The Sixty-four Items of Worship

The Hari-bhakti-viläsa lists sixty-four upacäras for daily Deity worship. Upacäras
are the various articles or services offered to the Lord during worship. In this
chapter we will present the sixty-four upacäras, listing them sequentially
according to the daily schedule of service.* Wherever appropriate, we will
explain briefly the function of the various upacäras and mention any general
regulations governing the offering of the items. You will find specific procedures
for offering the upacäras in Chapters 3, 4, and in the Supplement.
Within the sixty-four upacäras one will find the sixteen basic items
(ñoòaçopacära) offered during the morning püjä. Most of these sixteen basic
items are offered several times throughout the day in various ways, and some
of these articles have corrollary ones that may be offered with the basic items.
In this way the list of upacäras expands from sixteen to sixty-four. Çréla
Sanätana Gosvämé points out that one may offer even more items not
specifically mentioned in the Hari-bhakti-viläsa, especially on festival days.
Thus the worship of the Deity is not limited to sixty-four items. It is not
expected that in every temple one will offer all sixty-four items every day, but
most of the items can be offered in temples with at least one full-time püjäré.
As Çréla Prabhupäda writes, "Sometimes it is impossible to get all sixty-four
items; therefore we recommend that at least on the first day of installation all
sixty-four items should be available. When the [Deity of the] Lord is
established, worship with all sixty-four items should continue as far as possible"
(Cc. Madhya 24.334, purport).
PP 2.1: The Sixteen Basic Upacäras (ñoòaçopacära-püjä)
The Sixteen Basic Upacäras (Ñoòaçopacära-püjä)
In the morning püjä, one should offer the principal Deities at least the sixteen
basic upacäras, especially if the Deities are in a public temple. Other Deities
(either additional Deities in the temple or personal Deities at home) may be
offered twelve, ten, or five upacäras during the morning worship, depending on
one's means and time.* Püjärés commonly offer only two or three upacäras in
various types of preliminary worship, such as worship of Deity-room
doorkeepers, worship of paraphernalia such as the bell, or worship of the Lord's
abode (péöha-püjä).

The Sixteen Basic Upacaras

16 items 12 items 10 items 5 items 3 items 2 items
Reception
1. äsana äsana äsana
2. svägata svägata svägata
3. padya padya padya
4. arghya arghya arghya
5. äcamana äcamana äcamana
6. madhuparka madhuparka
7. punar-äcamana punar-äcamana
Bathing and Dressing
8. snäna
9. vastra
10. alaëkara
Worship
11. gandha gandha gandha gandha gandha gandha
12. puspa puspa puspa puspa puspa puspa
13. dhüpa dhüpa dhüpa dhüpa
14. dépa dépa dépa dépa
15. naivedya naivedya naivedya naivedya
Concluding Activities
16. praëäma

The single upacära that must be offered, with or without the other upacäras, is
bhakti.
PP 2.2: The Sixty-four Upacäras
The Sixty-four Upacäras
The list of sixty-four upacäras begins with early-morning services to the Deity,
including waking Him, offering obeisances, and offering maìgala-äraté. These
activities are called jägaraëa-sevä. What follows is a list of the sixty-four items
of worship, with appropriate explanations.
[1] Waking the Lord (jägaraëa-sevä)
[1] Waking the Lord by chanting of the Vedas, stutis, and other verses
accompanied by musical instruments, thus offering oneself submissively to the
Lord before entering the Deity room for püjä (veda-ghoñanä-vénädi-vädyair
vandé-stavair prabodhanam)
Traditionally, in large temples devotees chant Vedic verses to awaken the Lord
in the temple. In the Veìkaöeçvara temple in South India, devotees chant the
Veìkaöeçvara-suprabhatä, a hymn specifically meant for waking the Lord. The
worshiper should at least ring a bell to draw the Lord's attention and indicate
that he would like to offer service.
In the Caitanya-caritämåta Çréla Prabhupäda stresses the importance of having
a bell also in the temple room for the visitors to ring as they enter the Lord's
house, enabling them to offer the first item of worship as well:
There must be a big bell hanging in front of the temple room so that whoever
comes in the room can ring the bell. This item is called prabodhana, or offering
oneself submissively to the Lord. This is the first item [in Deity worship]. [Cc.
Madhya 24.334, purport]
[2] Chanting "jaya" on seeing the Deity (jaya-çabda)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes:
The visitor must chant jaya Çré Rädhä-Govinda or jaya Çré Rädhä-Mädhava
when he rings the bell. In either case, the word jaya must be uttered. One
should immediately offer obeisances to the Lord, falling down like a stick.
[Caitanya-cäritämåta, Madhya 4.334, purport]
[3] Offering obeisances (namaskara)
In the early morning you should offer obeisances specifically to the Deities only
after waking Them, because it is enjoined in çästra that one should not disturb
the Lord by offering obeisances when He is resting or bathing. (Nor, strictly
speaking, should one circumambulate the Lord at these times.) Also, offer
obeisances just outside the Deity room, never inside, since it is enjoined to
offer obeisances from a respectful distance. Within the Deity room, offer
praëämas with joined palms (praëäma-mudrä), by mantra and with the mind.
Añöaìga-praëäma and Païcäìga-praëäma
Çréla Prabhupäda writes:
The word daëòa means rod or pole. A rod or pole falls straight; similarly, when
a devotee offers obeisances to his superior with all eight aìgas (parts) of the
body, he performs what is called daëòavat. Sometimes we only speak of
daëòavats but actually do not fall down. In any case, daëòavat means falling
down like a rod before one's superior. [Cc. Madhya 1.67, purport]
The Hari-bhakti-viläsa tells how to offer daëòavat-praëäma: Offer obeisances
with eight aìgas-your feet, knees, chest, hands, head, sight, mind, and words.
With your two feet, knees, chest, hands and head touching the ground, and
with your eyes downcast and half open, recite a suitable prayer while
meditating that your head is under the Lord's lotus feet.
To make païcäìga-praëäma, offer obeisances with five aìgas-knees, arms, head,
intellect, and words. (The chest does not touch the ground.) It is an offense to
offer obeisances with only one hand-that is, with one hand extended in front of
the head while the other holds a beadbag or other sacred item off the floor.
Before offering obeisances, set down anything you are holding.
Men may perform either type of praëäma, but women traditionally perform only
païcäìga-praëäma, since their breasts should not touch the earth. The Hari-
bhakti-viläsa, emphasizing the importance of praëäma, states that whenever
offering praëäma, one should prostrate at least four times.
Specific injunctions regarding the direction to face when offering praëäma in
varying circumstances are minimal. The general rule is to point your head in
the direction of the person you are respecting. In the temple, where it is
understood that Garuòa stands opposite the Deity, çästra enjoins offering
praëäma with your left side facing the Deity so that your feet are not in the
direction of Garuòa (or, in the case of many ISKCON temples, Çréla
Prabhupäda). While offering obeisances, first recite your own spiritual master's
praëäma-mantra, then Çréla Prabhupäda's (if it is different), and then the
praëäma mantras for the Deities present on the altar.
Çästra states that one should enter the Deity room in a humble mood, slightly
crouching and stepping inside with the right foot first. Whenever entering the
Deity room to begin services, make some sound-either knocking, clapping the
hands, or ringing a bell. It is not necessary to make a sound each and every
time you enter in the course of service, but in the beginning this should be
done.
[4] Offering maìgala-äraté* (ärätrika)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes:
There must be regular maìgala-äraté in the temple during the early morning,
an hour and a half before the sun rises.* [Cc. Madhya 24.334, purport]
Çréla Prabhupäda further emphasizes in his Nectar of Devotion (a summary
study of the Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu) the benefit of seeing the äraté performed.
He writes:
In the Skanda Puräëa there is the following description of the result of seeing
äraté (worship) of the Deity: 'If someone sees the face of the Lord while äraté is
going on, he can be relieved of all sinful reactions coming from many, many
thousands and millions of years past. He is even excused from the killing of a
brähmaëa or similar prohibited activities.' [The Nectar of Devotion, Ch. 9]
Äraté is also called néräjana or dåñöi, which means waving auspicious items
before a person in order to dispel inauspicious influences or elements, as a
means of protection. The various items offered, all representative of the
material elements in pure form and the corresponding sense objects (i.e.
sound, form, touch, etc.) are auspicious and purifying. Thus all äraté
ceremonies offered to the Lord are auspicious (maìgala), but the first äraté of
the day, in the early morning, is considered particularly auspicious for all who
participate.
The maìgala-äraté (the first äraté of the day) should be a full äraté, with
incense, lamp, water, cloth, flowers, and cämara. In warm weather, you may
also offer the fan at this time.
One should make an offering of milk sweets before maìgala-äraté. For more
details on preparing and offering food, see the first naivedya upacära.
See the description of how to offer äraté. Regarding offering aromatic oil to the
Deities after maìgala-äraté, *.
Preliminary Activities of Purification (pürväìga-karma)
Before performing the main worship of the main Deity with the sixteen basic
upacäras, one should perform certain preliminary activities of purification and
preliminary worship. After describing these we shall continue with number 5 of
the sixty-four upacäras, (which corresponds to number 1 of the sixteen basic
upacäras).
Consecrating Water for Purification (samänya-arghya and viçeña-arghya)
Water is an important element in worship. Not only does it physically purify
many items, but when consecrated by Deity mantra, which is nondifferent from
the Deity, it gains spiritual potency. The water thus consecrated will be used for
prokñaëa (sprinkling for purification) on the place, the articles, and oneself.
This process is common to all types of püjä, and the various püjä manuals give
similar methods for making the samänya-arghya, or pure water prepared in a
simple way for general use. One will usually establish samänya-arghya at the
start of the worship for use at that time. See description for this procedure.
Before full worship of the main Deity begins, you may establish another arghya,
called viçeña-arghya (special arghya). Viçeña-arghya, into which the Deity is
invoked and worshiped, is used for the final spiritualization of place, articles,
and self. This arghya is also placed into a separate vessel that may contain
various other auspicious ingredients and offered to the Lord as the arghya
upacära. The viçeña-arghya is generally established in a conch shell, so the
process of establishing it is often called çaìkha-sthäpana. In simple worship one
may use the samänya-arghya as both samänya- and viçeña-arghya. See
description for this procedure.
Establishing a Seat (äsana-sthäpana)
Äsana means "sitting posture," as well as "a seat." For performing püjä (other
than äraté) you must sit, for in that attitude you can concentrate. The
recommended sitting postures are padma-äsana and svastikä-asana, with the
feet and legs covered by cloth. * Whenever you perform püjä, you should sit on
an äsana. To sit on the bare floor while performing püjä is a sevä-aparädha, an
offense in Deity worship. Çästra notes that äsanas made of wood, stone, earth,
bamboo, and grasses other than kuça may cause sickness, poverty, and
sorrow. Kuça grass, silk, or wool äsanas are the most suitable for Vaiñëava
arcana.
Arranging Utensils and Articles of Worship (pätra-sthäpana)
Arrange the articles to be offered and the various containers and other items so
that you need not move from your äsana and thus disturb your meditation and
interrupt the worship. Also take care that offered items will not touch unoffered
ones. If they do, the unoffered items become unfit to offer to the Lord.
Requesting the Spiritual Master's and Previous Äcäryas' Blessings (guru-paìkti-
namaskära)
Before beginning worship, we must always invoke the blessings of our spiritual
master and the sampradäya; we should always remember that we are simply
assisting our spiritual master and the disciplic succession in worshiping the
Lord. Therefore before proceeding, with joined palms (praëäma-mudrä)
mentally prostrate before your guru and the guru-paramparä, chanting
praëäma-mantras.
Purifying Hands, Flowers, and Materials (kara-çuddhi, puñpa-çuddhi, and
dravya-çuddhi)
Once seated on your äsana with all the paraphernalia assembled, you should
purify your hands. If one performs sacred acts with impure hands, everything
will become impure. You may purify your hands by rinsing them with water or
by rubbing candana on them. When your hands are purified, you may purify
other items.
Flowers are purified by prokñaëa (sprinkling with samänya-arghya), mudräs,*
and mantra.
Articles are spiritualized by chanting the Deity müla-mantra over them, by
prokñaëa with samänya-arghya (which is also infused with the Deity mantra),
and by mudräs.
Purification of the Elements of the Material Body (bhüta-çuddhi)
Bhüta-çuddhi means "purification of the bodily elements (bhütas)." The
material body is filled with sinful desire. Indeed, the very origin of the material
body is sinful desire. A person cannot worship the Lord or even approach the
Lord in such a condition. As it is said in the çästra, nädevo devaà arcayet:
"Without being on the level of a deva [i.e., pure], one cannot worship the Lord."
The procedure that purifies us of material consciousness and awakens us to
awareness of our spiritual body, is called bhüta-çuddhi. As the Hari-bhakti-
viläsa states:
The process of purifying one's body made up of the bhütas [earth, water, fire,
air, and ether] through association with the transcendental Lord is called bhüta-
çuddhi.
Bhüta-çuddhi is a necessary step mentioned in all püjä manuals. Utilized in all
types of püjä, japa, and meditation, it is performed by devotees on all levels of
advancement.
Bhüta-çuddhi is accomplished in one of two ways: the first is the elaborate,
systematic method of purging the gross material elements from the body and
reconstituting the body with new, revitalized elements, ultimately arriving at
purified consciousness; the second method, which devotees of Kåñëa favor,
entails remembering that one is an eternal servant of Kåñëa and thus
completely spiritual and pure. If one is established in such consciousness, the
elements of the body automatically become purified.
In the Bhagavad-gétä (18.54), Lord Kåñëa sums up the characteristics of one
who is situated in spiritual (brahma-bhüta) consciousness:
brahma-bhütaù prasannätmä na çocati na käìkñati
samaù sarveñu bhüteñu mad-bhaktià labhate paräm
One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme
Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have
anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he
attains pure devotional service unto Me. [Bg. 18.54]
Preliminary Worship
Worship of the Spiritual Master (guru-püjä)
One must begin each session of worship by worshiping the spiritual master. By
this worship the devotee gains the mercy (kåpa-çäkti) of the spiritual master
which is the first and most essential step in approaching the Lord. Only by
pleasing the spiritual master and gaining his mercy, and only by approaching
him as the via medium, can one offer anything to the Lord. Païcarätrika
scripture strongly emphasizes this:
He who first worships the spiritual master and then worships Me [Bhagavän]
attains perfection. Otherwise one's worship is fruitless. [Hari-bhakti-viläsa
4.344]
He who worships someone else before worshiping the guru attains simply
misfortune. His worship is useless. [Hari-bhakti-viläsa 4.345]
One should first come before one's spiritual master, pay obeisances to him,
present him with some offering, and worship him with devotion. Having gained
his grace, one should then worship the Supreme Lord. [Hari-bhakti-viläsa]
You may worship the spiritual master in a picture, a mürti, a yantra (a diagram
with inscribed mantras), a ghaöa (installed waterpot), or you may worship the
spiritual master's shoes, which are considered nondifferent from him. Generally
worship of the spiritual master is done to his picture or mürti. The picture of the
spiritual master should include his complete form.
Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura recommends worshiping the spiritual master with
sixteen upacäras, but if this is not practical one may worship him with twelve,
ten, or five upacäras, depending on ability and circumstances. If possible you
should perform the worship with the actual articles; if not, you may offer
flowers with candana or pure water as substitutes for the articles while saying
the appropriate mantras (see descriptions regarding upacära substitution). If
this is not possible, then you should at least worship the spiritual master by
mänasa-püjä (worship in the mind).* Conclude the worship with praëäma and a
request to the spiritual master to permit you to serve the Lord. For guru-püjä
procedures, see description.
Worship of Lord Caitanya (gauräìga-püjä)
Before worshiping Rädhä and Kåñëa, the followers of Lord Caitanya first
worship Lord Caitanya, for only through Him can we hope to approach the
service of Rädhä-Kåñëa.* You may perform püjä with sixteen, twelve, ten, or
five items (as in guru-püjä), or with as many items as possible plus substitute
items, see description. You should conclude the worship of Lord Caitanya with
praëäma, begging His mercy to perform Rädhä-Kåñëa worship.
Çréla Prabhupäda writes of the importance of worshiping Gaura-Nitai:
By serving Gaura-Nityänanda one is freed from the entanglements of material
existence and thus becomes qualified to worship the Rädhä-Kåñëa Deity. [Cc.
Ädi 8.31, purport]
Meditation (dhyäna)
In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.28.18) Lord Kapiladeva instructs His mother on
meditation:
One should therefore meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead and
upon His devotees. One should meditate on the eternal form of the Lord until
the mind becomes fixed.
Dhyäna means concentration of the mind on the Lord and His associates,
paraphernalia, pastimes, and abode. In Deity worship the object of meditation
is the Deity being worshiped. The mind is purified through bhüta-çuddhi and
becomes spiritualized by concentrating on the Lord's form and pastimes. The
form of the Lord in the mind is considered a mürti (Deity) of the Lord,
nondifferent from the Lord Himself, and the worshiper's mind is a péöha, or
sacred altar for the Lord.
The form of the Lord one meditates on should correspond to authorized
descriptions from bona fide çästra. Some püjä manuals contain verses
describing the Deity being worshiped, and one may recite these at this time.
The important element, however, is not the recitation of the Sanskrit verses but
the form of the Lord that the description evokes in the mind. Thus if you find
that reciting a translation of the original Sanskrit verses in your mother
language is more conducive to visualization of the Lord's form in the mind, you
should follow this practice.
Internal Worship (mänasa-püjä)
After meditating on the form of the Lord, you should engage your mind in
worshiping that form. Dhyäna is the preparation for mänasa-püjä; whereas
dhyäna is passive, mänasa-püjä is active. Whatever items you offer externally
you should first offer internally with full devotion and attention.* Also, whereas
the items offered in external worship may be simple due to modest means, in
the course of mänasa-püjä one may perform very opulent worship of the Lord.
See for the story of the brähmaëa devotee who burned his finger on mänasa-
püjä sweet rice*. Mänasa-püjä is the culmination of dhyäna. The çästra points
out that for one performing sädhana-bhakti, the püjä with paraphernalia is
ineffective without mänasa-püjä. Püjä performed with paraphernalia but
without mänasa-püjä may be the cause of offense for the neophyte, for he will
tend to see the Deity as a material object. Thus mänasa-püjä, or antar-yoga, is
essential in all types of Deity worship. Elevated souls (especially sannyäsés,
who are always traveling) often perform only this type of worship, as
exemplified in the following passage from the Caitanya-caritämåta:
When Çré Nåsiàhänanda Brahmacäré heard that Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu
would go to Våndävana, he became very pleased and mentally began
decorating the way there. First he contemplated a broad road starting from the
city of Kuliyä. He bedecked the road with jewels, upon which he then laid a bed
of stemless flowers. He mentally decorated both sides of the road with bakula
flower trees, and at intervals on both sides he placed lakes of a transcendental
nature. These lakes had bathing places constructed with jewels, and they were
filled with blossoming lotus flowers. There were various birds chirping, and the
water was exactly like nectar. The entire road was surcharged with many cool
breezes, which carried the fragrances from various flowers. He carried the
construction of this road as far as Känäi Näöaçälä. Within the mind of
Nåsiàhänanda Brahmacäré the road could not be constructed beyond Känäi
Näöaçälä. He could not understand why the road's construction could not be
completed, and thus he was astonished. With great assurance he then told the
devotees that Lord Caitanya would not go to Våndävana at that time. [Cc.,
Madhya 1.155-161]
Both dhyäna and mänasa-püjä are performed not only for the main Deity, but
also for the spiritual master and Lord Caitanya in preliminary worship.
PP 2.3: The Main Worship
The Main Worship
Receiving the Lord
[5] Inviting the Lord by offering Him a seat (äsana) and making Him
comfortable (svägata)
Äsana means the situation or setting in which the Lord is being offered a
certain type of worship. The Lord is surrounded by His associates, who offer
Him various services, and among these associates is one's own spiritual
master. Since it is through him that the disciple gains admittance into the
Lord's service, the disciple should understand one äsana to be the seat or
position where the spiritual master performs his services to the Lord, as Çréla
Prabhupäda explains in Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 24.334, purport):
There must be an äsana, a sitting place before the altar. This äsana is for the
spiritual master. The disciple brings everything before the spiritual master, and
the spiritual master offers everything to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
As part of ñoòaçopacära-püjä you should also offer an äsana to the Lord; a
common way is to place flowers or flower petals where He will stand to receive
padya, arghya, etc., before the bath.
Svägata* means "welcome" and "comfort." You should ask the Lord if He is
comfortable, and then with affection meditate on welcoming Him and satisfying
Him nicely. Çréla Prabhupäda explains:
Våndävana means everyone is engaged how to keep Kåñëa in comfort. This is
Våndävana. Not for personal comfort. The whole Våndävana is engaged,
beginning with Mother Yäñodä, Nända Mähäräja, the young gopés, and the
young cowherd boys; that is Våndävana. Kåñëa is the center. So the more we
become engaged with the view to giving Kåñëa the comfortable position, that is
our aim of life. Then we can be liberated. [A Transcendental Diary, by Hari-çauri
Däsa]
After offering the Lord a seat and welcoming Him, remove His nightclothes and
then wrap the Lord in a gämchä. Ideally, the gämchä should remain on the
Deity throughout the cleaning, polishing (if the Deity is metal), and bathing,
and should be removed when the Lord is being dried. At that time offer Him a
dry gämchä. (The towel for drying and the dry gämchä are both called aìga-
vastra, the twenty-second upacära.)
[6] Offering a twig for brushing the teeth (danta-käñöhä or danta-dhävana)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes:
After maìgala-äraté, the Deity is supposed to wash His teeth by using a twig;
therefore a twig must be offered.* [Cc. Madhya 24.334, purport]
The same type of twig you use for brushing your own teeth you may offer to
the Lord*. You may also offer a tongue scraper at this time.
[7] Washing the Lord's feet (padya)
Offering padya, arghya, äcamana, and madhuparka are all traditional Vedic
ways of welcoming a king or other distinguished guest. Pure water is often
offered in place of any or all these items. One may put flowers or tulasé leaves
into water and offer it, thinking of the absent items.
You may offer padya before and after the Lord eats, as a reception after äsana,
after waking the Lord, and before putting Him to rest.
[8] Offering arghya as a sign of welcome and respect (arghya)
Arghya is a mixture of auspicious items offered above or touched to the head of
an honored guest as part of reception. To literally offer a person arghya entails
either sprinkling it on his head or offering it into his hands so he can sprinkle it
over his own head. Therefore it is said an offering of arghya is made "to the
hands." Either way is acceptable, although offering to the hands is better
because it is considered more respectful. You should ring a bell in your left
hand while offering arghya.
[9] Offering water for sipping (äcamana)
Äcamana may be offered before and after offering food, after bathing or
dressing the Lord, and after putting on the Lord's upavéta.
[10] Offering madhuparka, then water for sipping (madhuparka and punar-
äcamana)
Some sources indicate that madhuparka should be offered in a cup to the right
hand of the Lord for Him to accept.
After madhuparka, again offer äcamana. (In the standard list of sixteen
upacäras, äcamana offered after madhuparka is counted as a separate
upacära.)
Bathing the Lord (snäna)
[11] Offering the Lord shoes so He may come to the bathing place (pädukä or
pädukärpaëa)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes:
One should place wooden slippers before the Lord. [Caitanya-cäritämåta,
Madhya 24.334, purport]
Shoes may be offered whenever the Lord moves from one position to another
by showing them briefly prior to moving the Deity. After the reception
(consisting of items 5 through 10) the Lord is invited to a special bathing area.
[12]
Cleaning the Lord's body (aìga-märjana)
Clean away all the old flowers, candana, and so on before cleaning the Lord's
body with water and a soft cloth. Metal Deities may now be polished with a
paste made of ground gopé-candana and fresh lemon juice* or water, and then
wiped off with a damp cloth prior to bathing. (If the Deity is not waterproof,
simply wipe the Lord with a dry cloth.)
[13]
Rubbing the Lord's body with fragrant oils (abhyäìga)
Fragrant oils may be rubbed on the Lord's body before His bath.* This is an
especially auspicious offering on Ekädaçé.
Sanätana Gosvämé mentions that one should especially rub the Lord's head
with oil.
Prasäda scents that have been offered on a cotton swab can be distributed
after the greeting of the Deity.
[14] Removing oil from the Lord's body (udvartana)
In his Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 24.334, purport) Çréla Prabhupäda
mentions using a wet sponge to wipe the excess oil off the Deity. It may be
preferable to use a soft cotton towel for this purpose, since real sponge is a sea
animal and synthetic sponge is plastic. The oil massage prior to bathing acts
cosmetically, purifying the pores of a person's skin. After massage, before the
bath, the excess oil is removed.
[15] Bathing the Lord in flower water (snäna)
As stated in the Caitanya-caritämåta:
One should bathe the Lord with water in which nicely scented flowers have
been soaking for some time. [Caitanya-cäritämåta, Madhya 24.33, purport]
Païcämåta-snäna
Païcämåta-snäna is generally not offered daily to the Deity, but should be
offered daily to the çalagräma-çilä, at least in the temple. It is best to pour each
item of païcämåta from a conch over the Deity. The liquids should be neither
too cold nor too hot. The following five items (16 to 20) comprise païcämåta-
snäna.
[16] Bathing the Lord in milk (kñéra-snäna)
Heat the milk slightly if the weather is cool.
[17] Bathing the Lord in yogurt (dadhi-snäna)
Whip the yogurt so that it will flow smoothly.
[18] Bathing the Lord in ghee (ghåta-snäna)
Heat the ghee so that it is fluid but not too hot.
[19] Bathing the Lord in honey (madhu-snäna)
The honey may be diluted with water to make it more fluid.
[20] Bathing the Lord in sugar (sitä-snäna)
Dissolve sugar or guòa in water and then pour the sweetened water over the
Deity.
After bathing the Lord in païcämåta, you can remove the ghee by rubbing the
Lord's body with powdered barley or wheat flour and then washing Him with
warm water. A brush made from the hairs of a cow's tail or from coconut husks
may be used to remove dirt from hard-to-reach parts of the Deity's body. After
bathing the Deity in warm water, bathe Him in cool water (weather permitting).
Bathing the Lord with Water (jäla-snäna)
[21] Bathing the Lord in water consecrated with mantras (mantra-puta-jala)
Technically, water into which one has chanted certain Vedic hymns and Deity
béja-mantras is what is meant by 'water consecrated with mantras.' One can
also chant mantras during the bathing. Çréla Prabhupäda writes in his
Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 24.334, purport):
Wash the Deity with water and chant this mantra:
cintämaëi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-våkña-
lakñävåteñu surabhér abhipälayantam
lakñmé-sahasra-çata-sambhrama-sevyamänaà
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
While bathing the Deity, you should chant verses from the Brahma-saàhitä;
additionally you may chant verses from Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Bhagavad-gétä,
Viñëu-sahasra-näma, Puruña-sükta, or other appropriate scriptures. It is
appropriate at this time, especially in elaborate worship, for assisting devotees
to play musical instruments, perform kértana, ring bells, blow conch shells, or
play appropriate recorded music or mantra chanting.
[22] Wiping the Lord's body with a soft, dry cloth (aìga-vastra)
As stated in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 24.334, purport), "One should
dry the entire body [of the Deity] with a towel."
All cloths used for drying and offering in äraté should be washed after each use
and dried in a clean place, away from any possible contamination.
Dressing and Worshiping the Lord
[23] Dressing the Lord (vastra)
In his description of Mädhavendra Puré's installation of the Gopäla Deity, Çréla
Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja writes, "After the body of the Deity was cleansed, He was
dressed very nicely with new garments. Then sandalwood pulp, tulasé
garlands, and other fragrant flower garlands were placed upon the body of the
Deity" (Cc. Madhya 4.63).
Çréla Prabhupäda has given many guidelines for Deity worship and temple
decoration. The following are some of them:
[The] peacock feather must be there on Krishna.* [letter from Çréla
Prabhupäda, 8 June 1975]
The decoration should be so attractive that people when seeing Jagannath will
forget all attractiveness of Maya. This is the process of decorating Jagannath.
Our eyes are attracted by the beauty of Maya, but if our eyes are attracted by
the beauty of Krishna, the Jagannatha, then there is no more chance of our
being attracted by Maya. [letter from Çréla Prabhupäda, 7 June 1968]
Krishna as He is appearing in our Temples is in the kaishore age, and the dress
which I have introduced is His dress of kaishore age. In our Temples the Deities
Radha and Krishna are worshiped as Lakshmi Narayana, with all the opulence
of Their Majestic Lordship in Dwarka. The worship of Radha-Krishna as They
appear in Vrindavan is a very advanced stage. [letter from Çréla Prabhupäda,
16 January 1970]
The proper method of dressing Jagannath is as a Ksatriya King, and there is no
limit to the opulence you can give him. [letter from Çréla Prabhupäda, 19
February 1973]
All [the members of the Panca-tattva] should wear tulasi kanthi beads, not less
than two strands, three, four strands or, my Guru Maharaj had five strands....
Only Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda wear crowns and nosepins. [letter
from Çréla Prabhupäda, 20 November 1971]
Shall Çrémati Radharani's feet be showing? The answer is no, they should
never be seen. Krishna's feet, however, should be showing. [letter from Çréla
Prabhupäda, 4 January 1975]
Devotees commonly use pins to fix the Lord's clothing in place. But this must
be done carefully, so as not to cause the Lord pain.* Thin thread is often used
to suspend the clothing outward from the Deity; such thread should be used as
sparingly as possible: the Lord should not look like a puppet on strings. Also,
loose threads hanging from the siàhäsana should not show.
[24] Offering a Gäyatré thread (upavéta)
Obviously, you should offer the Lord His sacred thread before putting on His
upper garments. The thread should consist of nine strands of white or yellow
cotton or silk. Alternatively it may contain three strands of cotton or silk, three
of silver, and three of gold. Now you may decorate the Lord's forehead with
vertical ürdhva-puëòra tilaka.* You may also mark the Deity's arms, sides, and
throat with ürdhva-puëòra tilaka. In addition, you may now apply decorative
tilaka designs to the Lord's forehead, cheeks, arms, hands, and feet. The tilaka
may be mixed with natural coloring agents such as turmeric or kuìkuma as well
as plain water colors, and applied with a blunt gold or silver stick, or with a twig
from a tulasé plant.
[25] Offering äcamana again after dressing (punar-äcamana)
In Vedic culture, one performs äcamana after dressing as a means of
purification.
[26] Applying gandha to the Lord's feet with a tulasé leaf (anulepana)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes, "Nicely scented oils like liquid sandalwood pulp
should be smeared all over the body [of the Deity]." (Cc. Madhya 24.334,
purport)
Gandha refers to sandalwood paste, which may be mixed with other
ingredients. You may apply it to the Lord's whole body or to His feet, heart, and
forehead. After applying gandha, you may fan the Lord to increase the cooling
effect. Gandha may be applied with the middle and ring fingers or with the
thumb and little finger joined.
Do not smear sandalwood, camphor, or any other cooling item when the
weather is cool on the Lord's forehead, although you may draw designs with
sandalwood paste and use it to apply tulasé leaves to His lotus feet.
[26a] Tulasé Leaves and Buds
Now you should offer tulasé leaves to the Lord's lotus feet.
Among all the articles offered to the Lord, tulasé is the most highly praised.
Indeed, a devotee may worship the Lord perfectly simply by offering Him pure
water and tulasé leaves.
You may offer tulasé leaves only to viñëu-tattva Deities, but you may place
tulasé leaves in the spiritual master's and Çrématé Rädhäräëé's right hands so
they may offer them to the Lord. You may also place them on food offerings on
the spiritual master's and Çrématé Rädhäräëé's plates, with the understanding
that they will offer the food to Kåñëa before taking it themselves.
Both the Garuòa Puräëa and the Båhan-näradéya Puräëa state that tulasé
leaves must always be placed on the naivedya, the food being offered:
"Without tulasé, anything done in the way of püjä, bathing, and offering of food
and drink to the Lord cannot be considered real püjä, bathing, or offering. The
Lord does not accept any worship or eat or drink anything that is without
tulasé."
If tulasé leaves are abundant, you may offer the Lord a tulasé garland.
Alternatively, tulasé leaves or maïjarés (buds) may be woven into the Lord's
flower garlands.
[27] Decorating the Lord with jewelery (alaìkära)
The Caitanya-caritämåta states, "All kinds of ornaments and crowns should be
placed on the body." (Cc. Madhya 24.334, purport)
Take care, whenever performing äraté, to first check to see that the Deities'
ornaments are properly in place-especially crowns and ear ornaments-before
opening the curtain.
Also, take care, when removing any ornaments which are held with adhesive
material such as putty or beeswax to also remove all of the adhesive from the
Deity.
[28] Offering flowers to the Lord (vicitra-divya-puñpa)
One should offer flowers face up when offering them singly, but this rule does
not apply when offering many flowers. Whenever the Deity moves from one
position to another, first offer Him His shoes and then, as an act of submission,
offer puñpäïjali (flowers offered between joined palms). Puñpäïjali may be
offered to the Deity's head, heart, navel, lotus feet, and entire body.
You can offer garlands either now or during dressing and ornamenting-
whichever is convenient. Fresh flower garlands are very pleasing to the Lord.
Çréla Prabhupäda writes in his Nectar of Devotion:
Kåñëa used to put a vaijayanté garland around His neck. This vaijayanté
garland is made of flowers of at least five different colors. Such a garland was
always long enough to touch Kåñëa's knees or feet. Besides this garland of
flowers, there were other kinds of flower garlands too-sometimes decorating
His head, sometimes hanging around His neck and chest ... Kåñëa is sometimes
called vana-mälé. Vana means 'forest,' and mälé means 'gardener,' so vana-
mälé refers to one who extensively uses flowers and garlands on different parts
of His body. Kåñëa was dressed like this not only in Våndävana but also on the
Battlefield of Kurukñetra. [The Nectar of Devotion, Ch. 26]
[29] Offering incense (dhüpa)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes in his Nectar of Devotion:
'When the devotees smell the good fragrance of the incense which is offered to
the Deity, they thus become cured of the poisonous effects of material
contamination, as much as one becomes cured of a snakebite by smelling the
prescribed medicinal herbs.' [The Nectar of Devotion, Ch. 9, quoted from the
Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya]
In addition to the scheduled äratés, incense can be offered at any time of the
day. However, do not light incense when offering bhoga: since the aroma of
food is an important element in its enjoyment, it should not be cancelled by the
incense aroma. After the Lord has taken His meal you may offer incense
(especially as part of the äraté). You may offer varied types of incense at
different times of the day.
[30] Offering lamps (dépa)
Offering lamps to the Deity is highly auspicious both for the one who offers and
for those observing. The lamp is considered the main offering of the äraté
ceremony.
A camphor lamp may be offered as a single dépa before the ghee lamp,
especially at the noon äraté. Generally, synthetic camphor is used, since
natural camphor is very expensive.
[31] Counteracting inauspicious influences caused by the glances of evil
persons (dåñöi-apasaraëa)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes in the Caitanya-caritämåta:
Precautions should always be taken so that demons and atheists cannot harm
the body of the Lord. [Cc. Madhya 24.334, purport]
To dispel inauspicious influences, the Hari-bhakti-viläsa recommends waving
the conch three times above the head of the Deity. Alternatively (especially in
special ceremonies such as abhiñeka) you may wave a small dish containing
mustard seeds, salt and ném leaves before the Deity.
More generally, as Çréla Prabhupäda mentions, we should undertake all kinds
of precautions to protect the Deities. In particular, metal gates should be
installed to protect Them from harm during times when They are unattended.
Also, a fire extinguisher or fire blanket should be present in the Deity room
within easy reach of püjärés.
[32] Offering food (naivedya)
Food Preparation
Preparing food for the Lord and partaking of the prasäda are very important
aspects of Kåñëa consciousness, as the following quotations indicate:
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu was pleased because He saw how nicely so many
varieties of food were prepared for Kåñëa. Actually, all kinds of prasäda are
prepared for Kåñëa, not for the people, but the devotees partake of the
prasäda with great pleasure. [Cc. Madhya 3.64, purport]
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu approved of all the methods employed in cooking
and offering food to Kåñëa. Indeed, He was so pleased that He said, 'Frankly, I
will personally take the lotus feet of anyone who can offer Kåñëa such nice food
and place those lotus feet on My head birth after birth.' [Cc. Madhya 3.65]
From the excellence of the arrangements, Mädhavendra Puré understood by
deduction that only the best food was offered. [Cc. Madhya 4.114]
Devotees should become expert cooks so that only first-class preparations are
offered to the Deity. "If in doubt, don't offer." The simple test is to ask yourself,
"Would I offer this to my spiritual master if he were personally present?" If you
know a preparation is unofferable due to being burned or over-salted, for
example, you should not offer it to the Deities or the spiritual master.
Method of Offering
The following excerpt from Caitanya-caritämåta describes an arrangement for a
feast for the Lord:
All the prepared foods were divided into three equal parts. One part was
arranged on a metal plate for offering to Lord Kåñëa. Of the three divisions, one
was arranged on a metal plate, and the other two were arranged on plantain
leaves. These leaves were not bifurcated, and they were taken from a banana
tree that held at least thirty-two bunches of bananas. The two plates were filled
very nicely with the kinds of food described below. [Cc. Madhya 3.42-43]
Çréla Prabhupäda further writes:
It is advisable that food being offered to the Deity be covered when taken from
the kitchen to the Deity room. In that way, others may not see it. Those who
are not accustomed to following the advanced regulative devotional principles
may desire to eat the food, and that is an offense. Therefore no one should be
given a chance to even see it. However, when it is brought before the Deity, it
must be uncovered.* [Cc. Madhya 4.124, purport]
The essential position of the spiritual master in the Deity offering is illustrated
by the following quotes:
For offering prasädam simply prayers to the Spiritual Master is sufficient. The
process is that everything is offered to the Spiritual Master, and the Spiritual
Master is supposed to offer the same foodstuff to the Lord. When a thing is
offered to the Spiritual Master, he immediately offers to the Lord. That is the
system, and as we come by parampara system, it is our duty to go through the
right channel-namely, first the Spiritual Master, then Lord Caitanya, and then
Krishna. So when we chant prayers, we do this, Bande ham Çré Guru ... and
gradually to the Goswamis, then to Lord Caitanya, and then to Radha Krishna.
That is the praying system. But offering the prasädam to present everything
before the Spiritual Master whose picture is also in the altar, means that the
Spiritual Master will take care of offering the foodstuff to the Lord. Therefore
simply by chanting the prayer to the Spiritual Master, everything will be
complete. [letter from Çréla Prabhupäda, 28 May 1968]
Yes, you may say the prayer to the spiritual master 3 times, and also the Namo
Brahmanya... prayer 3 times. Also, you may, after offering to spiritual master,
offer to Lord Caitanya by saying the prayer "namo maha-vadanyaya etc." 3
times, and then offer to Kåñëa thrice [namo brahmanya-devaya]. [letter from
Çréla Prabhupäda, 22 March 1968]
Whatever is offered to the Deity actually goes through the Spiritual Master. The
Spiritual Master offers to Lord Caitanya, and Lord Caitanya offers it to Krishna.
Then Radha Krishna eats or Jagannath eats, then Caitanya Mahaprabhu eats,
then the Spiritual Master eats, and it becomes Mahaprasädam. So when you
offer something, you think like that and chant the Gayatri Mantra, and then
everything is complete. At last, ring the bell, take out the plate, and wipe the
place where the plate was kept. [letter from Çréla Prabhupäda, 16 June 1969]
In these letters Çréla Prabhupäda describes the essential activities in offering
food. In more elaborate worship, you may reinforce your awareness of being
the spiritual master's servant by offering the Lord additional services. For
example, since impurities may arise due to subtle entities in the atmosphere or
faults in the preparation, you may follow certain procedures to purify,
spiritualize, and protect the food before offering it to the Lord. This is
accomplished by prokñaëa (sprinkling with water), mantra, mudrä, and
meditation. It is also customary to call the Lord from His throne to His eating
place and offer Him a seat and water for washing His feet, hands, and mouth.
You may then present the naivedya to the Lord while chanting His müla-
mantra. After the meal, you may again offer water for the Lord to wash His feet,
hands, and mouth.
Duration of Offering
Çréla Prabhupäda instructs us in detail on how to please the Lord. He writes:
Leave Krishna's plate for 15-20 minutes or more, not more than half an hour.
[letter from Çréla Prabhupäda, 25 January 1968]
Unlike other bhoga offerings, naivedya, as the fifteenth upacära offered in
morning worship, is usually left very briefly for the Lord to enjoy. During this
offering you may remain in the Lord's presence, chanting (with closed eyes) the
Gäyatré mantras while the Lord eats.
[33] Offering spices (mukha-väsa)
You may offer aromatic seeds, such as anise, fennel, cardamom, or clove, as
well as candied ginger, rock candy and dried rose petals, in various mixtures.
[34] Offering betel (tämbüla)
In the Caitanya-caritämåta, Çréla Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja describes the wonderful
way in which the Gopäla Deity was served:
The Deity was first offered many varieties of food, then scented drinking water
in new pots, and then water for washing the mouth. Finally pän mixed with a
variety of spices was offered. After the last offering of tämbüla and pän, bhoga-
äraté was performed. Finally everyone offered various prayers and then
obeisances, falling flat before the Deity in full surrender. [Cc. Madhya 4.65-66.]
Tämbüla is a mixture of betel nuts and pän. There are many recipes for
preparing it. Unfortunately, in most Western countries the right kind of betel
leaves are unavailable. One can usually find the other ingredients at Indian
groceries, which may also provide the leaves on special order.
Now you may offer the Lord's prasäda to His associates, beginning with your
own spiritual master. See description for all these procedures.
[35] Offering the Lord a resting place (divya-çayyä)
You may offer the Lord a comfortable couch or bed to relax on, as Çréla
Prabhupäda describes: "At the proper time, there should be arrangements so
that the Lord may take rest in bed." (Cc. Madhya 24.334, purport)
Items 35 through 38 can apply to both morning püjä before the darçana-äraté
and afternoon worship. In the afternoon, in addition to the items mentioned,
you may offer fresh clothes and additional ornaments. The couch mentioned
here can also refer to the paryaìkäsana, or the äsana from which the Lord gives
darçana during the day. At such times it is understood that the Lord is lounging
on a couch, or paryaìka.
[36] Arranging the Lord's hair (keça-prasädhana)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes in his Caitanya-caritämåta, "The Lord's hair should be
combed and decorated." (Cc. Madhya 24.334, purport)
Çrématé Rädhäräëé's and other sakhés' hair should be braided, never loose.
Occasionally the braid(s) may show in the front.
Generally wigs made of synthetic hair are used.
Hair on small metal Deities is not necessarily required; with appropriate crown
and ear ornaments, small Deities often look best without wigs.
[37] Offering variously colored clothing, belts, turbans, capes, and so on (divya-
vastra)
There are many descriptions of Lord Kåñëa and His way of dressing. You can
take advantage of such descriptions as well as styles from different temples for
dressing and ornamenting the Deities. Dress and ornament design for Deities is
of course an art in itself, best learned from experts.
[38] Offering the Lord a crown (mukuöam mahat)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes in his Nectar of Devotion:
His helmet, His earrings, His necklace, His four garments, the bangles on His
head, the rings on His fingers, His ankle bells and His flute-these are the
different features of Kåñëa's ornaments. [The Nectar of Devotion, Ch. 26]
You may offer one crown in the morning and another in the afternoon or
evening; in very elaborate worship, dressing and decoration may increase
throughout the day from simple to more elaborate.
If a crown or other ornament slips out of place during darçana, it is best to
close the curtain before making adjustments on the Deity. For any minor
adjustments on the altar but not directly on the Deity, it is not necessary to
close the curtain.
[39] Offering gandha again and decorating the Lord's body with tilaka designs
(divya-gandhänulepa)
When convenient-usually after offering the Lord's prasäda to His associates-
before the morning darçana you may draw designs on the body of the Lord with
candana.
[40] Offering Kaustubha and other wonderful jewels (kaustubhädi-vibhuñaëa)
Upacära 38 refers mainly to metal ornaments such as armbands and crowns,
while upacära 40 refers primarily to jewelry that includes stones, such as
lockets.
[41] Offering varieties of flowers and garlands (vicétra-divya-puñpa)
Along with flower garlands, you may also offer a tulasé garland to the Lord.
In the afternoon, after waking and dressing the Lord, you may decorate Him
with fresh garlands and decorative flowers.
Concluding Activities
The following activities concluding the püjä can all be considered aspects of
praëäma, the sixteenth item of ñoòaçopacära-püjä.
[42] Offering äraté (maìgala-ärätrika)
Before bathing the Lord, we offer Him maìgala-äraté (item 4). After the bath,
we again offer Him dhüpa and dépa (items 29 and 30). Now, after dressing and
decorating the Lord with additional garments and ornaments, in elaborate
service you may worship Him once again with äraté. In daily worship, however,
one would normally perform this and items 44 through 47 by meditation.
[43] Offering a mirror (darpa or ädarça)
Before the Lord gives darçana you should briefly hold a mirror before the Lord
for His pleasure, so He can see whether He is properly dressed before
appearing in public. The mirror should be held still, not waved around as if it
were a ghee lamp! In elaborate worship, one may again offer a mirror during
the darçana, just before offering äraté.
[44] Taking the Deity to a special maëòapa (sukhayänena
maëòapägamanotsava)
In very elaborate worship, or in a festival, one could take small Deities in a
palinquin to a gazebo, where one would offer Them bhoga and äraté.
[45] Bringing the Lord back to His throne (siàhäsanopaveça)
Of course, after offering the Deities bhoga and äraté in a gazebo, one would
bring Them back into the temple. Both coming and going, They would be
accompanied by kértana, blowing of conches, and waving of cämaras.
[46] Worshiping the Lord again with padya and so on (padyädyaiù punar-
arcana)
In elaborate worship, whenever the Lord moves from one setting to another to
receive services, you may begin those services by offering padya, arghya, and
äcamana. For even more elaborate worship, add madhuparka and punar-
äcamana.
[47] Offering the Lord incense and other items, then offering another meal
(punar-dhüpädy-arpaëa, uttama-naivedya)
Prior to opening the curtain for darçana-äraté, make a final check to ensure
that everything is in its proper place on the altar-that the guru-paramparä
pictures are in the correct order, that pin-cushions haven't been left on the
altar, and so on. You can do this when offering the mirror.
Altar Arrangement
The siàhäsana, or altar, may vary in shape and size, depending on the number
and types of Deities and the size of the Deity room. Since the siàhäsana is the
Lord's äsana, or place of activity, it should be attractive and kept absolutely
clean. If the siàhäsana has a roof, you should regularly clean the top. It there is
no roof, there should at least be an umbrella or some type of cloth canopy
above the Deities. There should be some arrangement for retiring the Deities
from public view. If the temple room is too small to accommodate a separate
Deity room with doors, you may hang a curtain to serve this purpose; if the
temple room is too small even for that, the curtain may be integrated into the
design of the siàhäsana. In this regard Çréla Prabhupäda writes:
The altar should be so made with curtain, that it may be closed when Krishna
and Radha are taking rest. [letter from Çréla Prabhupäda, 6 May 1968]
The altar should have pictures of the guru-paramparä, beginning with our
Founder-Äcärya, Çréla Prabhupäda, then (left to right when viewing the altar
from the front*) Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura, Çréla Gaurakiçora
däsa Bäbäjé, and Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura. Preferably Çréla Jagannätha
däsa Bäbäjé and the six Gosvämés should also be included. If the Deity room
has more than one altar, the guru-paramparä pictures need be on only one
altar. A picture of Lord Nåsiàhadeva as well as a picture of the Païca-tattva
should also be present. A picture of the guru of the püjäré who is worshiping
the Deity must be on the altar during püjä. After completing the worship the
püjäré should place the picture to the side, out of public view. (This, of course,
does not apply to Çréla Prabhupäda's disciples.)
On festival days an appropriate picture commemorating the occasion may be
placed on the altar or on a table arrangement next to the altar. For example, a
picture of Rämänujäcärya or Madhväcärya may be displayed on their
appearance days, or a picture of Varähadeva on Varäha Mahä-dvädaçé.
You may decorate the altar with wooden, metal, or clay ornamental figurines of
auspicious animals like cows, peacocks, and elephants. There may be a
decorative cloth or painted backdrop hanging behind the Deities, appropriate to
the decorating scheme of the day. Çréla Prabhupäda's books, the literary
incarnations of Godhead, may also be displayed on the altar. One or more
tulasé plants should also be present, either on or next to the altar (on a stand),
at least during the darçana-äraté. If a clock is placed on the altar for the püjäré,
it should not be overly visible to the public. Near each Deity on the altar should
be a cup of drinking water with a metal or cloth cover.
You may place standing or hanging ghee lamps on or around the altar.
Although candles may be substituted, they are not considered pure or high
class. There should be at least one ghee lamp near the püjäré (on the left side
of the altar), which should be kept burning throughout each äraté.* From this
lamp you can light the incense and lamps you offer to the Lord. Ideally, to light
the dépa to be offered in äraté you should use a thin stick wrapped with cotton
and dipped in ghee. If at all avoidable, fire used in worship should not come
directly from matches or hand-held lighters.
Additional Notes on Altar Arrangement
An altar with Çré Çré Gaura-Nitäi Deities may have a Païca-tattva picture either
on the altar or on the wall to one side of the altar. A temple without Rädhä-
Kåñëa Deities may have a picture of Rädhä-Kåñëa Deities (usually from a
nearby Rädhä-Kåñëa temple) on the Gaura-Nitäi or Païca-tattva altar. Some
temples have a small Deity of Lakñmé-Nåsiàha or Prahläda-Nåsiàha in place of
a picture of Nåsiàhadeva.
If there is a room directly above the altar, some arrangement should be made
so that at least the area above the altar is kept clear of persons and functional
objects. Potted plants, fencing, or a dome-like structure should be placed in the
area above the Deities. Also, bathroom facilities should be kept as far as
possible from the Deity room and kitchen.
Pictures of gurus should show the full form, not just the head or the upper
portion of the body. One should treat with all respect any pictures that receive
worship on the altar, even when such pictures are off the altar. When not on
the altar, pictures of the guru should be kept nicely-that is, not stacked with
other pictures or stored among the clutter of miscellaneous paraphernalia. Best
if they are kept in a standing position on a shelf or table in the Deity room, but
out of public view.
Occasional additions of pictures to the altar should be limited to pictures of
äcäryas belonging to the four Vaiñëava sampradäyas and avatäras listed in the
Çrémad-Bhägavatam. On appropriate days the picture of a locally respected
saint could be displayed on a seperate table next to the altar or in the temple
room, following the discretion of temple authorities.
Regarding conch shells on the altar: Left-turning conch shells are not
necessarily Lakñmé conch shells, which are extremely rare. Even if a genuine
Lakñmé conch shell is present, one need not offer it any special worship,
especially in temples where Rädhä-Kåñëa Deities are worshiped. Worship of
Çrémati Rädhäräëé-the source of Lakñmé-includes Lakñmé worship. Most left-
turning conch shells available today are what are known as "Lightning Whelks"
which, although not strictly the conches meant to be used in worship, are
recognized as legitimate substitutes for standard conches in many temples in
India, at least for the purpose of bathing the Deity. There is no need, however,
to put such "conch shells" on the altar.
[48] Offering betel, then performing mahä-äraté (divya-tämbüla-mahä-
néräjana)
At this time the Lord gives the main darçana of the morning and is again
offered an äraté, usually a short one consisting of dhüpa, puñpa, and cämara,
or dépa and cämara, or simply cämara. Before opening the curtain for darçana
and äraté, the püjäré should blow the conch three times from outside the Deity
room, as is done for every äraté.
Çréla Prabhupäda has instructed that at this time the devotees should play the
recording of Govindam ädi-puruñam from the Goddess of Fortune album (now
recorded on the Rädhä-Kåñëa Temple CD*).
As mentioned previously (under #43), before offering the äraté, as a feature of
elaborate worship, you may again offer a mirror.
[49] Offering cämara, fan and umbrella (cämara-vyajana, vyaïjana and chätra)
The Çrémad-Bhägavatam describes the upacäras Lord Rämacandra's
associates offered Him:
O King, Lord Bharata carried Lord Rämacandra's wooden shoes, Sugréva and
Vibhéñaëa carried a whisk and an excellent fan, Hanumän carried a white
umbrella, Çatrughna carried a bow and two quivers, and Sétädevé carried a
waterpot filled with water from holy places. Aìgada carried a sword, and
Jämbavän, King of the Åkñas, carried a golden shield. [Bhäg. 9.10.42-43]
A yak-tail cämara and peacock feather fan or other type of fan is offered at the
conclusion of full äraté ceremonies. They are both aspects of kingly service,
where the practical function of the cämara is to keep flies away from a person
and the fan is, of course, to give a cooling effect. In some temples in India there
is a mechanical fan arrangement over the head of the Deity which is connected
to a chord in the darçana hall, allowing visitors to serve the Lord by fanning
Him.
[50] Singing (gétä)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes in the Caitanya-caritämåta:
The Hare Kåñëa mantra and approved* songs should be sung. [Cc. Madhya
24.334, purport]
The Nectar of Devotion describes the glories of singing the Lord's praises:
A brähmaëa who is constantly engaged in singing the glories of the Lord is
surely elevated to the same planet as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Lord Kåñëa appreciates this singing even more than the prayers offered by
Lord Çiva. [The Nectar of Devotion, Ch. 9; quoted from the Liìga Puräëa]
[51] Playing instruments (vädya)
Just as one should learn to cook nicely to please the Lord, one should strive to
please Him by gaining at least some basic skill in playing such musical
instruments as the mådaìga and karatälas. In some temples (such as Rädhä-
ramaëa in Våndävana) devotee-musicians regularly play classical Indian music
in the evening for the pleasure of the Lord.
[52] Dancing (nartana)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes:
In the Dvärakä-mähätmya the importance of dancing before the Deity is stated
by Lord Kåñëa as follows: 'A person who is in a jubilant spirit, who feels
profound devotional ecstasy while dancing before Me, and who manifests
different features of bodily expression can burn away all the accumulated sinful
reactions he has stocked up for many, many thousands of years.' [The Nectar
of Devotion, Ch. 9]
In the same chapter of The Nectar of Devotion is this statement by Närada:
'From the body of any person who claps and dances before the Deity, showing
manifestations of ecstasy, all the birds of sinful activities fly away upward.' Just
as by clapping the hands one can cause many birds to fly away, similarly the
birds of all sinful activities which are sitting on the body can be made to fly
away simply by dancing and clapping before the Deity of Kåñëa.
Although it is not offensive to dance in a circle before the Deities, care should
be taken not to keep one's back to Them. We must remember that our dancing
is for Their pleasure. Especially while the äraté ceremony is in progress,
devotees' attention should be mainly to the Deities. Also, enthusiastic dancing
before the Deities must be tempered with discretion: Wild spinning around
which might endanger the Deities must be avoided!
[53] Circumambulation of the Deity (pradäkñiëa)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes:
A person who is circumambulating the Deity of Viñëu can counteract the
circumambulation of repeated birth and death in this material world. [The
Nectar of Devotion, Ch. 9; quoted from the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya]
Walking clockwise around someone, and thus keeping one's right side toward
him, is a way of showing respect. By circumambulating the Lord in this way, we
worship Him with our whole body. One should not circumambulate someone
else in front of the Deity, nor should one circumambulate the Deity only once.
As part of the püjä, one should circum-ambulate the Lord at least three times.
[54] Offering Obeisances (añöaìga-praëäma)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes:
In the Näradéya Puräëa there is a statement about bowing down and offering
respect to the Deity. It is said there, 'A person who has performed a great
ritualistic sacrifice and a person who has simply offered his respectful
obeisances by bowing down before the Lord cannot be held as equals.' The
person who has executed many great sacrifices will attain the result of his
pious activities, but when such results are finished, he has to take birth again
on the earthly planet; however, the person who has once offered respects,
bowing down before the Deity, will not come back to this world, because he will
go directly to the abode of Kåñëa. [The Nectar of Devotion, Ch. 9]
The Nåsiàha Puräëa glorifies offering the Lord praëämas as follows:
Among all yajïas, the praëäma is the best. By one praëäma the living entity
becomes pure and attains the Lord.
Offering respect by lowering one's body to the floor is called praëäma. As an
expression of complete surrender to the Lord and of offering one's head
beneath His lotus feet, it is an apt conclusion to the worship. In the list of
sixteen upacäras, praëäma is counted as the sixteenth. In a broad sense, one
may consider included within it the recitation of stuti, or stava, and pradäkñiëa
(circumambulation), the chanting of the Deity's müla-mantra and Gäyatré, as
well as karmärpaëa (offering one's activities) and atma-samarpaëa (offering
oneself). In fact, the whole section titled "Concluding Activities" may be
considered an expansion of the praëäma upacära. Whereas the other upacäras
(except svägata, the offering of welcome) are physical items, the praëäma
upacära is an offering of the self to the Lord. See upacära for an explanation of
how to offer añöaìga-praëäma.
Worship begins with praëäma and concludes with praëäma. Çréla Prabhupäda
writes:
So far as the bowing down in Deity worship, before opening the door you
should bow down. Then turn on the light and bow down again. There is no
restriction on bowing down. As many times as you can is all right. [letter from
Çréla Prabhupäda, 21 February 1969]
[55] Recitation of verses (stuti)
In his Caitanya-caritämåta Çréla Prabhupäda writes, "One should offer different
types of prayers and hymns at the Lord's lotus feet."
In The Nectar of Devotion Çréla Prabhupäda explains the importance of reciting
selected prayers:
According to great learned scholars, the whole Bhagavad-gétä contains many
authorized prayers, especially in the Eleventh Chapter, where Arjuna prays to
the universal form of the Lord. Similarly, in the Gautaméya-tantra all the verses
are called prayers. Again, in Çrémad-Bhägavatam there are hundreds of
prayers to the Lord. So a devotee should select some of these prayers for his
recitation. In Skanda Puräëa the glories of these prayers are stated as follows:
'Devotees whose tongues are decorated always with prayers to Lord Kåñëa are
always given respect even by the great saintly persons and sages, and such
devotees are actually worshipable by the demigods.' . . . In the Nåsiàha Puräëa
it is stated, 'Any person who comes before the Deity of Lord Kåñëa and begins
to chant different prayers is immediately relieved from all the reactions of sinful
activities and becomes eligible, without any doubt, to enter into the
Vaikuëöhaloka.' [The Nectar of Devotion, Ch. 9]
After engaging his body in the Lord's worship, the devotee uses the medium of
sound and the instrument of his tongue to worship the Lord, first through silent
japa, then loudly through kértana (glorification of the Lord's names, qualities,
and activities). Japa refers to the silent chanting of müla-mantras and Deity
Gäyatré mantras (ten times each), given by the spiritual master. One should
strive to realize that the mantra is non-different from the Deity one is
worshiping. Sit properly on an äsana, perform äcamana, and cover your right
hand with your upper cloth while chanting. (The counting of mantras chanted
with the fingers of the right hand should not be exposed to view.) In loud
chanting (stuti) you may chant verses from the Vedas, the Puräëas, the
Païcarätra, or other bona fide Vaiñëava works praising the Deity. You may also
recite works in your native language. The Hari-bhakti-viläsa mentions the
recital of the Bhagavad-gétä, Viñëu-sahasra-näma, and Stava-räja from the
Gautaméya-tantra. Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura recommends that a devotee
chant Padya-païcaka and Vijñapti-païcaka. At this time you may also offer your
own prayers to the Lord.
[56] Touching the Lord's lotus feet (mürdhni çré-caranäbjayoù sthäpana)
In his Caitanya-caritämåta, Çréla Prabhupäda writes:
One should touch the lotus feet of the Lord with one's head. This may not be
possible for everyone, but at least the püjäré should do this. [Cc. Madhya
24.334, purport]
After offering all of your activities, you should offer yourself to the Lord. To
completely surrender and offer ourselves to the Lord is the final act of worship
and the goal we are attempting to reach through the process of püjä.
It is customary in some traditional temples, especially in South India, to touch a
çaöhäri to the head of persons taking darçana. The çaöhäri is a bell-shaped
representation of the Lord's lotus feet, usually made of copper, silver, or gold,
which is worshiped along with the main Deity.
[57] Taking caraëämåta and flower prasäda on one's head (tértha-nirmälya-
dharaëa)
The Skanda Puräëa describes activities that will remove even the sin of killing a
brähmaëa:
Receiving the water from the conch shell, devotional service to Viñëu, the
Lord's flower remnants, bath water, sandalwood remnants, and incense
remnants will destroy even the sin of killing a brähmaëa.
Nirmälya refers to the garlands, flowers, candana, bath water, and tulasé
leaves that the püjäré has offered to the Lord during the püjä. After the the
püjä is completed, the devotees should accept these items on their heads as
the Lord's mercy (prasäda).* The goal of püjä is to satisfy the Lord; by
satisfying the Lord, one receives His mercy. This mercy of the Lord in His Deity
form is specifically received in the form of nirmälya. One should not disrespect
the nirmälya by stepping on it or leaving it in an unclean place. After being
properly respected, nirmälya such as garlands and flowers can be collected and
disposed of in a river, a lake or the ocean.
Drinking the bath water of Viñëu is powerful enough to destroy the effects of
one million sins such as the killing of other living entities. However, the person
who lets even one drop of the sacred bath water fall on the ground must suffer
eight million such sinful effects. [Hari-bhakti-viläsa]
To avoid spillage, hold your left hand under your right when receiving mahä-
prasäda, nirmälya flowers, tulasé leaves and maïjarés, or caraëämåta. The
hand does not require washing after sipping caraëämåta, since caraëämåta
purifies the lips and therefore the lips do not contaminate the hand. The
Agastya-saàhitä states: "The water that has washed the lotus feet of Lord Viñëu
or a pure Vaiñëava is equal to the combined waters of all the places of
pilgrimage. After drinking such caraëämåta, one does not need to take
äcamana or wash his hands and mouth." If, however, you are going to touch
the çästra or similarly worshipable objects after taking caraë-ämåta, you should
rinse your hand with water.
[58] Accepting the food remnants of the Lord (ucchiñöa-bhojana)
As is commonly practiced in many temples in India, after the darçana-äraté the
püjäré may distribute small morsels of prasäda to devotees directly from the
altar room. Devotees respect these remnants immediately, moving somewhat
to the side of the temple room so as not to be directly in from of the Deities
while eating. (See description for information on prasäda-sevä.)
Midday, Afternoon, and Evening Worship
The offerings of bhoga and äraté at various times during the day are
abbreviations of the morning çoòaçopacära-püjä (worship with sixteen items).
In elaborate worship one may offer dvädaçopacära (twelve upacäras-see the
chart on page 75) or daçopacära-püjä (ten upacäras) at noon (concluding the
worship with the regular bhoga and äraté), and one may dress the Lord in fresh
clothes in the afternoon.
Night Services (çayana-sevä)
If possible, one should dress the Lord in night clothes before bringing Him to
rest. It is traditional in some temples to change the dress prior to the last
evening bhoga offering and äraté. Çréla Prabhupäda instructed devotees in
Våndävana not to change the dress until after the final äraté so that the visiting
public would see the Deities in full opulent decoration. This instruction is
optional in temples where few if any visitors are present at that time.
[59] Sitting at the feet of the Lord in readiness for service
(pädasevoddeçopaveçanam)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes, "One should sit before the Lord and think that he is
massaging the Lord's legs." (Cc. Madhya 24.334, purport)
[60] Preparing the Lord's Bed
Make a comfortable bed for the Lord, using soft cloth, flowers, and sweetly
scented powders. Çréla Prabhupäda writes, "One should decorate the Lord's
bed with flowers before the Lord takes His rest." (Cc. Madhya 24.334, purport)
[61] Offering the Lord one's hand, along with His shoes, before bringing Him to
His bed (hasta-pradäna)
Whenever moving the Deity from one position to another, first make a gesture
with the hands together, palms up, indicating the direction toward which you
will carry Him. Only small metal or wood Deities should be moved, not marble
Deities.
[62] Receiving the Lord at His bed with great festivity (çayana-sthänägama-
mahotsava)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes, "One should take the Deity to His bed." (Cc. Madhya
24.334, purport)
One must always carry the Deity with the greatest care and reverence. In most
cases it is best if you hold the body of the Deity with your right hand while you
hold the base with your left hand. Prior to moving, always make sure the place
where the Deity will be set is clean.
[63] Washing and then drying the Lord's feet, and offering gandha, flowers,
betel, condensed milk, and a fan (päda-kñälana and çayyopaveça-
néräjanotsava)
Çréla Prabhupäda writes, "One should wash the feet of the Lord and then sit
Him on the bed." (Cc. Madhya 24.334, purport)
Gandha, flowers, and condensed milk are offered prior to placing the Lord in His
bed. Betel and fanning are offered after placing in bed (only fanning if the
weather is warm).
[64] Laying the Lord down on His bed and massaging His lotus feet (çeña-
paryaìka and päda-saàvahana)
The Caitanya-caritämåta states, "One should place the Lord on the bed and
then massage His feet." (Cc. Madhya 24.334, purport)
Advaita Äcärya's worship of the Lord is described in the Caitanya-caritämåta:
"After äraté was performed for the Deities in the temple, Lord Kåñëa was made
to lie down to rest." (Cc. Madhya 3.59)
Çréla Prabhupäda further writes:
As far as placing the Deity in the bed is concerned, if the Deity is large and
heavy, it is not possible to move Him daily. It is better that a small Deity, which
is also worshiped, be taken to the bed. This mantra should be chanted: agaccha
çayana-sthänaà priyäbhiù saha keçava. 'O Keçava, kindly come to Your bed
along with Çrématé Rädhäräëé' (Hari-bhakti-viläsa 11.40). The Deity should be
placed in bed with Çrématé Rädhäräëé, and this should be indicated by
bringing the wooden slippers from the altar to the bedside. When the Deity is
laid down, His legs should be massaged. Before laying the Deity down, a pot of
milk and sugar should be offered to Him. After taking this thick milk,* the Deity
should lie down and should be offered betel nuts and spices to chew. [Cc.
Madhya 24.334 purport]
Arrange pillows and bedding in such a way as to compensate for the base of
the Deity, so that He lies in a horizontal position, with His head on the same
level as His feet.