flower or
flower petals on it and chanting:
om ādhāra-śaktaye kamalāsanāya namaḥ
“I offer my obeisance to the sustaining power of this lotus seat.”
Praise the āsan by chanting:
pṛthvi tvayā dhṛtā lokā devi tvaṁ viṣṇunā dhṛtātvañ cha dhāraya māṁ
nityaṁ pavitraṁ chāsanaṁ kuru
“O Mother Earth, you sustain everyone. O Goddess, Viṣṇu sustains you. May
you also always sustain me and sanctify this sitting place.”
Sit on the āsan in padmāsana, svastikāsana, or sukhāsana and set out the
paraphernalia for worship in front of you.
On your left:
Standing lamp (if present)
Fire source
Bathing conch on a three-legged stand
Arghya
Madhuparka (if present)
Blowing conch (on a plate)
Bell (on a small plate)
Warm bath water
Incense and its holder (if present)
On your right:
Sandalwood paste
Tulasī leaves
Flowers petals
Lamps (if present)
In front of you:
Pañchapātra
Visarjanīya-pātra
Archan-pātras in a row (Śrī Gurudev’s on the left, Śrī Gaurāṅga’s to the right,
Śrī Nityānanda’s further to the right, and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s on the far
right)
Snān-pātras in a row (aligned as the archan-pātras are and placed behind
them)
Behind you:
Bowl of water for washing hands
Ghaṇṭā-śuddhi: sanctifying the bell
Sanctify the bell by sticking a tulasī leaf dipped in sandalwood paste on it and
chanting:
sarva-vadya-mayi ghaṇṭe deva-devasya vallabhetvāṁ vinā naiva sarveṣāṁ
śubhaṁ bhāvati śobhane
“O bell, favourite of the Lord of all Lords, you embody the sweet sound of all
music. Without you, there is no auspiciousness for anyone.”
Śaṅkha-śuddhi: sanctifying the conch
Sanctify the bathing conch by sticking a tulasī leaf dipped in sandalwood
paste on it and chanting:
tvaṁ purā sāgarotpanno viṣṇunā vidhṛtaḥ karemānitaḥ sarva-devaiś cha
pāñchajānya namo ’stu te
“O Pāñchajānya! My obeisance to you, who long ago appeared from the
ocean. Lord Viṣṇu holds you in His hand, and all the gods honour you.”
Svasti-vachan: invoking good fortune
Chant:
(oṁ) svasti no govindaḥ svasti no ’chyutānantausvasti no vāsudevo viṣṇur
dadhātusvasti no nārāyaṇo naro vaisvasti naḥ padmanābhaḥ puruṣottamo
dadhātusvasti no viśvakseno viśveśvaraḥsvasti no hṛṣīkeśo harir dadhātu
svasti no vainateyo hariḥsvasti no ’ñjanā-suto hanūr bhāgavato dadhātu
svasti svasti sumaṅgalaikeśo mahānśrī-kṛṣṇaḥ sach-chid-ānanda-ghanaḥ
sarveśvareśvaro dadhātu
(Kṛṣṇopaniṣad)
“May Govinda, the eternal, infinite, all-prevading Lord, bestow
auspiciousness upon us. May that lotus-navelled, human-like Supreme
Person, who is shelter of all souls, bestow auspiciousness upon us. May that
all-powerful Lord of the universe, the Lord of the senses, who steals the
heart, bestow auspiciousness upon us. May His devotees Garuḍa and
Hanumān bestow auspiciousness upon us. May that one Lord of the highest
auspiciousness, the Supreme Lord of all Lords, the embodiment of eternal,
spiritual ecstasy, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, bestow the highest auspiciousness upon us.”
karotu svasti me kṛṣṇa sarva-lokeśvareśvaraḥkārṣṇādayaś cha kurvantu
svasti me loka-pāvanāḥ
(Sammohana-tantra)
“May Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of all Lords of all the worlds, bestow auspiciousness on
me. May His devotees, the deliverers of the world, bestow auspiciousness on
me.”
kṛṣṇo mamaiva sarvatra svasti kuryāt śriyā samamtathaiva cha sadā kārṣṇiḥ
sarva-vighna-vināśanaḥ
(Viṣṇu-yāmala-saṁhitā)
“May Kṛṣṇa, along with Śrī Rādhā, bestow auspiciousness upon me in all
respects. May His devotees, the removers of all obstacles, always bestow
auspiciousness upon me.”
(om) hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare harehare rāma hare rāma rāma
rāma hare hare
Maṅgala-vachan: invoking auspiciousness
Chant:
maṅgalaṁ bhagavān viṣṇur maṅgalaṁ madhusūdanaḥmaṅgalaṁ hṛṣīkeśo
’yaṁ maṅgalāyatano hariḥviṣṇūchchāraṇa-mātrena kṛṣṇasya smaranād-
dhareḥsarva-vighnāni naśyanti maṅgalaṁ syān na saṁsayaḥ
“The all-pervading Supreme Lord, the relisher of nectar, the lord of the
senses, the stealer of the heart, is the abode of all auspiciousness. Simply by
saying His Name or remembering Him, all obstacles are destroyed and
auspiciousness manifests. Of this there is no doubt.”
Nija-dhyāna: self-meditation
Chant and meditate as follows:
divyaṁ śrī-hari-mandirāḍhya-tilakaṁ kaṇṭhaṁ sumālānvitaṁvakṣaḥ śrī-
hari-nāma-varṇa-subhagaṁ śrī-khaṇḍa-liptaṁ punaḥpūtaṁ sūkṣma-
navāmbaraṁ vimalatāṁ nityaṁ vahantīṁ tanuṁdhyāyech chhrī-guru-
pāda-padma-nikaṭe sevotsukañ chātmanaḥ
“Meditate that the Lord’s Temple (your body) is decorated with shining tilak,
your neck bears a beautiful tulasī-mālā, your chest is adorned with the
Names of Śrī Hari and sandalwood paste, you are wearing fine, new, clean
cloth, and in your pure, eternal form, you are at the lotus feet of Śrī Guru,
eager for service.”
Guru-pūjā: worshipping Śrī Guru
Give jay to Śrī Gurudev, reciting his full name and title. Then chant the
following verse and meditate as directed:
prātaḥ śrīman-navadvīpe dvi-netraṁ dvi-bhujaṁ gurumvarābhaya-pradaṁ
śāntaṁ smaret tan-nāma-pūrvakam
“Having recited his name, meditate on the two-eyed, two-armed form of Śrī
Gurudev, who grants fearlessness and is the personfication of peace, situated
in Śrī Nabadwīp Dhām in the morning.”
“At the Yoga Pīṭh in Śrī Māyāpur, within the spiritual abode of Śrī Nabadwīp
Dhām, Śrī Chaitanya is seated on a jeweled platform. Śrī Nityānanda is on His
right, and Śrī Gadādhar is on His left. Śrī Advaita, palms joined, and Śrīvās
Paṇḍit, holding an umbrella, stand in front of Him. Śrī Gurudev is seated on a
separate platform beneath them.”
Meditate in this way and then worship Śrī Gurudev with sixteen articles.
Ringing the bell with your left hand, chant the following mantras and offer
the articles as explained:
idam āsanam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: place a flower petal in Śrī Gurudev’s snān-
pātra, meditating on offering Śrī Gurudev a place to sit.
Meditate that Śrī Gurudev has come and taken his place in the snān-pātra.
etat pādyam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop a spoonful of bath water into the
snān-pātra, meditating on offering water to wash Śrī Gurudev’s feet.
idam arghyam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: pour some arghya into the snān-pātra,
meditating on sprinkling fragrant water over the head of Śrī Gurudev are a
gesture of respect.
idam āchamanīyam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water from the
pañchapātra into the visarjanīya-pātra, meditating on offering water for Śrī
Gurudev to sip.
eṣa madhuparkaḥ aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water  (or pour
madhuparka if present) into the archan-pātra, meditating on offering
madhuparka for Śrī Gurudev to taste.
idaṁ punar āchamanīyam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water
from the pañchapātra in the visarjanīya-pātra, meditating on offering water
for Śrī Gurudev to sip.
idaṁ snānīyam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: fill the bathing conch with bath water
and place a flower or flower petal dipped in sandalwood paste inside it. Then
pour the flower and all the water in the conch into the snān-pātra,
meditating on pouring water for Śrī Gurudev to bath in.
Meditate that Śrī Gurudev has come to an āsan next to the snān-pātra.
Offer a cloth to Śrī Gurudev to dry his body, either in meditation or physically
if one is present.
idaṁ sottatrīyaṁ vastram aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop either two spoons of
water from the pañchapātra or two flower petals in the archan-pātra,
meditating on offering Śrī Gurudev an upper and lower cloth to wear.
idam ābharaṇam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop either water from the
pañchapātra or a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering Śrī
Gurudev ornaments to wear.
eṣa gandhaḥ aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop either water from the pañchapātra or
a flower petal dabbed with gandha in the archan-pātra, meditating on
offering Śrī Gurudev a fragrance to smell.
eṣa dhūpaḥ aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop either water from the pañchapātra or a
flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering incense Śrī Gurudev
(you may instead light incense, offer it by waving it in circles below the navel
of Śrī Gurudev, and then place it on the prasādam tray or a holder kept for
prasādī incense, meditating on offering the incense to Śrī Gurudev).
eṣa dīpaḥ aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop either water from the pañchapātra or a
flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering Śrī Gurudev a lamp
(you may instead light a lamp, offer it to Śrī Gurudev by waving it in circles—4
times to the feet, 2 times to the navel, 1 time to the face, and 7 times around
the whole body—and then place it on the prasādam tray).
idaṁ sachandana-puṣpam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: place a flower or flower
petals dipped in sandalwood paste in Śrī Gurudev’s archan-pātra, meditating
on offering a flower to the lotus feet of Śrī Gurudev.
etat tulasī-patram aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop either water from the
pañchapātra or a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on placing a
tulasī leaf in Śrī Gurudev’s hand that he can offer to the Lord.
idaṁ naivedyam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water from the
pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering food to Śrī Gurudev.
idaṁ pānīya-jalam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water from the
pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering a beverage to Śrī
Gurudev.
idaṁ punar āchamanīyam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water
from the pañchapātra in the visarjanīya-pātra, meditating on offering water
for Śrī Gurudev to sip.
idaṁ tāmbūlam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water from the
pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering pan to Śrī Gurudev.
idaṁ mālyam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: place a flower in the archan-pātra,
meditating on offering a garland to Śrī Gurudev.
idaṁ sarvam aiṁ guruve namaḥ: place a flower or a spoonful of water from
the pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on giving everything to Śrī
Gurudev.
Chant Guru-gāyatrī at least 12 times:
aiṁ gurudevāya vidmahe kṛṣṇānandāya dhīmahi tan no guruḥ prachodayāt
Offer prayers and obeisance to Śrī Guru:
tvaṁ gopikā vṛṣaraves tanayāntike ’sisevādhikāriṇi guro nija-pāda-padma-
dāsyaṁ pradāya kuru māṁ vraja-kānane śrī-rādhāṅghri-sevana-rase
sukhinīṁ sukhābdhe
“O guardian of service! O ocean of joy! O Gurudev! You are a gopī in the
company of King Vṛṣabhānu’s daughter. Please give me the service of your
lotus feet and delight me with the taste of service at the feet of Śrī Rādhā in
the forest of Vraja.”
om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayāchakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
“I offer my obeisance unto Śrī Gurudev, who has opened my eyes, which
were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the salve of divine
knowledge.”
śrī-chaitanya-mano-’bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-talesvayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā
mahyaṁ dadāti svapadāntikam
“When will Śrī Gurudev, who is Śrī Rūpa himself, by whom the heartfelt
desires of Śrī Chaitanya are fulfilled on the earth, give me shelter at his feet?”
rādhā-sammukha-saṁsaktiṁ sakhī-saṅga-nivāsinīmtvām ahaṁ satataṁ
vande mādhavāśraya-vigrahām
“You are attached to the company of Śrī Rādhā and live in the association of
the sakhīs. I always offer my obeisance to you, Śrī Gurudev, the embodiment
of the Lord’s shelter.”
Lastly, meditate that Śrī Gurudev has returned to his place on the altar.
Śrī Gaurāṅga-pūjā: worshipping Śrī Gaurāṅga
Pray to Śrī Gurudev and Śrī Nityānanda to be engaged in this service, and
then offer worship to Śrī Gaurāṅga.
Meditate, as was done at the beginning of Guru-pūjā, on Śrī Gaurāṅga seated
atop a jeweled platform at the Yoga Pīṭh in Śrī Māyāpur in the midst of the
Pañcha Tattva, Śrī Gurudev, and His other servants. Recite the following
verse:
śrīman-mauktika-dāma-baddha-chikuraṁ susmera-chandrānanaṁśrī-
khaṇḍāguru-chāru-chitra-vāsanaṁ srag-divya-bhūṣāñchitamnṛtyāveśa-
rasānumoda-madhuraṁ kandarpa-veśojjvalaṁchaitanyaṁ kanaka-dyutiṁ
nija-janaiḥ saṁsevyamānaṁ bhaje
“His hair is bound with beautiful strings of pearls, His widely smiling face
shines like the moon, and He is adorned with sandalwood paste, aguru,
wonderfully attractive garments, garlands, and bright ornaments. Delighted
by the nectar of His ecstatic dancing, He is sweetness personified and
appears radiant like Cupid. I worship the golden-lustered Śrī Chaitanya as He
is served by His associates.”
Meditate in this way and then worship Śrī Gaurāṅga with sixteen articles
while ringing the bell, chanting the following mantras, and offer the articles
as explained (the process is almost identical to Guru-pūjā):
idam āsanaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: place a flower petal in Śrī Gaurāṅga’s
snān-pātra, meditating on offering Śrī Gaurāṅga a place to sit.
Meditate that Śrī Gaurāṅga has come and taken His place in the snān-pātra.
etat pādyaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of bath water into the
snān-pātra, meditating on offering water to wash Śrī Gaurāṅga’s feet.
idam arghyaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: pour some arghya into the snān-pātra,
meditating on sprinkling fragrant water over the head of Śrī Gaurāṅga are a
gesture of respect.
idam āchamanīyaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water from the
pañchapātra in the visarjanīya-pātra, meditating on offering water for Śrī
Gaurāṅga to sip.
eṣa madhuparkaḥ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ:  drop a spoonful of water (or
madhuparka if present) into the archan-pātra, meditating on offering
madhuparka for Śrī Gaurāṅga to taste.
idaṁ punar āchamanīyaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water
from the pañchapātra in the visarjanīya-pātra, meditating on offering water
for Śrī Gaurāṅga to sip.
idaṁ snānīyaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: fill the bathing conch with bath water
and place a flower or flower petal dipped in sandalwood paste inside it. Then
pour the flower and all the water in the conch into the snān-pātra,
meditating on pouring water for Śrī Gaurāṅga to bath in.
Meditate that Śrī Gaurāṅga has come to an āsan next to the snān-pātra.
Offer a cloth to Śrī Gaurāṅga to dry His body, either in meditation or
physically if one is present.
idaṁ sottatrīyaṁ vastraṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop either two spoons of
water from the pañchapātra or two flower petals in the archan-pātra,
meditating on offering Śrī Gaurāṅga an upper and lower cloth to wear.
idam ābharaṇaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop either water from the
pañchapātra or a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering Śrī
Gaurāṅga ornaments to wear.
eṣa gandhaḥ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop either water from the pañchapātra
or a flower petal dabbed with gandha in the archan-pātra, meditating on
offering Śrī Gaurāṅga a fragrance to smell.
eṣa dhūpaḥ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop either water from the pañchapātra or
a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering incense to Śrī
Gaurāṅga (you may instead light incense, offer it by waving it in circles below
the navel of Śrī Gaurāṅga, and then place it on the prasādam tray or a holder
kept for prasādī incense, meditating on offering the incense to Śrī Gaurāṅga).
eṣa dīpaḥ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop either water from the pañchapātra or a
flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering Śrī Gaurāṅga a lamp
(you may instead light a lamp, offer it to Śrī Gaurāṅga by waving it in circles—
4 times to the feet, 2 times to the navel, 1 time to the face, and 7 times
around the whole body—and then place it on the prasādam tray).
idaṁ sachandana-puṣpaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: place a flower or flower
petals dipped in sandalwood paste in Śrī Gaurāṅga’s archan-pātra, meditating
on offering a flower to the lotus feet of Śrī Gaurāṅga.
etat tulasī-patraṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop either water from the
pañchapātra or a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on placing a
tulasī leaf at Śrī Gaurāṅga’s feet.
idaṁ naivedyaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water from the
pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering food to Śrī
Gaurāṅga.
idaṁ pānīya-jalaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water from the
pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering a beverage to Śrī
Gaurāṅga.
idaṁ punar āchamanīyaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water
from the pañchapātra in the visarjanīya-pātra, meditating on offering water
for Śrī Gaurāṅga to sip.
idaṁ tāmbūlaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water from the
pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering pan to Śrī Gaurāṅga.
idaṁ mālyaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: place a flower in the archan-pātra,
meditating on offering a garland to Śrī Gaurāṅga.
idaṁ sarvaṁ klīṁ gaurāya namaḥ: place a flower or a spoonful of water
from the pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on giving everything to
Śrī Gaurāṅga.
Chant Gaura-gāyatrī at least 12 times:
klīṁ kṛṣṇa-chaitanyāya vidmahe viśvambharāya dhīmahi tan no gauraḥ
prachodayāt
Offer obeisance to Śrī Gaurāṅga, chanting:
ānanda-līlāmaya-vigrahāyahemābha-divya-chchhavi-sundarāyatasmai
mahāprema-rasa-pradāyachaitanyachandrāya namo namas te
“To the embodiment of ecstatic Pastimes, to the divine, splendourous golden
personification of beauty, to the giver of the rasa of the highest divine love,
to the moon Śrī Chaitanya, I bow again and again.”
Lastly, meditate that Śrī Gaurāṅga has returned to His place on the altar.
Śrī Nityānanda-pūjā: worshipping Śrī Nityānanda
Pray to Śrī Gurudev and Śrī Gaurāṅga to be engaged in this service, and then
offer worship to Śrī Nityānanda.
Meditate, as was done at the beginning of Guru-pūjā and Śrī Gaurāṅga-pūjā,
on Śrī Nityānanda situated beside Śrī Gaurāṅga at the Yoga Pīṭh in Śrī
Māyāpur in the midst of the Lord’s associates, Śrī Gurudev, and His other
servants. Recite the following verse:
kañjārendra-vinindi-sundara-gatiṁ śrī-pādam indīvara-śreṇī-śyāma-sad-
ambaraṁ tanu-ruchā sāndhyendu-saṁmardakampremodghūrṇa-sukañja-
khañjana-madā-jin-netra-hāsyānanaṁnityānandam ahaṁ smarāmi satataṁ
bhūṣojjvalāṅga-śriyam
“The beautiful gait of His holy feet defames the king of elephants. His fine
indigo garments resemble a cluster of blue lotus flowers. His bodily lustre
smothers the evening moon. His smiling face and eyes rolling in divine love
defeat the pride of the restless wagtail. I always meditate on Nityānanda,
whose figure is adorned with resplendant ornaments.”
Meditate in this way and then worship Śrī Nityānanda with sixteen articles
while ringing the bell, chanting the following mantras, and offer the articles
as explained (the process is almost identical to Gaurāṅga-pūjā):
idam āsanaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: place a flower petal in Śrī
Nityānanda’s snān-pātra, meditating on offering Him a place to sit.
Meditate that Śrī Nityānanda has come and taken His place in the snān-pātra.
etat pādyaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of warm bath water
into the snān-pātra, meditating on offering water to wash Śrī Nityānanda’s
feet.
idam arghyaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: pour some arghya into the snān-
pātra, meditating on sprinkling fragrant water over the head of Śrī
Nityānanda are a gesture of respect.
idam āchamanīyaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water
from the pañchapātra in the visarjanīya-pātra, meditating on offering water
for Śrī Nityānanda to sip.
eṣa madhuparkaḥ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water (or
madhuparka if present) into the archan-pātra, meditating on offering
madhuparka for Śrī Nityānanda to taste.
idaṁ punar āchamanīyaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of
water from the pañchapātra in the visarjanīya-pātra, meditating on offering
water for Śrī Nityānanda to sip.
idaṁ snānīyaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: fill the bathing conch with bath
water and place a flower or flower petal dipped in sandalwood paste inside
it. Then pour the flower and all the water in the conch into the snān-pātra,
meditating on pouring water for Śrī Nityānanda to bath in.
Meditate that Śrī Nityānanda has come to an āsan next to the snān-pātra.
Offer a cloth to Śrī Nityānanda to dry His body, either in meditation or
physically if one is present.
idaṁ sottatrīyaṁ vastraṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop either two
spoons of water from the pañchapātra or two flower petals in the archan-
pātra, meditating on offering Śrī Nityānanda an upper and lower cloth to
wear.
idam ābharaṇaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop either water from the
pañchapātra or a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering Śrī
Nityānanda ornaments to wear.
eṣa gandhaḥ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop either water from the
pañchapātra or a flower petal dabbed with gandha in the archan-pātra,
meditating on offering Śrī Nityānanda a fragrance to smell.
eṣa dhūpaḥ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop either water from the
pañchapātra or a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering
incense to Śrī Nityānanda (you may instead light incense, offer it by waving it
in circles below the navel of Śrī Nityānanda, and then place it on the
prasādam tray or a holder kept for prasādī incense, meditating on offering
the incense to Śrī Nityānanda).
eṣa dīpaḥ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop either water from the
pañchapātra or a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering Śrī
Nityānanda a lamp (you may instead light a lamp, offer it to Śrī Nityānanda by
waving it in circles—4 times to the feet, 2 times to the navel, 1 time to the
face, and 7 times around the whole body—and then place it on the prasādam
tray).
idaṁ sachandana-puṣpaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: place a flower or
flower petals dipped in sandalwood paste in Śrī Nityānanda’s archan-pātra,
meditating on offering a flower to the lotus feet of Śrī Nityānanda.
etat tulasī-patraṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop either water from the
pañchapātra or a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on placing a
tulasī leaf at Śrī Nityānanda’s feet.
idaṁ naivedyaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water from
the pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering food to Śrī
Nityānanda.
idaṁ pānīya-jalaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water from
the pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering a beverage to Śrī
Nityānanda.
idaṁ punar āchamanīyaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of
water from the pañchapātra in the visarjanīya-pātra, meditating on offering
water for Śrī Nityānanda to sip.
idaṁ tāmbūlaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water from
the pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering pan to Śrī
Nityānanda.
idaṁ mālyaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: place a flower in the archan-pātra,
meditating on offering a garland to Śrī Nityānanda.
idaṁ sarvaṁ klīṁ nityānandāya namaḥ: place a flower or a spoonful of
water from the pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on giving
everything to Śrī Nityānanda.
Chant Nityānanda-gāyatrī at least 12 times:
klīṁ nityānandāya vidmahe saṅkarṣaṇāya dhīmahi tan no balaḥ
prachodayāt
Offer obeisance to Śrī Nityānanda, chanting:
nityānandaṁ ahaṁ naumi sarvānanda-karaṁ paramhari-nāma-pradaṁ
devam avadhūta-śiromaṇim
“I offer my obeisance to the crown-jewel of renunciants, the cause of all joy,
the giver of the Lord’s Name, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu.”
Lastly, meditate that Śrī Nityānanda has returned to His place on the altar.
Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-pūjā: worshipping Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa
Pray to Śrī Gurudev, Śrī Gaurāṅga, and Śrī Nityānanda to be engaged in this
service, and then worship Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
Chant the following verses and meditate on Śrī Vṛndāvan and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-
Kṛṣṇa as directed:
tato vṛndāvanaṁ dhyāyet paramānanda-vardhanamkālindī-jala-kallola-
saṅgi-māruta-sevitamnānā-puṣpa-latā-baddha-vṛkṣa-ṣaṇḍaiś cha maṇḍitam
koṭi-sūrya-samābhāsaṁ vimuktaṁ sat-taraṅgakaiḥtan-madhye ratna-
khacitaṁ svarṇa-siṁhāsanaṁ mahatśrī-kṛṣṇaṁ śrī-ghana-śyāmaṁ
pūrṇānanda-kalevaramdvi-bhujaṁ sarva-deveśaṁ rādhāliṅgita-vigraham
“Now meditate on Vṛndāvan, the abode of ever-increasing joy, which is
served by the breezes blowing off the waves of the River Yamunā and
decorated by trees laden with various flowering vines. Vṛndāvan is as bright
as ten million suns and free from the six waves (lamentation, bewilderment,
old age, death, hunger, and thirst). Within it is a great, golden throne,
studded with gems. Upon that throne, meditate on the two-armed form of
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of all Lords, the beautiful, deep blue embodiment of
perfect joy, embraced by Śrī Rādhā.”
Meditate in this way and then worship Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa with sixteen
articles while ringing the bell, chanting the following mantras, and offer the
articles as explained (the process is almost identical to Gaurāṅga-pūjā and
Nityānanda-pūjā):
idam āsanaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: place a flower petal in Śrī
Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s snān-pātra, meditating on offering Them a place to sit.
Meditate that Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa have come and taken Their place in the
snān-pātra.
etat pādyaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop a spoonful of water
from the pañchapātra into the snān-pātra, meditating on offering water to
wash Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s feet.
idam arghyaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: pour some arghya into
the snān-pātra, meditating on sprinkling fragrant water over the heads of Śrī
Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are a gesture of respect.
idam āchamanīyaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop a spoonful of
water from the pañchapātra in the visarjanīya-pātra, meditating on offering
water for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa to sip.
eṣa madhuparkaḥ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop a spoonful of
water (or the rest of the madhuparka if present) into the archan-pātra,
meditating on offering madhuparka for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa to taste.
idaṁ punar āchamanīyaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop a
spoonful of water from the pañchapātra in the visarjanīya-pātra, meditating
on offering water for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa to sip.
idaṁ snānīyaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: fill the bathing conch
with bath water and place a flower or flower petal dipped in sandalwood
paste inside it. Then pour the flower and all the water in the conch into the
snān-pātra, meditating on pouring water for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa to bath in.
Meditate that Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa have come to an āsan next to the snān-
pātra.
Offer a cloth to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa to dry off, either in meditation or
physically if one is present.
idaṁ sottatrīyaṁ vastraṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop either
two spoons of water from the pañchapātra or two flower petals in the
archan-pātra, meditating on offering Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa an upper and lower
clothes to wear.
idam ābharaṇaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop either water
from the pañchapātra or a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on
offering Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa ornaments to wear.
eṣa gandhaḥ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop either water from
the pañchapātra or a flower petal dabbed with gandha in the archan-pātra,
meditating on offering Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa a fragrance to smell.
eṣa dhūpaḥ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop either water from the
pañchapātra or a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering
incense to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa (you may instead light incense, offer it by
waving it in circles below the navel of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and then place it
on the prasādam tray or a holder kept for prasādī incense, meditating on
offering the incense to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa).
eṣa dīpaḥ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop either water from the
pañchapātra or a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering Śrī
Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa a lamp (you may instead light a lamp, offer it to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-
Kṛṣṇa by waving it in circles—4 times to the feet, 2 times to the navel, 1 time
to the face, and 7 times around the whole body—and then place it on the
prasādam tray).
idaṁ sachandana-puṣpaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: place a
flower or flower petals dipped in sandalwood paste in Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s
archan-pātra, meditating on offering a flower to the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī
Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
etat tulasī-patraṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop either water
from the pañchapātra or a flower petal in the archan-pātra, meditating on
placing a tulasī leaf in the hand of Śrī Rādhā and then at the feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
idaṁ naivedyaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop a spoonful of
water from the pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering food
to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
idaṁ pānīya-jalaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop a spoonful of
water from the pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering
beverages to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
idaṁ punar āchamanīyaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop a
spoonful of water from the pañchapātra in the visarjanīya-pātra, meditating
on offering water for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa to sip.
idaṁ tāmbūlaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: drop a spoonful of
water from the pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on offering pan
to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
idaṁ mālyaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: place a flower in the
archan-pātra, meditating on offering a garland to Śrī Rādhā’s hands and then
around Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s neck.
idaṁ sarvaṁ rāṁ klīṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇābhyāṁ namaḥ: place a flower or a
spoonful of water from the pañchapātra in the archan-pātra, meditating on
giving everything to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
Chant Kṛṣṇa-gāyatrī at least 12 times:
klīṁ kṛṣṇāya vidmahe dāmodarāya dhīmahi tan no devaḥ prachodayāt
Chant Rādhā-gāyatrī at least 12 times:
rāṁ rādhikāyai vidmahe prema-rūpāyai dhīmahi tan no rādhā prachodayāt
Offer obeisance Śrī Kṛṣṇa, chanting:
he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pategopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-
kānta namo ’stu te
“O Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, friend of the fallen, master of the universe, lord of
the cowherds, beloved of the gopīs, beloved of Śrī Rādhā! My obeisance to
You.”
Offer obeisance Śrī Rādhā, chanting:
tapta-kāñchana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarivṛṣabhānu-sute devi
praṇamāmi hari-priye
“O Rādhā, Goddess whose fair body resembles motlen gold, queen of
Vṛndāvan, daughter of Vṛṣabhānu, beloved of the Lord! My obeisance to
You.”
Chant Kāma-gāyatrī as you are able:
klīṁ kāmadevāya vidmahe puṣpabāṇāya dhīmahi tan no ’naṅgaḥ
prachodayāt
Chant the following five verses:
saṁsāra-sāgarān nātha putra-mitra-gṛhāṅganātgoptārau me yuvām eva
prapanna-bhaya-bhañjanau
“O Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, You protect me from the ocean of material existence
and my home filled with children and friends. You certainly destroy all fear
for the surrendered souls.
yo ’haṁ mamāsti yat kiñchid iha loke paratra chatat sarvaṁ bhavato
’dyaiva charaṇeṣu samarpitam
“Today, I have offered at Your feet myself and everything I have in this world
and the next.
aham apy aparādhānām ālayas tyakta-sādhanaḥagatiś cha tato nāthau
bhavantau me parā gatiḥ
“I am an abode of offences, I have neglected my practice, and I am
shelterless. You both, my masters, are thus my only shelter.
tavāsmi rādhikā-nātha karmaṇā manasā girā kṛṣṇa-kānte tavaivāsmi yuvām
eva gatir mama
“I am Yours, O Lord of Rādhikā! My actions, mind, and words are Yours, O
Beloved of Kṛṣṇa! You both are my shelter.
śaraṇaṁ vāṁ prapanno ’smi karuṇā-nikarākarauprasādaṁ kuru dāsyaṁ
bho mayi duṣṭe ’parādhini
“You are my refuge, and I am surrendered to You. O oceans of mercy,
although I am a wicked offender, please bless me with Your service.”
Chant the following prayers:
mat-samo nāsti pāpātmā nāparādhī cha kaśchanaparihāre ’pi lajjā me kiṁ
bruve puruṣottama
“There is no sinner so sinful as I. There is no offender so offensive as I. I am
ashamed to even pray for forgiveness (for my sins and offences, and all the
more ashamed of my attempts to give them up). O Supreme Lord, what can I
say?”
yuvatīnāṁ yathā yūni yūnāñ cha yuvatau yathāmano ’bhiramate tadvan
mano me ramatāṁ tvayi
“As the minds of young girls take pleasure in young boys and the minds of
young boys take pleasure in young girls, so let my mind take pleasure in You.”
bhūmau skhalita-pādānāṁ bhūmir evāvalambanamtvayi jātāparādhānāṁ
tvam eva śaraṇaṁ prabho
“As the ground is the only support for those who have fallen upon it, so You
are the only shelter for those who have offended You, O Lord!”
govinda-vallabhe rādhe prārthaye tvām ahaṁ sadātvadīyam iti jānātu
govindo māṁ tvayā saha
“O Rādhā, favourite of Govinda! I pray to You always: ‘May You and Govinda
know me as Your own.’”
rādhe vṛndāvanādhīśe karuṇāmṛta-vāhinikṛpayā nija-pādābja-dāsyaṁ
mahyaṁ pradīyatām
“O Rādhā, queen of Vṛndāvan, river of nectarean compassion! Please
mercifully give me the service of Your lotus feet.”
Lastly, meditate that Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa have returned to Their places on the
altar.
Nirmālya: remnants
Now, while ringing the bell, distribute the remnants of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa by
chanting and meditating as follows:
etat mahāprasāda-nirmālyaṁ śrī-guruve namaḥ: pour some of the remnants
in Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s snān-pātra into Śrī Gurudev’s archan-pātra,
meditating on offering them to Śrī Gurudev.
etat pānīya-jalaṁ śrī-guruve namaḥ: drop some water from the pañchapātra
into Śrī Gurudev’s archan-pātra, meditating on offering water for Śrī Gurudev
to drink.
etat prasāda-tāmbūlaṁ śrī-guruve namaḥ: pour some of the remnants into
Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s archan-pātra in Śrī Gurudev’s archan-pātra, meditating
on offering prasādī pan to Śrī Gurudev.
etat sarvaṁ sarva-sakhībhyo namaḥ: by meditation offer all three of these
to all the sakhīs.
etat sarvaṁ śrī-paurṇamāsyai namaḥ: by meditation offer all three of these
to Śrī Paurṇamāsī.
etat sarvaṁ vraja-vāsibhyo namaḥ: by meditation offer all three of these to
all the residents of Vraja.
etat sarvaṁ sarva-vaiṣṇavebhyo namaḥ: by meditation offer all three of
these to the Vaiṣṇavas.
Next, while ringing the bell, distribute the remnants of Śrī Gaurāṅga by
chanting and meditating as follows:
etat mahāprasāda-nirmālyaṁ śrī-guruve namaḥ: pour some of the remnants
in Śrī Gaurāṅga’s snān-pātra into Śrī Gurudev’s archan-pātra, meditating on
offering them to Śrī Gurudev.
etat pānīya-jalaṁ śrī-guruve namaḥ: drop some water from the pañchapātra
into Śrī Gurudev’s archan-pātra, meditating on offering water for Śrī Gurudev
to drink.
etat prasāda-tāmbūlaṁ śrī-guruve namaḥ: pour some of the remnants into
Śrī Gaurāṅga’s archan-pātra in Śrī Gurudev’s archan-pātra, meditating on
offering prasādī pan to Śrī Gurudev.
etat sarvaṁ sarva-vaiṣṇavebhyo namaḥ: by meditation offer all three of
these to the Vaiṣṇavas.
Next, while ringing the bell, distribute the remnants of Śrī Nityānanda by
chanting and meditating as follows:
etat mahāprasāda-nirmālyaṁ śrī-guruve namaḥ: pour some of the remnants
in Śrī Nityānanda’s snān-pātra into Śrī Gurudev’s archan-pātra, meditating on
offering them to Śrī Gurudev.
etat pānīya-jalaṁ śrī-guruve namaḥ: drop some water from the pañchapātra
into Śrī Gurudev’s archan-pātra, meditating on offering water for Śrī Gurudev
to drink.
etat prasāda-tāmbūlaṁ śrī-guruve namaḥ: pour some of the remnants into
Śrī Nityānanda’s archan-pātra in Śrī Gurudev’s archan-pātra, meditating on
offering prasādī pan to Śrī Gurudev.
etat sarvaṁ sarva-vaiṣṇavebhyo namaḥ: by meditation offer all three of
these to the Vaiṣṇavas.
Tulasī-pūjā: worshipping Tulasī Devī
Offer obeisance to Vṛndāvan by chanting:
tavāraṇye devi dhruvam iha murārir viharatesadā preyasyeti śrutir api
virauti smṛtir apiiti jñātvā vṛnde charaṇam abhivande tava kṛpāṁkuruṣva
kṣipraṁ me phalatu nitarāṁ tarṣa-viṭapī
“O Goddess! The śrutis, smṛtis, and other scriptures proclaim that Kṛṣṇa
always enjoys with His beloved in your forest. O Vṛndā! Understanding this, I
bow at your feet. Please be merciful so that the tree of my desires will quickly
bear fruit.”
nirmālya-gandha-puṣpādi-pānīya-jalam idam arghyaṁ śrī-tulasai namaḥ:
while ringing the bell, by meditation offer Tulasī Devī all of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa
various remnants and some water to drink. You may later pour some of the
remnants in Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s snān- and archan-pātras on her roots.
Chant this mantra:
nirmitā tvaṁ purā devair architā tvaṁ surāsuraiḥtulasī hara me ’vidyāṁ
pūjāṁ gṛhṇa namo ’stu te
“You were created previously by the gods and worshiped by both the gods
and demons. O Tulasī! Please remove my ignorance and accept my worship.
My obeisance to you.”
Offer obeisance to Tulasī, chanting this verse:
yā dṛṣṭā nikhilāgha-saṅgha-śamanī spṛṣṭā vapuḥ-pāvanīrogāṇām
abhivanditā nirasinī siktā ’ntaka-trāsinīpratyāsatti-vidhāyinī bhagavataḥ
kṛṣṇasya saṁropitānyastā tach-charaṇe subhakti-phaladā tasyai tulasyai
namaḥ

“By seeing you, all sins are destroyed. By touching you, one’s body becomes
pure. By bowing to you, all diseases are cured. By watering you, fear of death
disappears. By planting you, one attains the Lord’s association. And by
offering you to the feet of Kṛṣṇa, one attains pure devotion. My obeisance to
you Tulasī.”
Conclusion
Now having completed the archan, you may gather all the paraphernalia and
clear the area.
The Deities’ outfits may be changed now and garlands may be offered to
Them.
Garlands may now be offered, in this order: (1) the Guru-varga in ascending
order, (2) Śrī Gaurāṅga, (3) Śrī Nityānanda.
Flowers or flower petals may also be offered to the Guru-varga and the
Deities in the same order.
Lastly, offer tulasī leaves dipped in sandalwood paste to the Guru-varga, Śrī
Gaurāṅga, and Śrī Nityānanda in the same order.
Place the tulasī leaves over the chests of the Guru-varga (you may place the
leaves directly in their right hands if their hands are not pictured below the
waist). As per the recommendation of Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj, place the leaf
so that its upper side appears outwards and its stem points at angle
approximately equivalent to the hour hand of a clock at four o’clock. Make
sure that there is sufficient sandalwood paste on the leaf so that it is stuck
fast to the picture and will remain there without falling until the completion
of the archan the following day.
Because Śrī Gurudev, the Vaiṣṇavas, and Śrī Rādhā are energies of the Lord
and the embodiments of His shelter (āśraya-vigraha), it is not proper to offer
tulasī to their feet. Rather, tulasī leaves are offered to their hands so that
they can offer the leaves to the feet of the Lord, the object of worship
(viṣaya-vigraha). Tulasī leaves are offered to the feet of all Viṣṇu-tattva forms
of the Lord, including Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda.
Ensure that the altar and the floor of the Deity room are clean.
Double check that the Deities’s dress and everything on the altar is in order
and then open the curtain while giving jay to the Deities.
Pick up the blowing conch, come out of the Deity room, and blow the conch
3.5 times. Wash the conch outside the Deity room and then re-enter.
Bring all the parapernalia used for the archan outside the Deity room.
Transfer the contents of the archan- and snān-pātras of Śrī Gurudev, Śrī
Gaurāṅga, Śrī Nityānanda, and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s to the bowls used for
distribution. The contents of Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s pātras
may be combined, but Śrī Gurudev’s and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu’s are kept
separate because they would not want their footwash mixed with that of
their Lord.
The contents of the snān-pātras are known as charaṇāmṛta [“foot-nectar”],
and when the contents of archan- and snān-pātras are combined, the
contents are still be referred to as charaṇāmṛta.
The prasādī tulasī leaves from the previous day may be added to the
charaṇāmṛta or disposed of respectfully.
Ensure that all the paraphernalia used for the archan is cleaned, dried, and
stored as is appropriate.
When you are finished, you may chant japa on your tulasī-mālā. There is
never any consideration of time, place, purity, or impurity in this regard
(though japa should not be chanted in the Deity room).
Lastly, honour some of the charaṇāmṛtas. First honour Śrī Gurudev’s by
dropping some into your right hand and sipping it from the base of your
palm. Next chant the following mantra and honour in the same way the
charaṇāmṛta Śrī Nityānanda and Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa:
aśeṣa-kleśa-niḥśeṣa-kāraṇaṁ śuddha-bhaktidamkṛṣṇa-pādodakaṁ pītvā
śirasā dhārayāmy aham
“I drink this water from Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s feet, which ends unlimited suffering and
grants pure devotion, and then place it on my head.”
After sipping the charaṇāmṛta, wipe the residue on the top of your head.
Be careful to prevent any of the charaṇāmṛta from falling on the ground and
take care that it is distributed only to persons who will honour it properly. Śrī
Gurudev’s charaṇāmṛta should be taken privately by disciples and admirers,
but the charaṇāmṛta of Śrī Nityānanda and Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-
Kṛṣṇa may be made available publicly for devotees and guests to honour
throughout the day.
Honour a little mahāprasād, chanting:
rudanti pātakāḥ sarve niśvasanti muhur muhuḥhāhā-kṛtya palāyanti
jagannāthānna-bhakṣaṇāt
“All sins cry, pant, wail, and flee from food eaten by the Lord of the
universe.”
Lastly, offer obeisance to the Deities outside the Deity room as follows.
dorbhyāṁ padbhyāñ cha jānubhyām urasā śirasā dṛśāmanasā vachasā cheti
praṇāmo ’ṣṭāṅga īritaḥ
(Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 8.360)
“An obeisance with one’s (1) hands, (2) feet, (3) knees, (4) chest, (5) head, (6)
vision, (7) mind, and (8) words is known as an eight-part obeisance.”
Women should offer obeisance as follows:
jānubhyāñ chaiva bāhubhyāṁ śirasā vachasā dhiyāpañchāṅgakaḥ
praṇāmaḥ syāt pūjāsu pravarāv imau
(Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 8.361)
“An obeiance with one’s (1) knees, (2) hands, (3) head, (4) words, and (5)
mind is known as a five-part obeisance.”
Section Indicator
Putting the Deities to Rest
Preparation
Bathe.
Put on clean clothes.
Apply tilak.
Perform āchaman.
Pray to Śrī Gurudev to be engaged in this service properly.
Paraphernalia
A bell.
Procedure
Enter the Deity room and close the curtain while ringing the bell and giving
jay to the Deities.
In the afternoon, remove the Deities’ crowns (either by meditation or
physically) and place them on the altar beside the Deities or in another
suitable place.
At night only, in addition to this, clear the altar of all flowers offered during
the day and wipe the altar clean with an appropriate cloth. Leave the tulasī
leaves offered during the archan until the next day’s archan.
At night during the winter season, dress the Deities in chādars. Warm cloths
may also be placed over the photos of the Guru-varga.
Then invite Śrī Gaurāṅga to rest, chanting:
āgachchha śayana-sthānaṁ svaganaih saha gaurāṅgakṣaṇaṁ viśrāmya
sukhena lilayā vihara prabho
“O Gaurāṅga, please come to Your resting place with Your associates. O Lord,
pease enjoy Your Pastime of rest for some time.”
Then invite Śrī Nityānanda to rest, chanting:
āgachchha śayana-sthānaṁ nityānanda jagad-gurotava rūpe mahāviṣṇor
anante śayanaṁ kuru
“O Nityananda, Guru of the world, please come to Your resting place. In Your
form as Mahāviṣṇu, please rest upon Ananta.”
Then invite Sri Gurudev to his bed, chanting:
āgachchha viśrāma-sthānaṁ svaganaiḥ saha śrī-guroḥ
“O Śrī Gurudev, please come to your resting place with your associates.”
Meditate that Śrī Śrī Gaura Nitāi and Śrī Gurudev have gone to their resting
places.
Turn off the altar lights, come out of the Deity room, offer obeisance, and
close the doors to the Temple room.
Then, either now or after the archan is complete, place the tulasī leaf on Śrī
Gaurāṅga’s foot so that it sticks there for the day.
Section Indicator
Dressing the Deities
Timing
Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj accepted once in a week as a minimum standard for
regularly changing the Deities’ dress. In Western Temples especially, this is
usually done in coordination with the main programme held each week
either on Saturday or Sunday. There is no fixed rule, however, about which
day or how often the Deities’ dress must be changed, and it may be changed
daily or even twice daily in Temples where there are sufficient resources to
render this service regularly. The Deities’ dress is also changed on the dates
of important festivals throughout the year, especially festivals in which there
will be large gatherings at the Temple, such as Śrī Gaura Pūrṇimā and Śrī
Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī.
New dresses are usually prepared and offered to Deities in coordination with
the major festivals throughout the year, and ideally a Temple will establish a
sustainable standard number of festivals each year in which new dresses will
be offered. Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj recommended the following observances
as possible occasions for this: Śrī Nṛsiṁha Chaturdaśī, Śrī Jhulan Yātrā, Śrī
Balarām’s appearance day, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī, Śrī Rādhāṣṭamī, Śrīla
Śrīdhar Mahārāj’s appearance day, Śrī Nityānanda Trayodaśī, and Śrī Gaura
Pūrṇimā. Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj’s appearance day may also be added to this
list.
Outfits
The Deities’ dress should be organised into outfits in which each Deity wears
as a minimum standard: (1) a lower garment, (2) an upper garment, (3) an
outer garment, (4) a headdress, and (5) ornaments. Outfits should be
prepared as sets in which there is a consistent design, colour scheme, and
appearance for all the garments within them. Varieties of additional
garments and accessories, such as waistbands, hairbands, and backdrops,
may be included in a particular outfit in addition to the standard dress.
Lower garments
Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda wears dhotīs.
Upper garments
Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda wear a kurta, vest, or cloth.
Outer garments
Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda wear a chadar, sash, or scarf.
Headdress
Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda wear a crown or pagri. Regarding
headdresses in general, Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj commented, “Think big”. The
size of the headdress should, however, suit the size of the Deity. In other
words, they should not be disproportionately larger than the head or body of
the Deity. ‘Halos’, decorative rings or half moons that are hung behind the
heads of the Deities, may be designed to match particular outfits but should
be suspended from a backdrop or from the altar itself, not from the head or
headdress of the Deity.
Ornaments
Ornaments may include toe rings, anklets, rings, bracelets, armlets,
necklaces, nose rings, and earrings. To protect others from the offence of
stealing from the Lord, Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj generally preferred that
ornaments made with precious stones and metals not be used to dress to the
Deities and that semi-precious or synthetic ornaments be used instead. The
scriptures (Hbv: 6.281) also state that synthetic ornaments are pleasing to
the Lord.
Ornaments may as necessary be fixed on the Deities using an adhesive such
as beeswax, putty, or ‘blutack’. When ornaments are being changed, care
should be taken that all the adhesive is also removed but that the form and
appearance of the Deity are not damaged thereby.
Hair
The Deities’ hair should be kept clean and untangled. It may be dressed in
various fashions (a top-knot for Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda) and
decorated with ornaments. It may be allowed to partially dangle over the
front the shoulders or around the face, but only in a fashion that is graceful
and natural, or, as Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj put it, with “agreeable negligence”.
Wigs do not need to be changed each time the Deities’ dress is changed, but
care should be taken that they always remain clean and in good condition.
Should they become soiled or damaged, they should be changed.
Given sufficient resources, multiple sets of wigs may be kept for the Deities.
They may be combed and styled in coordination with particular outfits and
changed with the Deities’ dress at regular intervals.
Extras
For an undergarment, the Deities wear a kaupīn, which is made of two strips
of cloth, one tied around the waist and the other strung through the legs and
suspended on the first at the front and back. These also are not changed
each time the Deities’ dress is changed but may be changed should they
become unclean or damaged.
Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda always wear a sacred thread draped over
Their left shoulder and under Their right arm.These are made of up nine
stands tied in three groups of three. The threads are not changed each time
the Deities’ dress is changed but may be changed should they become
unclean or damaged. In such cases, be sure to put on the new thread before
removing the existing one. Also, when dressing the Deities, be sure to
suspend the thread over Their right ears or in Their right hands when
changing Their lower garments.
All the Deities wear necklaces of tulasī beads, normally consisting of three
strands around the neck. These also are not changed each time the Deities’
dress is changed but may be changed should they become unclean or
damaged.
Method
Style
The Deities should be dressed according to the descriptions of Their dress
given in the scriptures, but with a few important caveats. Śrīla Govinda
Mahārāj explained that Śrī Gaurāṅga should be dressed as a gṛhastha of
Nadia and not as a sannyāsī. This custom was preferred by Śrīla Bhakti Vinod
Ṭhākur and established by Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarswatī Ṭhākur. This means
that Śrī Gaurāṅga should never be dressed in saffron robes and should always
have a full head of long hair.
The practice of dressing the Deities exactly as They appear in Their eternal
abode is meant for highly advanced souls, and for general practitioners the
custom is to dress the Deities as such but with some added opulence. This
practice conveys a sense of the Deities’ eminence to persons who come to
receive Their darśan and for practitioners can be seen as expression of the
principle pūjala rāga-patha gaurava-bhaṅge: the path of love should be
worshipped in the posture of reverence. Thus, the Deities typically wear
crowns, garments with ornate designs, and numerous ornaments although
these are not part of Their daily Pastimes in Their abode. Śrīla Govinda
Mahārāj commented, however, that the Deities do not need to always be
dressed in a highly opulent way and that they look very beautiful dressed
relatively simply.
Traditional garments and ornaments, such as dhotīs, chadars, anklebells, and
earrings, are very dear to the Deities, and should be the most common
elements in Their outfits. Occasionally, adjustments and variations in Their
garments and ornaments may also be made to reflect local or modern
customs as devotees consider would be pleasing to the Deities. Such
adjustments, however, should always be befitting the Deities’ dignity.
Quality
Deities’ garments are traditionally made of natural materials and should
always be of fine quality. Silk and cotton are ideal. Synthetic materials may
also be used, but like natural materials, they should be soft, nonabrasive, and
durable.
Design
Ideally, garments are lovingly prepared by devotees and measured
specifically to fit particular Deities. The garments should be made in such a
way that they can be put on the Deities smoothly without causing Them any
unnecessary discomfort. Modern inventions like velcro or traditional devices
like ribbons and cords should be incorporated into the garments for this
purpose. Careful measurement and design can usually eliminate the need to
use pins to fit garments on the Deities, and designs that necessitate the use
of pins should be kept to a minimum.
Taste
Garments should be attractive in appearance yet not decadent, gaudy, or
unrealistic. They should appear beautiful, natural, and comfortable.
Moreover, they should be designed and fitted on the Deities in such a way
that it is feasible for the Deities to perform Their daily Pastimes while
wearing them. Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj reminded devotees that Deity worship is
not an external show and that Deities should not be treated like shop
mannequins or dressed in a showy manner for our eye exercise; the Deities
should be dressed as is pleasing to Them. When asked about the use of string
and wire to suspend the Deities’ upper garments (particularly the chadars) in
various poses, Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj replied, “How will They dance if They are
tied up with thread?” This consideration is understood to apply also to
pinning a Deity’s upper garments to the cloth or ornaments of another Deity
and anything else that would restrict Their natural movement.
When Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj was asked why this sort of pinning and hanging
had become current in Temples under his care, he answered that he knew
Śrīla Guru Mahārāj did not like it and that he preferred that it not be done
but that he did not consider it the worse thing that could be done and he did
not want to discourage the devotees in their service by stopping them from
doing it.
Selection
The Deities’ outfit should suit the season in which it is being worn. Outfits
made of thick, heavy, and warm garments should be worn in the winter and
those made of thin, light, and cool garments should be worn in the summer.
The standard colours for the Deities to wear are as follows: Śrī Gaurāṅga
wears gold, and Śrī Nityānanda wears blue. The Deities may be dressed,
however, in any combination of colours, and in general bright colours are
preferrable. He also said that black should not be used as a major colour in a
any dress but that it may be used a trim or highlight.
There are no hard and fast rules regarding which colours the Deities should
wear on a given day, but customs do exist to guide selection. For example, in
the Temple of Lord Jagannāth in Purī and in Temples throughout Vṛndāvan,
the Deities are dressed on each day of the week in colours that correspond to
the gem associated with that day:
Sunday: ruby (red)
Monday: pearl (white, silver)
Tuesday: coral (pink, red)
Wednesday: emerald (green)
Thursday: yellow sapphire (yellow, orange)
Friday: diamond (white, silver)
Saturday: blue sapphire (dark blue, purple)
Altar arrangement
The altar should be kept clean and well organised and should be made
attractive. Designs, ornaments, figurines, flower vases, scriptures, and
backdrops may be displayed on the altar to augment the Deities’ dress.
Location
The Deity room and altar should not be located facing or near a place that is
regularly subject to contamination, such as a bathroom or an entry way, or a
place that is commonly used for other purposes and will lead to people
performing activities unrelated to the Deities in front of the Deities. If
situated on the lower story of a building, provisions should be made to
prevent anyone from walking directly above the Deities on the higher stories
of the building.
Orientation
According to the scriptures, the Deities may face east, northeast, north, west,
or south, but should preferably not face southeast, southwest, or northwest.
Such guidelines may be overlooked, however, for the more important
purpose of positioning the Deities in an ideal place for Them to be visited and
worshipped given the orientation of the land, building, and space dedicated
to Their service.
Levels
The altar should be conceived as having three vertical levels of visual space:
the higher for the Deities, the middle for Tulasī Devī, and the lower for the
Guru-paramparā. Tulasī devī is ideally kept not on the altar itself but on a
stool beside it at a height in which her base appears above the Guru-varga
but below the feet of the Deities. If there is insufficient space for this, or if
Tulasī Devī is being worshipped in the form of a picture, the picture may be
placed on a stool or on the altar itself, ideally at the appropriate height.
Pictures
The pictures of the Guru-varga should display their entire body, either seated
or standing, and must not crop out any of their extremities. The pictures
should be ordered from right to left chronologically from past towards
present.
Order
Śrī Nityānanda should be to Śrī Gaurāṅga’s right.
Upkeep
The Deities’ garments and ornaments should be kept in a clean and secure
storage area that is used exclusively for Their paraphernalia. The garments
should be protected from all kinds of contamination and should never be
worn by anyone or used for anything. They should be kept neatly, free from
must, and out of risk of damage.
Should garments or ornaments become soiled, they should be cleaned
separately from the garments of devotees, preferably using entirely different
cleaning supplies and facilities.
Should garments or ornaments become damaged and no longer fit for the
Deities to wear, Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj recommended that they be given
samādhi (they may be respectfully buried under ground in place that will not
used for any other purpose).
Preparation
Bathe.
Put on clean clothes.
Apply tilak.
Pray to Śrī Gurudev to be engaged in this service properly.
Offer obeisance to the Deities.
Perform āchaman.
Paraphernalia
Two baskets or covered containers to hold the Deities’ new and old outfits
Procedure
Go the Deities’ storage area and select an outfit for the Deities. Gather all the
elements included in the outfit set and bring them to the Deity room in one
of the containers specifically for this purpose. The second container for the
outfit that will be removed should also be brought from the storage room if it
is not stored in the Deity room.
Set down the container carrying the new outfit, preferably in a raised place,
in such a way that none of the paraphernalia touches the ground.
Close the curtain while ringing the bell and giving jay to the Deities.
Dress Śrī Gaurāṅga and then Śrī Nityānanda. Dress each Deity completely
before dressing the next Deity to avoid leaving Them partially undressed
unnecessarily.
Begin by removing the Deity’s crown and placing it in the container kept for
this purpose.
If the Deity is wearing a garland, it should be removed and should not be put
back on the Deity after dressing (a fresh garland should be offered). The
prasādī garland should be kept separate from the Deity’s dresses and after
completing the whole process of dressing the Deities, it may offered to one
of the pictures of the Guru-varga, offered to a devotee, or left in a place
designated for prasādam.
Next, remove the Deity’s wig and place it to the side of the Deity on the altar
or in another clean and elevated place.
The Deity’s upper body ornaments should now be removed and care should
be taken that any adhesive used to fix them in place is also removed without
causing any discomfort or damage to the Deity.
Next, remove the Deity’s outer and upper garments.
When dressing Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda, suspend the sacred thread
above the Deity’s waist either on the right ear or in right hand.
Pick up the lower garment from the new outfit meant for the Deity and hold
it around the waist of the Deity while you remove the lower garment the
Deity is presently wearing. Do this as a gesture of respect for the Deity’s
privacy. Loosely fasten the new lower garment in place and set down the old
one in the container for the outfit coming off of the Deity. Then thoroughly
fasten and position the lower garment in place as is appropriate.
If ornaments are to be changed or offered to the Deity’s feet, this may be
done now. If the day’s archan has been completed but a tulasī leaf dipped in
sandalwood paste has not been offered to the Deity’s feet, you may do this
now (alternately, tulasī may be offered to the feet of the all Deities after
Them all).
The upper garment, outer garments, and ornaments may now be offered to
the Deity. While fitting the garments on the Deity, take care not to do so in a
way that is abrasive to the Deity. If pins are to be used, exercise extreme
caution that the Deity is not pricked in the process.
The wig may now be refitted.
After the wig (and before the headdress) is the ideal time to offer the Deity a
garland, and if a garland is ready, it should be offered now. Be sure to
observe the protocol for offering garlands as is described below.
Following the garland, the headdress may be offered to the Deity.
Lastly, check over the appearance of the Deity as a whole and ensure
everything is in order.
Having fully dressed Śrī Gaurāṅga, repeat the process to dress Śrī Nityānanda.
Once all the dressing is complete, adjust the decorations on the altar, the
backdrop, and any other accessories as suits the new outfit. On festival days,
additional care can be taken in this regard.
Lastly, ensure everything on the altar and in the Deity room is clean and in
order.
Open the curtain while ringing the bell and giving jay to the Deities.
Offer obeisance to the Deities.
Bring the outfit that was just removed to the storage room and ensure it is
stored properly.
Follow up
If at any time during the day it is necessary to reposition the Deity’s crown,
hair, ornaments, or garments, the curtain or door to the Deity room should
be closed before this is done. Instances of this typically include offering
garlands to the Deity and repositioning the Deity’s dress should it happen to
fall out of place. If any adjustments need to be made on the altar that do not
necessitate adjusting the Deity’s personal appearance, the Deity room does
not need to be closed to do this.
Section Indicator
Garlands
Flowers
Flowers are ideally collected from a forest, village, or garden and excellent in
colour, fragrance, and appearance.
Offerable flowers
Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa lists numerous flowers that are offerable to the Lord
and ranks many of them in order of their dearness to the Lord. In general,
fragrant white flowers, especially varieties of jasmine, are considered best.
Flowers not mentioned in the scriptures may also be offered to the Lord if
they are fragrant, colourful, and beautiful. Any flower can be offered if it is
understood that it will be pleasing to the Lord.
All offerable flowers that are locally available should be offered to the Deity
as soon as them come into season. To neglect to offer the Deity a desirable
flower when it is in season and available is considered a fault in one’s
worship.
Forbidden flowers
There are certain flowers that are forbidden to be offered:
arka (crown flower, Calotropis gigantea),
dhūstura (jimson weed, Datura stramonium),
girikarṇikā (butterfly pea, Clitoria ternatea),
jhiṇṭī (Philippine violet, Barleria cristata),
kaṇṭkāri, (Yellow-berried nightshade, Solanum xanthocarpum),
kūṭaja (kurchi, Holarrhena antidysenterica),
śālmalī (silk-ctton tree, Salmalia Malabarica),
śirīṣa (lebbeck, Albizia lebbeck).
Substandard flowers
The scriptures list numerous conditions that offerable flowers must meet to
be fit to be offered to the Deity on a given day. Most of the time, however, it
is nearly impossible to find flowers that meet all the conditions, and in such
circumstances substandard flowers can offered to the Deity.
All flowers are considered fit for the Lord unless they are:
unblossomed,
foul-smelling,
scentless,
excessively fragrant,
crushed,
torn,
broken,
withered,
faded,
dry,
holey,
stale (picked the previous day but still unoffered), or
touching the ground,
or they were:
grown at a cremation ground, a monument, a road intersection (any place
subject to contamination),
contaminated by any impure substance,
touched by an animal,
grown at another person’s house, another person’s garden, or a Śiva Temple,
grown on a thory plant (unless they are fragrant),
inhabited or damaged by worms or insects,
covered with a spider web,
forced to blossom articially,
touched by hair,
stolen or taken without informing their owner,
been obtained by begging when one is able to go out and pick them;
purchased,
touched by others,
been placed on the leaf of a castor-oil plant
tied in someone’s lower cloth,
touched by any part of the body other than the hand,
held in the hand while offering obeisance,
washed in water,
breathed on,
already offered to someone, or
already smelled.
In gist, flowers are ideally grown and picked by devotees, kept free from any
sort of contamination, and offered to the Deity in a pleasing condition.
Buds and leaves
If even substandard flowers cannot be gathered on a given day, then soft and
fragrant buds and leaves may offered. If even these cannot be gathered, then
water alone may be offered.
Picking
While picking flowers, do not uproot the plant you are picking from, do not
break the plant’s branches or shoots, and do not climb on the plant.
Flowers should be picked as early in the day as possible so that the likelihood
of them being made unfit to be offered is kept to a minimum. Traditionally,
flowers are picked shortly after maṅgal ārati.
After picking the flowers, do not submerge them in water or hold them in
running water.
Style
The length of the garlands should suit the size of the Deities they will be
offered to. The garlands should hang from around the neck of Śrī Gaurāṅga
and Śrī Nityānanda down to somewhere between the navel and knees.
The weight of the garlands should not be too light or too heavy. Śrīla Śrīdhar
Mahārāj stated that garlands should be so light that they can be worn
without their weight being felt. If they are too light, they may appear like a
meagre offering to the Deities, but if they are too heavy, they may be a
burden to the Deity. Near the time of the installation of Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅga
Rādhā Rāsa Biharī Jīu in Śrī Vṛndāvan Dhām, when a very heavy garland was
offered to Śrī Rāsa Biharī, Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj commented, “How can He
dance when He has to wear such a heavy garland?”
Various patterns and designs may be used in the garlands, but the garlands
should not only look attractive but also be comfortable to wear. Stringing
flowers sideways may make a garland look nice, but if the flowers have
abrasive stems, this practice should be avoided as it may discomfort the
Deity.
Preparation
Bathe.
Put on clean clothes.
Apply tilak.
Pray to Śrī Gurudev to be engaged in this service properly.
Offer obeisance to the Deities.
Perform āchaman.
Paraphernalia
Basket
A large clean cloth
An āsan
Pañchapātra filled with sanctified water
Spoon for the pañchapātra
Needle
Thread
Scissors
Procedure
Preparation
Gather flowers as is appropriate in a basket. Gather an amount that suits the
length and weight of the garlands for the Deities they will be offered to.
Flowers can be gathered with a particular colour scheme, design, and pattern
in mind and this may be done to suit the Deities’ dress for the day.
Find a clean and secure place to prepare the garlands. This may be done in
the Temple in front of the Deities or beside the Deity room.
Lay out the large cloth on the ground.
Sit on an āsan beside the cloth.
Spread out and sort the flowers.
Sprinkle the flowers lightly with sanctified water. You may chant this mantra
as you do so:
puṣpe puṣpe mahāpuṣpe supuṣpe puṣpa-sambhavepuṣpa-chayāvakīrṇe cha
huṁ phaṭ svāhā
“O flowers, O great and auspicious flowers that have appeared from budding
creepers, may you be sanctified.”
String the garlands according to design using the needle, thread, and scissors.
They may be tied or left untied as per the preference of the pūjārī.
If there are flowers left over after the garlands have been made, ensure that
they are offered to the Deities at some point on the day that they are picked
(the sooner the better). Flowers should not be offered the day after they are
picked, and they should not be wasted.
Offering garlands
Once the garlands are ready, they may be kept in a basket in a clean and
secure place.
The pūjārī will collect them and bring them into the Deity room.
If the Deity room is not already closed, the pūjārī should close the curtains or
door while ringing the bell and giving jay to the Deities.
If garlands have been made for the Guru-varga, these should be offered first
and should be offered to the paramparā in ascending order.
Garlands are then offered to the Deities in this order: (1) Śrī Gaurāṅga and (2)
Śrī Nityānanda.
Garlands are placed around the neck of Śrī Gaurāṅga and Śrī Nityānanda and
should be set to hang in a natural and graceful manner across the chest. The
Deities’ crown may be removed prior to offering the garlands to avoid
causing the Deities any discomfort by accidentally knocking down the crown
as the garland is fit in place.
Removing garlands
The garlands offered to the Deities are normally removed in the evening
following the ārati and before the bhoga offering. The curtains or door to the
Deity room should be closed before doing this as is done when the garlands
are offered. The garlands should be removed in this order: (1) Śrī Gaurāṅga
and (2)  Śrī Nityānanda.
The garlands should be collected in a basket, preferably not the basket used
to carry fresh garlands to the Deity room. A common practice is to offer these
garlands to photos of the Guru-varga elsewhere in the Temple. When this is
done daily, then the garlands that were offered to the photos the previous
day should be removed and the fresh prasādī garlands should then be
offered to the photos. One of the garlands that is removed from the photos
at this time or one of the fresh prasādī garlands can be offered to the speaker
at the evening class. The additional garlands may be offered to other
devotees or kept in the space designated for them.