The qualified brähmaëas worship the viñëu-tattvas represented by the çälagräma-çilä, and some of the higher castes like the kñatriyas and vaiçyas also generally worship the viñëu-tattvas.
Highly qualified brähmaëas situated in the mode of goodness have no grudges against the mode of worship of others. They have all respect for other demigods, even though they may look ghastly, like Käla-bhairava or Mahäkälé. They know very well that those horrible features of the Supreme Lord are all different servitors of the Lord under different conditions, yet they reject the worship of both horrible and attractive features of the demigods, and they concentrate only on the forms of Viñëu because they are serious about liberation from the material conditions. The demigods, even to the stage of Brahmä, the supreme of all the demigods, cannot offer liberation to anyone. Hiraëyakaçipu underwent a severe type of penance to become eternal in life, but his worshipful deity, Brahmä, could not satisfy him with such blessings. Therefore Viñëu, and none else, is called mukti-päda, or the Personality of Godhead who can bestow upon us mukti, liberation. The demigods, being like other living entities in the material world, are all liquidated at the time of the annihilation of the material structure. They are themselves unable to get liberation, and what to speak of giving liberation to their devotees. The demigods can award the worshipers some temporary benefit only, and not the ultimate one.
It is for this reason only that candidates for liberation deliberately reject the worship of the demigods, although they have no disrespect for any one of them.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:27. purport)
 

Especially for the householder devotees, the path of Deity worship is strongly recommended. As far as possible, every householder, by the direction of the spiritual master, must install the Deity of Viñëu, forms like Rädhä-Kåñëa, Lakñmé-Näräyaëa or Sétä-Räma especially, or any other form of the Lord, like Nåsiàha, Varäha, Gaura-Nitäi, Matsya, Kürma, çälagräma-çilä and many other forms of Viñëu, like Trivikrama, Keçava, Acyuta, Väsudeva, Näräyaëa and Dämodara, as recommended in the Vaiñëava-tantras or Puräëas, and one’s family should worship strictly following the directions and regulations of arcana-vidhi. Any member of the family who is above twelve years of age should be initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, and all the members of the household should be engaged in the daily service of the Lord, beginning from morning (4 a.m.) till night (10 p.m.) by performing maìgala-ärätrika, niraïjana, arcana, püjä, kértana, çåìgära, bhoga-vaikäli, sandhyä-ärätrika, päöha, bhoga (at night), çayana-ärätrika, etc. Engagement in such worship of the Deity, under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master, will greatly help the householders to purify their very existence and make rapid progress in spiritual knowledge. Simple theoretical book knowledge is not sufficient for a neophyte devotee. Book knowledge is theoretical, whereas the arcana process is practical. Spiritual knowledge must be developed by a combination of theoretical and practical knowledge, and that is the guaranteed way for attainment of spiritual perfection. The training of devotional service for a neophyte devotee completely depends on the expert spiritual master who knows how to lead his disciple to make gradual progress towards the path back home, back to Godhead. One should not become a pseudo spiritual master as a matter of business to meet one’s family expenditures; one must be an expert spiritual master to deliver the disciple from the clutches of impending death.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 2:3:22. purport extract)
 

In Bhagavad-gétä it is said that only with the sanction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can the demigods offer benedictions. Therefore, whenever any sacrifice is offered to a demigod, the Supreme Lord in the form of näräyaëa-çilä, or çälagräma-çilä, is put forward to observe the sacrifice. Actually, the demigods cannot give any benediction without the sanction of the Supreme Lord. Närada Muni, therefore, advised that even for religiosity, economic development, sense gratification or liberation, one should approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, offer prayers and ask for the fulfillment of one’s desire at the lotus feet of the Lord. That is real intelligence. An intelligent person never goes to demigods to pray for anything. He goes directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the cause of all benediction.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 4:8:41., purport extract)
 

yaträçrama-padäny ubhayato näbhibhir dåñac-cakraiç cakra-nadé näma sarit-pravarä sarvataù pavitré-karoti.

In Pulaha-äçrama is the Gaëòaké River, which is the best of all rivers. The çälagräma-çilä, the marble pebbles, purify all those places. On each and every marble pebble, up and down, circles like navels are visible.
PURPORT
Çälagräma-çilä refers to pebbles that appear like stones with circle; marked up and down. These are available in the river known as Gaëòaké-nadé. Wherever the waters of this river flow, the place becomes immediately sanctified.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 5:7:10., text and purport.)
 

ity evaà nigüòha-nirvedo visåjya mågéà mätaraà punar bhagavat-kñetram upaçama-çéla-muni-gaëa-dayitaà çälagrämaà pulastya-pulahäçramaà kälaïjarät pratyäjagäma.

SYNONYMS
iti—thus; evam—in this way; nigüòha—hidden; nirvedaù—completely unattached to material activities; visåjya—giving up; mågém—the deer; mätaram—its mother; punaù—again; bhagavat-kñetram—the place where the Supreme Lord is worshiped; upaçama-çéla—completely detached from all material attachments; muni-gaëa-dayitam—which is dear to the great saintly residents; çälagrämam—the village known as Çälagräma; pulastya-pulaha-äçramam—to the äçrama conducted by such great sages as Pulastya and Pulaha; kälaïjarät—from the Kälaïjara Mountain, where he had taken his birth in the womb of a deer; pratyäjagäma—he came back.

TRANSLATION
Although Bharata Mahäräja received the body of a deer, by constant repentance he became completely detached from all material things. He did not disclose these things to anyone, but he left his mother deer in a place known as Kälaïjara Mountain, where he was born. He again went to the forest of Çälagräma and to the äçrama of Pulastya and Pulaha.
PURPORT
It is significant that Mahäräja Bharata, by the grace of Väsudeva, remembered his past life. He did not waste a moment; he returned to Pulaha-äçrama to the village known as Çälagräma. Association is very meaningful; therefore ISKCON tries to perfect one who enters the society. The members of this society should always remember that the society is not like a free hotel. All the members should be very careful to execute their spiritual duties so that whoever comes will automatically become a devotee and will be able to return back to Godhead in this very life. Although Bharata Mahäräja acquired the body of a deer, he again left his hearth and home, in this case the Mountain Kälaïjara. No one should be captivated by his birthplace and family; one should take shelter of the association of devotees and cultivate Kåñëa consciousness.
 

If one commits any of the above offenses, one must read at least one chapter of Bhagavad-gétä. This is confirmed in the Skanda-Puräëa, Avanté-khaëòa. Similarly, there is another injunction, stating that one who reads the thousand names of Viñëu can be released from all offenses. In the same Skanda-Puräëa, Revä-khaëòa, it is said that one who recites prayers to tulasé or sows a tulasé seed is also freed from all offenses. Similarly, one who worships the çälagräma-çilä can also be relieved of offenses. In the Brahmaëòa Puräëa it is said that one who worships Lord Viñëu, whose four hands bear a conchshell, disc, lotus flower and club, can be relieved from the above offenses. In the Ädi-varäha Puräëa it is said that a worshiper who has committed offenses may fast for one day at the holy place known as Çaukarava and then bathe in the Ganges.
In the process of worshiping the Deity it is sometimes enjoined that one worship the Deity within the mind. In the Padma Puräëa, Uttara-khaëòa, it is said, “All persons can generally worship within the mind.” The Gautaméya Tantra states, “For a sannyäsé who has no home, worship of the Deity within the mind is recommended.” In the Närada-païcarätra it is stated by Lord Näräyaëa that worship of the Deity within the mind is called mänasa-püjä, One can become free from the four miseries by this method. Sometimes worship from the mind can be independently executed. According to the instruction of Avirhotra Muni, one of the nava-yogendras, as mentioned in Çrémad-Bhägavatam, one may worship the Deity by chanting all the mantras. Eight kinds of Deities are mentioned in the çästra, and the mental Deity is one of them. In this regard, the following description is given in the Brahma-vaivarta Puräëa.
In the city of Pratiñöhäna-pura, long ago, there resided a brähmaëa who was poverty-stricken but innocent and not dissatisfied. One day he heard a discourse in an assembly of brähmaëas concerning how to worship the Deity in the temple. In that meeting, he also heard that the Deity may be worshiped within the mind. After this incident, the brähmaëa, having bathed in the Godävaré River, began mentally worshiping the Deity. He would wash the temple within his mind, and then in his imagination he would bring water from all the sacred rivers in golden and silver waterpots. He collected all kinds of valuable paraphernalia for worship, and he worshiped the Deity very gorgeously, beginning from bathing the Deity and ending with offering ärati. Thus he felt great happiness. After many years had passed in this way, one day within his mind he cooked nice sweet rice with ghee to worship the Deity. He placed the sweet rice on a golden dish and offered it to Lord Kåñëa, but he felt that the sweet rice was very hot, and therefore he touched it with his finger. He immediately felt that his finger had been burned by the hot sweet rice, and thus he began to lament. While the brähmaëa was in pain, Lord Viñëu in Vaikuëöha began smiling, and the goddess of fortune inquired from the Lord why He was smiling. Lord Viñëu then ordered His associates to bring the brähmaëa to Vaikuëöha. Thus the brähmaëa attained the liberation of sämépya, the facility of living near the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 7:5:23-24., purport extract.)
 

“A person who is very faithfully engaged in the worship of the Deity in the temple but does not know how to behave toward devotees or people in general is called a präkåta-bhakta, or kaniñöha-adhikäré.” Therefore, in the temple there must be the Deity of the Lord, and the Lord should be worshiped by the devotees. This combination of the devotees and the Deity creates a first-class transcendental place.
Aside from this, if a gåhastha devotee worships the çälagräma-çilä, or the form of the Deity at home, his home also becomes a very great place. It was therefore customary for members of the three higher classes—namely the brähmaëas, kñatriyas and vaiçyas—to worship the çälagräma-çilä, or a small Deity of Rädhä-Kåñëa or Sétä-Räma in each and every home. This made everything auspicious. But now they have given up the Deity worship. Men have become modernized and are consequently indulging in all sorts of sinful activities, and therefore they are extremely unhappy.
(Srimad Bhagavatam. 7:14:30-33., purport extract.)
 

Çréla Madhväcärya quotes from the Skanda Puräëa as follows: “Religious persons should reside within an eight-mile radius of rivers, oceans, mountains, hermitages, forests, spiritual cities or places where the çälagräma-çélä is found. All other places should be considered kékaöa, or contaminated. But if even in such contaminated places black and spotted antelopes are found, one may reside there as long as sinful persons are not also present. Even if sinful persons are present, if the civil power rests with respectable authorities, one may remain. Similarly, one may dwell wherever the Deity of Viñëu is duly installed and worshiped.”
(Srimad Bhagavatam 11:21:8., purport of disciples of ACBSP.)
 

Various classes of devotees worship the Deity of the Personality of Godhead according to their various stages of faith in the Lord. An advanced devotee of Lord Kåñëa understands his eternal loving relationship with the Lord and, seeing the Deity as the Lord Himself, establishes an eternal relationship with the Deity based on loving servitude to Him. Understanding Lord Kåñëa to be the eternal form of bliss and knowledge, a faithful devotee makes a permanent arrangement for Deity worship, installing the Lord’s form made of, for example, stone, wood or marble.
The çälagräma-çilä is considered to be automatically installed even without the formal ceremony, and so it is forbidden to call the Deity with mantras or ask the Deity to leave. On the other hand, if one prepares a Deity form by drawing on sanctified ground or by constructing a sand image, one must call the Deity with mantras and then ask the Deity to leave the external form, which will soon be demolished by the natural elements.
The general principle is that a pure devotee of the Lord understands his relationship with the Deity to be eternal. The more one surrenders in loving devotion to the Deity, the more one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Kåñëa is a person, but He is the Supreme Person, possessing His own unique feelings. One can easily please the Lord by devotional service offered to His Deity form. By pleasing the Lord one can gradually progress in the mission of human life and eventually go back home, back to Godhead, where the Deity personally appears before the devotee and welcomes the devotee to His personal abode, known throughout the world as the kingdom of God.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 11:27:14., purport of disciples of ACBSP.)
 

There are many Vaiñëava families in Bengal whose members, although not actually born brähmaëas, act as äcäryas by initiating disciples and offering the sacred thread as enjoined in the Vaiñëava tantras. For example, in the families of Öhäkura Raghunandana Äcärya, Öhäkura Kåñëadäsa, Navané Hoòa and Rasikänanda-deva (a disciple of Çyämänanda Prabhu), the sacred thread ceremony is performed, as it is for the caste Gosvämés, and this system has continued for the past three to four hundred years. Accepting disciples born in brähmaëa families, they are bona fide spiritual masters who have the facility to worship the çälagräma-çilä, which is worshiped with the Deity. As of this writing, çälagräma-çilä worship has not yet been introduced in our Kåñëa consciousness movement, but soon it will be introduced in all our temples as an essential function of arcana-märga (Deity worship).
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Ädi-lila 7.45. purport)
 

Çré Rämadäsa, later known as Abhiräma Öhäkura, was one of the twelve gopälas, or cowherd boyfriends, of Çré Nityänanda Prabhu. The Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (126) states that Çré Rämadäsa was formerly Çrédämä. In the Bhakti-ratnäkara (Fourth Wave), there is a description of Çréla Abhiräma Öhäkura. By the order of Çré Nityänanda Prabhu, Abhiräma Öhäkura became a great äcärya and preacher of the Caitanya cult of devotional service. He was a very influential personality, and nondevotees were very much afraid of him. Empowered by Çré Nityänanda Prabhu, he was always in ecstasy and was extremely kind to all fallen souls. It is said that if he offered obeisances to any stone other than a çälagräma-çilä, it would immediately fracture.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Ädi-lila 11:13. purport)
 

Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura writes in his Anubhäñya, “The village of Maheça Paëòita, which is known as Pälapäòä, is situated in the district of Nadia within a forest about one mile south of the Cäkadaha railway station. The Ganges flows nearby. It is said that formerly Maheça Paëòita lived on the eastern side of Jiräö in the village known as Masipura or Yaçépura, and when Masipura merged into the riverbed of the Ganges, the Deities there were brought to Pälapäòä, which is situated in the midst of various villages such as Beleòäìgä, Berigräma, Sukhasägara, Cänduòe and Manasäpotä. (There are about fourteen villages, and the entire neighborhood is known as Päïcanagara Paragaëä.) It is mentioned that Maheça Paëòita joined the festival performed by Çré Nityänanda Prabhu at Pänihäöi. Narottama däsa Öhäkura also joined in the festival, and Maheça Paëòita saw him on that occasion. In the temple of Maheça Paëòita there are Deities of Gaura-Nityänanda, Çré Gopénätha, Çré Madana-mohana and Rädhä-Govinda, as well as a çälagräma-çilä.”
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Ädi-lila 11:32. purport)
 

In Saptagräma there is still a temple with a six-armed Deity of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu that was personally worshiped by Çréla Uddhäraëa Datta Öhäkura. On the right side of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu is a Deity of Çré Nityänanda Prabhu, and on the left side is Gadädhara Prabhu. There are also a Rädhä-Govinda mürti and a çälagräma-çilä, and below the throne is a picture of Çré Uddhäraëa Datta Öhäkura. In front of the temple there is now a big hall, and in front of the hall is a Mädhavé-latä plant. The temple is in a very shady, cool and nicely situated location. When we returned from America in 1967, the executive committee members of this temple invited us to visit it, and thus we had the opportunity to visit this temple with some American students. Formerly, in our childhood, we visited this temple with our parents because all the members of the suvarëa-vaëik community enthusiastically take interest in this temple of Uddhäraëa Datta Öhäkura.
Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura adds in his Anubhäñya: “In the Bengali year 1283 [A.D. 1876] a bäbäjé of the name Nitäi däsa arranged for a donation of twelve bighäs of land (about four acres) for the temple where Uddhäraëa Datta Öhäkura worshiped. The management of the temple later deteriorated, but then in 1306 (A.D. 1899), through the cooperation of the famous Balaräma Mullik of Hugli, who was a subjudge, and many rich suvarëa-vaëik community members, the management of the temple improved greatly. Not more than fifty years ago, one of the family members of Uddhäraëa Datta Öhäkura named Jagamohana Datta established a wooden mürti [statue] of Uddhäraëa Datta Öhäkura in the temple, but that mürti is no longer there; at present, a picture of Uddhäraëa Datta Öhäkura is worshiped. It is understood, however, that the wooden mürti of Uddhäraëa Öhäkura was taken away by Çré Madana-mohana Datta and is now being worshiped with a çälagräma-çilä by Çrénätha Datta.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Ädi-lila 11:41. purport extract)
 

Among the celebrated disciples of Maìgala Öhäkura are Präëanätha Adhikäré, Puruñottama Cakravarté of the village of Käìdaòä, and Nåsiàha-prasäda Mitra, whose family members are well-known mådaìga players. Sudhäkåñëa Mitra and Nikuïjavihäré Mitra are both especially famous mådaìga players. In the family of Puruñottama Cakravarté there are famous persons like Kuïjavihäré Cakravarté and Rädhävallabha Cakravarté, who now live in the district of Birbhum. They professionally recite songs from Caitanya-maìgala. It is said that when Maìgala Öhäkura was constructing a road from Bengal to Jagannätha Puré, he found a Deity of Rädhävallabha while digging a lake. At that time he was living in the locality of Käìdaòä, in the village named Räëépura. The çälagräma-çilä personally worshiped by Maìgala Öhäkura still exists in the village of Käìdaòä. A temple has been constructed there for the worship of Våndävana-candra. Maìgala Öhäkura had three sons—Rädhikäprasäda, Gopéramaëa and Çyämakiçora. The descendants of these three sons are still living.”
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Ädi-lila 12:87. purport extract)
 

eta bali’ duìhe rahe harañita haïä
çälagräma sevä kare viçeña kariyä
SYNONYMS
eta bali’—after this conversation; duìhe—both of them; rahe—remained; harañita—jubilant; haïä—becoming; çälagräma—çälagräma-näräyaëa-çilä; sevä—service; kare—rendered; viçeña—with special attention; kariyä—giving it.
TRANSLATION
After this conversation, both husband and wife were very jubilant, and together they rendered service to the household çälagräma-çilä.
PURPORT
Especially in every brähmaëa’s house there must be a çälagräma-çilä to be worshiped by the brähmaëa family. This system is still current. People who are brähmaëas by caste, who are born in a brähmaëa family, must worship the çälagräma-çilä. Unfortunately, with the progress of Kali-yuga, the so-called brähmaëas, although very proud of taking birth in brähmaëa families, no longer worship the çälagräma-çilä. But actually it has been a custom since time immemorial that a person born in a brähmaëa family must worship the çälagräma-çilä in all circumstances. In our Kåñëa consciousness society, some of the members are very anxious to introduce worship of the çälagräma-çilä, but we have purposely refrained from introducing it because most of the members of the Kåñëa consciousness movement do not originally come from families of the brähmaëa caste. After some time, when we find that they are actually situated strictly in the line of brahminical behavior, çälagräma-çilä worship will be introduced.
In this age, the worship of the çälagräma-çilä is not as important as the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. That is the injunction of the çästra: harer näma harer näma harer nämaiva kevalaà/ kalau nästy eva nästy eva nästy eva gatir anyathä [Cc. Ädi 17.21]. Çréla Jéva Gosvämé’s opinion is that by chanting the holy name offenselessly one becomes completely perfect. Nevertheless, just to purify the situation of the mind, worship of the Deity in the temple is also necessary. Therefore when one is advanced in spiritual consciousness or is perfectly situated on a spiritual platform, he may take to the worship of the çälagräma-çilä.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Ädi-lila 13:86. purport extract)
 

TRANSLATION
Jagannätha Miçra said, “Certainly child Kåñëa is with the çälagräma-çilä. Taking His childhood form, He is playing within the room.”
PURPORT
When the form of the Lord is carved from wood, stone or any other element, it is to be understood that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is there. Even logically we can understand that all material elements are expansions of the energy of the Lord. Since the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is nondifferent from His personal body, the Lord is always present in His energy, and He manifests Himself on account of the ardent desire of a devotee. Since the Lord is supremely powerful, it is logical that He can manifest Himself in His energy. Deity worship or worship of the çälagräma-çilä is not idol worship. The Deity of the Lord in the house of a pure devotee can act exactly as He can in His original transcendental personality.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Ädi-lila 14:9. purport.)
 

According to the system of Vedic society, whenever an unknown sannyäsé comes to a village or town, someone must invite him to take prasädam in his home. Sannyäsés generally take prasädam in the house of a brähmaëa because the brähmaëa worships the Lord Näräyaëa çilä, or çälagräma-çilä, and therefore there is prasädam that the sannyäsé may take. Keçava Bhäraté accepted the invitation of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Thus the Lord had a good opportunity to explain His desire to take sannyäsa from him.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Ädi-lila 17:269. purport.)
 

The subject matter of the Hari-bhakti-viläsa, by Çré Sanätana Gosvämé, was collected by Çréla Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé and is known as a vaiñëava-småti. This vaiñëava-småti-grantha was finished in twenty chapters, known as viläsas. In the first viläsa there is a description of how a relationship is established between the spiritual master and the disciple, and mantras are explained. In the second viläsa, the process of initiation is described. In the third viläsa, the methods of Vaiñëava behavior are given, with emphasis on cleanliness, constant remembrance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the chanting of the mantras given by the initiating spiritual master. In the fourth viläsa are descriptions of saàskära, the reformatory method; tilaka, the application of twelve tilakas on twelve places of the body; mudrä, marks on the body; mälä, chanting with beads; and guru-püjä, worship of the spiritual master. In the fifth viläsa, one is instructed on how to make a place to sit for meditation, and there are descriptions of breathing exercises, meditation and worship of the çälagräma-çilä representation of Lord Viñëu. In the sixth viläsa, the required practices for inviting the transcendental form of the Lord and bathing Him are given. In the seventh viläsa, one is instructed on how to collect flowers used for the worship of Lord Viñëu. In the eighth viläsa, there is a description of the Deity and instructions on how to set up incense, light lamps, make offerings, dance, play music, beat drums, garland the Deity, offer prayers and obeisances and counteract offenses. In the ninth viläsa, there are descriptions about collecting tulasé leaves, offering oblations to forefathers according to Vaiñëava rituals, and offering food. In the tenth viläsa there are descriptions of the devotees of the Lord (Vaiñëavas, or saintly persons). In the eleventh viläsa, there are elaborate descriptions of Deity worship and the glories of the holy name of the Lord. One is instructed on how to chant the holy name of the Deity, and there are discussions about offenses committed while chanting the holy name, along with methods for getting relief from such offenses. There are also descriptions of the glories of devotional service and the surrendering process. In the twelfth viläsa, Ekädaçé is described. In the thirteenth viläsa, fasting is discussed, as well as observance of the Mahä-dvädaçé ceremony. In the fourteenth viläsa, different duties for different months are outlined. In the fifteenth viläsa, there are instructions on how to observe Ekädaçé fasting without even drinking water. There are also descriptions of branding the body with the symbols of Viñëu, discussions of Cäturmäsya observations during the rainy season, and discussions of Janmäñöamé, Pärçvaikädaçé, Çravaëä-dvädaçé, Räma-navamé and Vijayä-daçamé. The sixteenth viläsa discusses duties to be observed in the month of Kärttika (October-November), or the Dämodara month, or Ürja, when lamps are offered in the Deity room or above the temple. There are also descriptions of the Govardhana-püjä and Ratha-yäträ. The seventeenth viläsa discusses preparations for Deity worship, mahä-mantra chanting and the process of japa. In the eighteenth viläsa the different forms of Çré Viñëu are described. The nineteenth viläsa discusses the establishment of the Deity and the rituals observed in bathing the Deity before installation. The twentieth viläsa discusses the construction of temples, referring to those constructed by the great devotees. The details of the Hari-bhakti-viläsa-grantha are given by Çré Kaviräja Gosvämé in the Madhya-lélä (24.329–345). The descriptions given in those verses by Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé are actually a description of those portions compiled by Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé. According to Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura, the regulative principles of devotional service compiled by Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé do not strictly follow our Vaiñëava principles. Actually, Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé collected only a summary of the elaborate descriptions of Vaiñëava regulative principles from the Hari-bhakti-viläsa. It is Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé’s opinion, however, that to follow the Hari-bhakti-viläsa strictly is to actually follow the Vaiñëava rituals in perfect order. He claims that the smärta-samäja, which is strictly followed by caste brähmaëas, has influenced portions that Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé collected from the original Hari-bhakti-viläsa. It is therefore very difficult to find out Vaiñëava directions from the book of Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé. It is better to consult the commentary made by Sanätana Gosvämé himself for the Hari-bhakti-viläsa under the name of Dig-darçiné-öékä. Some say that the same commentary was compiled by Gopénätha-püjä Adhikäré, who was engaged in the service of Çré Rädhä-ramaëajé and who happened to be one of the disciples of Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya lila 1:35. purport extract.)
We have two elaboration on this section of HariBhakti Vilas here 1 - 2.
 

Often in the province of Gäìga-pradeça there were fights between Hindus and Muslims. The Hindus were on one bank of the river, and the Muslims on the other. Due to the community tension, no boat was available for crossing the river. The Muslim soldiers were always stopping passengers on the other side, but Madhväcärya did not care for these soldiers. He crossed the river anyway, and when he met the soldiers on the other side, he was brought before the king. The Muslim king was so pleased with him that he wanted to give him a kingdom and some money, but Madhväcärya refused. While walking on the road, he was attacked by some dacoits, but by his bodily strength he killed them all. When his companion Satya Tértha was attacked by a tiger, Madhväcärya separated them by virtue of his great strength. When he met Vyäsadeva, he received from him the çälagräma-çilä known as Añöamürti. After this, he summarized the Mahäbhärata.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya lila 9:245. purport extract.) (Madhwacharya - Udupi)
 

eka-dina çäly-anna, vyaïjana päìca-säta
çäka, mocä-ghaëöa, bhåñöa-paöola-nimba-päta
lembu-ädä-khaëòa, dadhi, dugdha, khaëòa-sära
çälagräme samarpilena bahu upahära
SYNONYMS
eka-dina—one day; çäli-anna—cooked rice made of çäli paddy; vyaïjana—vegetables; päìca-säta—five to seven different kinds; çäka—spinach; mocä-ghaëöa—curry made from banana flowers; bhåñöa—fried; paöola—paöola vegetables; nimba-päta—with leaves of the nimba tree; lembu—lemon; ädä-khaëòa—pieces of ginger; dadhi—yogurt; dugdha—milk; khaëòa-sära—sugar candy; çälagräme—unto Lord Viñëu in the form of the çälagräma; samarpilena—offered; bahu upahära—many other varieties of food.

“One day My mother, Çacé, offered food to Çälagräma Viñëu. She offered rice cooked from çäli paddies, various kinds of vegetables, spinach, curry made of banana flowers, fried paöola with nimba leaves, pieces of ginger with lemon, and also yogurt, milk, sugar candy and many other foods.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya lila 15:54-55. text.)
 

päka-çälära dakñiëe——dui bhogälaya
eka-ghare çälagrämera bhoga-sevä haya
SYNONYMS
päka-çälära dakñiëe—on the southern side of the kitchen; dui bhoga-älaya—two rooms for offering food; eka-ghare—in one room; çälagrämera—of Lord Çälagräma; bhoga-sevä—offering of food; haya—there is.
TRANSLATION
On the southern side of the kitchen were two rooms for offering food, and in one of them the food was offered to Çälagräma Näräyaëa.
PURPORT
Among the followers of the Vedic way, the çälagräma-çilä, the vigraha of Näräyaëa, is worshiped in the form of a stone ball. In India, every brähmaëa still worships the çälagräma-çilä in his home. The vaiçyas and kñatriyas may also engage in this worship, but it is compulsory in the house of a brähmaëa.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya lila 15:204. text and purport.)
 

prätaù-käle akrüre äsi’ randhana kariyä
prabhure bhikñä dena çälagräme samarpiyä
SYNONYMS
prätaù-käle—in the morning; akrüre—to Akrüra-tértha; äsi’—coming; randhana kariyä—cooking; prabhure—unto Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; bhikñä dena—offer lunch; çälagräme samarpiyä—after offering to the çälagräma-çilä.
TRANSLATION
In the morning they would come to Akrüra-tértha and cook food. After offering it to the çälagräma-çilä, they offered it to Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya lila 18:134. text.)
 

çré-mürti-lakñaëa, ära çälagräma-lakñaëa
kåñëa-kñetra-yäträ, kåñëa-mürti-daraçana
SYNONYMS
çré-mürti-lakñaëa—characteristics of the Deity; ära—and; çälagräma-lakñaëa—characteristics of the çälagräma-çilä; kåñëa-kñetra-yäträ—visiting places like Våndävana, Dvärakä and Mathurä; kåñëa-mürti-daraçana—visiting the Deity in the temple.
TRANSLATION
“The characteristics of the Deities should be discussed, as well as the characteristics of the çälagräma-çilä. You should also discuss visiting the Deities in the temple and touring holy places like Våndävana, Mathurä and Dvärakä.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya lila 24:335. text.)
 

The çälagräma-çilä should be worshiped with tulasé where a sufficient quantity of tulasé leaves are available. Worship of çälagräma-çilä should be introduced in all ISKCON temples. Çälagräma-çilä is the form of the Lord’s mercy. To worship the Deity with the sixty-four items mentioned may be a difficult job, but the Lord has become so small that anyone in any temple can carefully handle Deity worship simply by performing the same activities with the çälagräma-çilä.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya lila 24:336. purport extract.)
 

In the days of Haridäsa Öhäkura, all the brähmaëas worshiped Näräyaëa in the form of the çälagräma-çilä. Therefore begging from a brähmaëa’s house meant taking kåñëa-prasädam, which is transcendental (nirguëa). If we take food from the houses of others, such as karmés, we shall have to share the qualities of those from whom we take alms. Therefore Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu took prasädam in the houses of Vaiñëavas. This is the general process. The members of the Kåñëa consciousness movement are advised not to take food from anywhere but a Vaiñëava’s or brähmaëa’s house where Deity worship is performed. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu has said, viñayéra anna khäile duñöa haya mana: if a devotee takes alms or food from the house of a karmé who is simply interested in money, his mind will become unclean. We must always remember that a devotee’s life is one of vairägya-vidyä, or renunciation and knowledge. Therefore all devotees are warned not to live unnecessarily luxurious lives at the cost of others. Gåhasthas living within the jurisdiction of the temple must be especially careful not to imitate karmés by acquiring opulent clothing, food and conveyances. As far as possible, these should be avoided. A member of the temple, whether gåhastha, brahmacäré or sannyäsé, must practice a life of renunciation, following in the footsteps of Haridäsa Öhäkura and the six Gosvämés. Otherwise, because mäyä is very strong, at any time one may become a victim of mäyä and fall down from spiritual life.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 3:101. purport.)
 

Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu instructed Raghunätha däsa, “This stone is the transcendental form of Lord Kåñëa. Worship the stone with great eagerness.”
PURPORT
Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura writes in his Anubhäñya that in the opinion of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, the govardhana-çilä, the stone from Govardhana Hill, was directly the form of Kåñëa, the son of Mahäräja Nanda. The Lord used the stone for three years, and then in the heart of Raghunätha däsa the Lord awakened devotional service to the stone. The Lord then gave the stone to Raghunätha däsa, accepting him as one of His most confidential servants. However, some envious people conclude that because Raghunätha däsa had not taken birth in the family of a brähmaëa, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu did not give him the right to worship the Deity directly but instead gave him a stone from Govardhana. This kind of thought is näraké, or hellish. As stated in the Padma Puräëa, arcye viñëau çilä-dhér guruñu nara-matir vaiñëave jäti-buddhiù . . . yasya vä näraké saù. If one thinks that the worshipable çälagräma-çilä is a mere stone, that the spiritual master is an ordinary human being or that a pure Vaiñëava preaching the bhakti cult all over the world is a member of a particular caste or material division of society, he is considered a näraké, a candidate for hellish life. When Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu instructed that the govardhana-çilä, the stone taken from Govardhana, is nondifferent from the body of Çré Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He indirectly advised such foolish persons that one should not be envious of a Vaiñëava who belongs to a different caste or sect. One should accept a Vaiñëava as transcendental. In this way one can be saved; otherwise, one is surely awaiting a hellish life.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:294. text and purport.)
More on Govardhan shilas; HERE
 

It has been a custom since time immemorial that a person born in a brähmaëa family must.worship the çälagräma-çilä in all circumstances. In our Kåñëa consciousness society, some of the members are very anxious to introduce the çälagräma-çilä, but we have purposely refrained from introducing it because most of the members of the Kåñëa consciousness movement do not originally come from families of the brähmaëa caste. After some time, when we find that they are actually situated strictly in the line of brahminical behavior, this çälagräma-çilä will be introduced.
In this age, the worship of the çälagräma-çilä is not as important as the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. That is the injunction of the çästra.

harer näma harer näma
harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä
 [Cc. Ädi 17.21]

Çréla Jéva Gosvämé’s opinion is that by chanting the holy name offenselessly one becomes completely perfect. Nevertheless, just to purify the situation of the mind, worship of the Deity in the temple is also necessary. Therefore when one is advanced in spiritual consciousness or is perfectly situated on a spiritual platform he may take to the worship of the çälagräma-çilä.
(Sri Chaitanya-charitämrita Ädi-lilä 13.86. purport.)
 

In the Vedas there are prescription of sacrifice, so many different types of sacrifices, yajïa. So yajïa is the name of Viñëu. Another name of Viñëu is Yajïa. In the Bhagavad-gétä it is said, yajïärthe karma. Karma-käëòéya, rituals, religious rituals, this is meant for yajïärthe, sacrifice, or Viñëu. In every sacrifice there must be Viñëu. Those who are Hindus, following the Vedic principles, any yajïa, any sacrifice, any religious ceremony you perform, there must be yajïe vara(?), çälagräma-çilä. Without çälagräma-çilä, no yajïa sacrifice can be performed.
(Srimad Bhagavatam lecture 1:2:28-29. 8th November 1972, Vrindavan.)
 

Therefore one who is very charitable and munificent, he’s compared with the cloud. If you want to sprinkle water even a few yards, you have to take so much trouble. But you see the cloud distributes rain like anything. More than sufficient. Even on the hill, even on the sea. So we are indebted to the demigods. Just like water department. You have to pay tax. Or the light department, you have to pay tax. If you don’t pay the bill of the electrical department, it will be cut off, will be discontinued. But we are not paying any bill to the sun-god. Just see. We are taking advantage of the sunshine, but what payment we are paying? Nothing. Therefore this yajïa is recommended. Saha-yajïäù prajäù såñövä, in the Bhagavad-gétä it is said. Saha-yajïäù prajäù såñövä. You are born with the responsibility of performing yajïa. If you perform yajïa or if you perform sacrifice in the name of Sürya, in the name of Candra, in the name of Indra, Väyu, then they will be pleased and will give you regular sunshine, regular moonshine, regular rain. Then you’ll be happy. Therefore in the Vedas this deva-yajïa is recommended.
But this yajïa is performed not for satisfying the particular demigod. Even if you perform any yajïa for satisfying the demigod, the Näräyaëa is situated there. The näräyaëa-çilä, çälagräma-çilä is there whenever there is some yajïa. Because He is the yajïa-puruña. Actually, when you pay tax to the light department or water department, it is not that the director or the in-charge of the light department and water department takes that money. He does not take money. It goes to the government treasury. Similarly... Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad-gétä,
ye ’py anya-devatä-bhaktä
yajante çraddhayänvitäù
te ’pi mäm eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-pürvakam
Avidhi-pürvakam. The tax department... There are different tax department, but if you pay the whole amount, government treasure making a bill for this department, this, this department, this, then automatically it will be distributed. Similarly the deva-yajïa, to perform yajïa in the name of the demigods, can all be performed in one yajïa when you become Kåñëa conscious.
(Srimad Bhagavatam lecture 1:8:49. 29th October 1974. Mayapur.)
 

Pradyumna: “Especially for the householder-devotees, the path of Deity worship is strongly recommended. As far as possible, every householder, by the direction of the spiritual master, must install the Deity of Viñëu, forms like Rädhä-Kåñëa, Lakñmé-Näräyaëa, or Sétä-Räma especially, or any other form of the Lord, like Nåsiàha, Varäha, Gaura-Nitäi, Matsya, Kürma, çälagräma-çilä and many other forms of Viñëu, like Trivikrama, Keçava, Acyuta, Väsudeva, Näräyaëa, Dämodara, etc., as they are recommended in the Vaiñëava tantras or puräëas, and one’s family should worship strictly, following the directions and regulation of arcanä-vidhi.”
Prabhupäda: Hm. Now, this is the important point. I understand that some of our householder devotees are ordering for Deities in India. But here is the point. The point is that they “worship strictly, following the direction and regulation of arcanä-vidhi.” Don’t make a play. If you follow strictly the Deity worship method, then you establish; otherwise, don’t establish. It will be offense. One who is able to manage... Just like we are showing the example, how to worship Deity in the temple.
In the same way, if one can... The idea is, as here, our devotees are engaged in the worship of the Deity, similarly, a householder, when all the family members are trained up how to worship the Deity, then they can establish. Not that make a farce. Cleanliness, and the rules and regulation, that must be... That is the duty of every... Actually, the higher castes in India still, everyone—brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya—they must have Deity worship at home. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gétä it is said, çucénäà çrématäà gehe yoga-bhrañöo ’bhijäyate [Bg. 6.41].
Anyone who is rich in India still, they have got Deity worship at home. Very nicely. A separate house, a small house attached to their big buildings, and there is Deity worship, and the all the members should go there, offer prayers. Just like we are doing, the similar, same thing there. In Kanpur there is one temple, Dvärakädhéça. The temple belongs to a very rich man, Singhania. The, all the members... It is order of the lady, the mother of Mr. Singhania, that “You all of you, you must visit the Deity...” Very rich men, always busy in business. But still, they have to come to the temple and offer respect, take caraëämåta and prasädam. Then go to office. If one misses one day, then he will be fined. Still. The head man will be fined ten dollars, and the next man five dollars, like that, according to position. So if one day somebody misses, immediately the priest will go with the bill of fine: “Sir, you have to pay this fine.” “Yes. You take immediately.”
Still there are such rules and regulations. So Deity worship, it is the duty of all householders, Deity worship. That means automatically all the members become devotees. But it must be done according... there are sixty-four kinds of offenses. In The Nectar of Devotion you’ll find. Deity worship... For chanting Hare Kåñëa mantra, there are ten kinds of offenses. But Deity worship, there are so many offenses. These are described. “You cannot sit down before the Deity like this, you cannot yawn before the Deity, you cannot talk nonsense before the Deity.” So many things are there. So therefore it is said that “strictly following the direction and regulation of arcanä-vidhi.” So you are being trained up. In India they are trained up since centuries. Their culture is different. They automatically can adopt, immediately.
They’re trained up. You are not trained up as yet. You are being trained. So unless you are fully trained, don’t establish Deity to make a farce. Better learn it perfectly in the temple, and when you think that the members of the household are also now as good as the devotees in the temple, then you must establish the Deity. That is required. Next.
Pradyumna: “Any member of the family who is above twelve years of age should be initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, and all the members of the household should be engaged in the daily service of the Lord, beginning from morning, 4 a.m., till night, 10 p.m. ...”
Prabhupäda: Hm. This is Deity worship. Not that sleeping up to 9:00 and Deity worship. This is farce. That is not allowed. That will be offense. All the members must rise early in the morning, just we are doing in the temple. At 4 a.m. take bath, cleanse, and offer ärätrika. That is the beginning of Deity worship. And all the members should be so trained up... Suppose one is absent for some business, the other members should take it. There will be so many assistants, but the Deity worship must go on very nicely. Then?
Pradyumna: by performing maìgala-ärätrika, niraïjana, arcana, püjä, kértana, çåìgära, bhoga-vaikäli, sandhyä-ärätrika, päöha, bhoga (at night), çayana-ärätrika, etc. Engagement in such worship of the Deity, under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master, will greatly help the householders to purify their very existence and make rapid progress in spiritual knowledge. Simple theoretical book knowledge is not sufficient for a neophyte devotee. Book knowledge is theoretical, whereas the arcana process is practical. Spiritual knowledge must be developed by a combination of theoretical and practical knowledge, and that is the guaranteed way for attainment of spiritual perfection. The training of devotional service for a neophyte devotee completely depends on the expert spiritual master who knows how to lead his disciple to make gradual progress towards the path back home, back to Godhead.
One should not become a pseudo spiritual master as a matter of business to meet one’s family expenditures; one must be an expert spiritual master to deliver the disciple from the clutches of impending death. Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura has defined the bona fide qualities of a spiritual master, and one of the verses in that description reads:

çré-vigrahärädhana-nitya-nänä-
çåìgära-tan-mandira-märjanädau
yuktasya bhaktäàç ca niyuïjato ’pi
vande guroù çré-caraëäravindam **

Çré-vigraha is the arcä, or suitable worshipable form of the Lord, and the disciple should be engaged in worshiping the Deity regularly by çåìgära, by proper decoration and dressing, as also by mandira-märjana, the matter of cleansing the temple. The spiritual master teaches the neophyte devotee all these kindly and personally to help him gradually in the realization of the transcendental name, quality, form, etc., of the Lord.
Only attention engaged in the service of the Lord, especially in dressing and decorating the temple, accompanied by musical kértana and spiritual instructions from scriptures, can save the common man from the hellish cinema attractions and rubbish sex-songs broadcast everywhere by radios. If one is unable to maintain a temple at home, he should go to another’s temple where all the above performances are regularly executed. Visiting the temple of a devotee and looking at the profusely decorated forms of the Lord well dressed in a well-decorated, sanctified temple naturally infuse the mundane mind with spiritual inspiration. People should visit holy places like Våndävana where such temples and worship of the Deity are specifically maintained. Formerly all rich men like kings and rich merchants constructed such temples under the direction of expert devotees of the Lord, like the six Gosvämés, and it is the duty of the common man to take advantage of these temples and festivals observed in the holy places of pilgrimage by following in the footsteps of great devotees (anuvraja). One should not visit all these sanctified pilgrimage places and temples with sightseeing in mind, but one must go to such temples and sanctified places immortalized by the transcendental pastimes of the Lord and be guided by proper men who know the science. This is called anuvraja. Anu means to follow. It is therefore best to follow the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master, even in visiting temples and the holy places of pilgrimage. One who does not move in that way is as good as a standing tree condemned by the Lord not to move. The moving tendency of the human being is misused by visiting places for sightseeing. The best purpose of such traveling tendencies could be fulfilled by visiting the holy places established by great äcäryas and thereby not being misled by the atheistic propaganda of moneymaking men who have no knowledge of spiritual matters.
Prabhupäda: So you can keep (indistinct) (devotees offer obeisances—end)
(Srimad Bhagavatam lecture excerpt 2:3:22. 19th June 1972. Los Angeles.)
 

So that yoga system, ädhyätmika, is being explained by Kapiladeva, that you’ll never fall down. Permanent, fixed-up position. Once begun, it will continue. Even if you fall down, then you are given chance again. What is that? Çucénäà çrématäà gehe yoga-bhrañöo ’bhijäyate. Very nice family, brähmaëa family. Brähmaëa family means Vaiñëava family. Brähmaëa-vaiñëava, brähmaëa-paëòita. Brähmaëa means he must be learned and he must be a Vaiñëava. Oà tad viñëoù paramaà padaà sadä paçyanti sürayaù. Viñëu. Therefore in every brähmaëa house there is viñëu-püjä, Viñëu-çälagräma. Still. From descent, I mean to say, generation, it is coming down. Brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya, they are supposed to worship Lord Viñëu. Not only brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya, çüdra... Çüdra also. Varëäçramäcäravatä puruñeëa paraù pumän viñëur ärädhyate. This is statement of Viñëu Puräëa. Varëäçrama, the execution of duty in the institution of varëa and äçrama, four varëas and four äçramas, what is the meaning? The meaning is viñëur ärädhyate, Viñëu becomes very pleased. That is varëäçrama-dharma. If you execute as a pakka brähmaëa, that means Viñëu will be pleased. If you execute your duties as a perfect kñatriya, then Viñëu will be pleased. If you execute your duty as a perfect vaiçya, then Viñëu will be pleased. And if you execute your duties as a perfect çüdra, Viñëu will be pleased. The purpose is to please Viñëu. Therefore na te viduù... The purpose they do not know. They have forgotten. Not now. This is the nature of this material world: na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi..., to please Viñëu. Viñëu means Kåñëa. Kåñëa means Viñëu. Viñëu is expansion of Kåñëa. So Kåñëa has millions of forms, as Viñëu, Näräyaëa and other also. Advaitam acyutam anädim ananta-rüpam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta-rüpam. Ädyaà puräëa-puruñaà nava-yauvanaà ca. So viñëur ärädhyate panthä nänyat tat-toña-käraëam. There is no other alternative to please Him. Therefore varëäçrama-dharma is very important. That is the beginning of perfect human civilization.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3:25:14 lecture excerpt. 14th November 1974. Bombay.)
 

Unless Kåñëa becomes available to your service, then how you can serve? We have, at the present moment, no eyes to see Kåñëa. Therefore Kåñëa, out of His causeless mercy, He has appeared in His original form just to receive or accept service from you. You cannot serve Kåñëa in His viräò-rüpa. Therefore Kåñëa has come to you to accept your service in this metal or stone form. But He is not metal or stone. This is called kåñëa-tattva-jïäna.
 Arcye viñëau çilä-dhér guruñu nara-matir vaiñëave jäti-buddhiù. These things are forbidden. You cannot... Arcye viñëau çilä-dhéù. Kåñëa or Viñëu, the same thing—if you think that this mürti is made of stone, çilä-dhéù, or Çälagräma-çilä, if you think it is çilä or stone, this is näraké-buddhiù. This is not recommended. It is... Don’t think. Arcye viñëau çilä-dhér guruñu nara-matiù. And those who are guru, spiritual master, Vaiñëava, if you think of them that he is ordinary human being, that is forbidden. Gäìga-jala or caraëämåta, if you think ordinary water, that is forbidden. Vaiñëave jäti-buddhiù. Vaiñëava, who has become devotee of Kåñëa, if you think that he belongs to this caste, he belongs to that caste, that is also forbidden. Näraké-buddhiù. These things are näraké-buddhiù. At least, those who do not know how Kåñëa can be transcendental in all His features... Therefore we are forbidden, “Don’t take like that.” It is a fact that this Kåñëa in this temple is the same origin Kåñëa who is in the Vaikuëöha, but because we have no eyes to see, because we are not mature to see Kåñëa, therefore we should accept this, I mean to say, negation, that “Don’t think like that.” Then we will be able to understand.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3:26:4 lecture excerpt. 16th December 1974. Bombay.)
 

Therefore the safety principle is to accept luncheon in a pious family, where there is Vaiñëava family or brähmaëa family. Not that anywhere we can accept cooked food. Sometimes we have to do it, but that is against principle. We should not accept food anywhere and everywhere, unless he is pious. The brähmaëas are supposed to be pious; therefore, a sannyäsé is advised to accept food, luncheon in the brähmaëa family. And brähmaëa family, still, not all, a few families still in India, they worship regularly Näräyaëa-çilä, çalagräma-çilä.
(Srimad Bhagavatam lecture excerpt 5:5:1-2. 7th September 1973. Stockholm, Sweden.)
 

So this Ajämila became çuci, brähmaëa. Then guru, agni. Guru, the spiritual master; agni, the fire; and atithi. Atithi means uninvited guest, hospitality. If somebody comes at your home without your invitation, he is called atithi. Tithi means particular time and date. But a person arrives at your home without any invitation on particular time and date, he is called atithi. Atithi-satkära. This is also one of the items of Vedic culture. Atithi-satkära. So the sannyäsés especially, they are begging from door to door. So they have no fixed up program in which door he will go on which date. No. Anywhere they approach. Therefore atithi means generally the brahmacäré and the sannyäsa. Brahmacäré is also begging alms from door to door, and a sannyäsé also allowed, but door to door does not mean that he would collect more than is necessity. But he does not cook. A sannyäsé goes to a pure householder’s life, er, home, because generally in a brähmaëa’s house or kñatriya or vaiçya... But not to a çüdra. This is restriction. Why? Because the three upper classes, brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya, especially the brähmaëa—they are considered the topmost—they have got Viñëu worship at home. Still in all brähmaëa’s family, ancestral çälagräma-çilä is worshiped in a brähmaëa family. So also in kñatriya family also. So these sannyäsés go to a brähmaëa family because it is known fact the brähmaëas are engaged in worshiping Viñëu.
Brähmaëa means Vaiñëava. Brähmaëa means paëòita. Therefore two words are used along with the word brähmaëa: brähmaëa-vaiñëava, brähmaëa-paëòita. Çruta-sampannaù. The first qualification is çruta-sampannaù. He must be learned scholar in Vedic... Vedic knowledge means çruti. So that is the first qualification. Ayaà hi çruta-sampannaù. So therefore brähmaëa is paëòita. Without becoming a paëòita, how one can become brähmaëa? Çruta-sampannaù. Çruta-sampannaù, then guru, agni, very respectful to spiritual master, agni, the fire... Because a brähmaëa has to make fire sacrifice every day. Guru, agni, and atithi. Atithi is a sannyäsés. They are coming to a brähmaëa’s house for one capäté. They don’t want more. They are called mädhu-karé. Mädhu-karé means mädhu... Mädhu is collected by drops, not in lump. The, what is called, bees? Honey bees? What is called? No, honey, and bees, what is called? Mädhumakñi? Bumblebees. Yes. So they collect a drop—from this flower, drop; that flower, drop; that flower, drop. In this way they make a big honeycomb. So a brähmaëas and kñatriya, er, sannyäsés, although they are meant for collecting, they do not collect heavy at a place. Little. Because they are collecting not for his sense gratification. He is collecting for satisfying Kåñëa. So everyone is given chance, that “You give little. You give little. You give little,” and whole thing is engaged in Kåñëa’s service. And just like here we have got the container of flour and container of rice. So although we are feeding two hundred men daily, still, it can be collected by muñöi. Everyone, gåhastha, can come and place one muñöi attar. That is not difficult for him. He has got children, family. He is consuming five kilos of attar daily. Out of that, little, if it is put into the temple, he does not feel any burden. Therefore the collection... Sannyäsé, brahmacäré collects little, little, little from everywhere. That is called mädhukäri, exactly following the footsteps of mädhukära, bumblebees.
So they are very... Householder, this is meant for the householder especially. This is ideal householder, that guru, agni, atithi, våddhänäm. Old man also should be taken care of. Nowadays the philosophy is coming: “mercy-killing.” “Old men should be killed to show him mercy.” Because he is burden in the society, the communistic theory “Old man does not do anything and simply eats; therefore to show him mercy he should be killed.” “Mercy-killing.” Just see the philosophy: “Killing is mercy.” But this is going on. “Mercy-killing.” Is that? “Mercy-killing”? What is that?
Brahmänanda: They kill someone for that person’s benefit.
Prabhupäda: Benefit. So the man killer, will he take that benefit? If somebody comes that “I shall kill you for your benefit,” that he will be afraid of. But he is philosophizing, “mercy-killing.” This is going on. So one should be respectful also to the old men. According to Vedic knowledge, brähmaëa, old men, child, woman, and cow—they have no fault. They are free. They are not within this jurisdiction of law. So therefore cow-killing, brähmaëa-killing, woman-killing, and elderly-person-killing, they are accepted as the great sinful activities. So gurv-agny-atithi-våddhänäà çüçrüñur anahaìkåtaù. Anahaìkåtaù, not with any pride or puffedness, anahaìkåtaù, very humbly. Sarva-bhüta-suhåtam. This is the most exalted qualification, to become well-wisher of all living entities, not that we open hospitals for the human being and we send the cows to the slaughterhouse or poor animals should be slaughtered. That is not suhåt sarva-bhütänäm. That is partiality and it has no meaning. If you become envious to other living entities and if you become friend of particular living entity, that is not good qualification. Suhådaù sarva-bhütänäà. Sarva-bhütaù-suhåt sädhu. He is sädhu. Sädhavaù sädhu-bhüñaëäù. These are the qualification of a sädhu. Suhådaù sarva-bhütänäm. Sädhavaù sädhu-bhüñaëäù. Everything is described in the Vedic literature, all description.
(Srimad Bhagavatam lecture 6:1:56-57. 14th August 1975. Bombay.)
 

One should not consider the Deity as made of stone, arcye çilä-dhér. Çälagräma-çilä. If somebody says, “What is this, a stone chip, or stone ball?” No. These are warned in the çästra. Vaiñëave... Ja... Similarly, to consider a Vaiñëava as belonging to certain caste is as abominable as to think that the Deity is made of stone. Everyone knows it is made of stone. But are we worshiping the stone? We are spending so much money for decorating stone? No. Because we have no eyes to see, we see stone. Kåñëa is not stone. Kåñëa is Kåñëa. Kåñëa is absolute. He can appear in any way, any form, as He likes. That is His mercy. Because we cannot see except stone. Similarly, therefore He appears as stone. But He’s not stone. If we think that it is stone, then we are gone to hell. You see. No. Arcye çilä-dhér.
(Nectar of Devotion lecture excerpt 28th January 1973, Calcutta.)
 

Prabhupäda: So I’ll offer one day sweet rice to Kåñëa in this pot. I have asked already Govinda dasi to make little sweet rice and offer to Kåñëa. Then the pot will be used. Yes. [break] ...India still, amongst the Hindu family, whenever they use some new thing, household, they’ll offer first of all to the Deity. Every family has got Deity. Every Hindu family, especially the high class, brähmaëas, kñatriyas, they must have Näräyaëa-çilä. You know Näräyaëa-çilä? Çälagräma.
Janärdana: Stone.
Prabhupäda: Yes. That is worshiped in every family. Arcye çilä-dhéù. Çilä means stone. So arcye, the worshipable... I think this is correct.
Janärdana: Yeah, it’s correct.
(Room Conversation 27th October 1968. Montreal.)
 

Acyutänanda: They have rewritten the Bible, “Thou shalt not murder.”
Prabhupäda: [break] ...can be used as paper weight. (laughter) [break] ...use anything for Kåñëa.
Yaçodänandana: ...temples they are worshiping this Dvärakä-çilä with the çalagräma-çilä.
Prabhupäda: That’s all right, but we have no such instruction. (end)
(Morning Walk 8th January 1976, Nellore.)
More on Dwarka shilas HERE
 

Sudämä: But on this one time should we bathe directly?
Prabhupäda: No, you can bathe çälagräma.
Sudämä: Bathe çälagräma.
Prabhupäda: Bathe the çälagräma-çilä.
Sudämä: Place Him... Place the Deity there and çälagräma in front of Them and then bathe çälagräma.
(Morning Walk 3rd February 1976, Mayapura)
 

Saurabha: For the abhiñeka ceremony, that lasted about an hour, up till one o’clock, and everyone remained. There were thousands of people. They were just everywhere around.
Prabhupäda: I will give you one çälagräma-çilä. So as it is being worshiped in Mäyäpura, it should be worshiped in Bombay also.
Gopäla Kåñëa: You want to start it now or in the new temple?
Prabhupäda: No, now. Çälagräma-çilä. It is not difficult. You have seen çälagräma-çilä?
Saurabha: I have seen.
Prabhupäda: So you’ll take it and...
Saurabha: I’m going back tomorrow night.
(Room Conversation. 20th August 1976. Hyderabad, AP.)

Prabhupäda: So go and pick up and make arrangement immediately show them. One thing, that we have got this çälagräma-çilä. So if you like to personally worship, we can keep it. Otherwise I am sending to Bombay. Do you like to worship?
Pradyumna: We can take with us? Yes.
Gopäla Kåñëa: That is good to take with you.
Prabhupäda: Yes.
Pradyumna: We can make small thing like you used to have, small Deities? We can do that.
Prabhupäda: Yes. Make a small box.
Gopäla Kåñëa: Here there are carpenters. We can get it made before you leave.
Prabhupäda: So we can carry and every morning just put in a siàhäsana and tulasé and water and flower and little fruit. That’s all. He has got tendency to worship.
Gargamuni: He is brähmaëa. Paëòita.
Prabhupäda: Paëòitjé.
Gopäla Kåñëa: He and Nitäi are both considered the paëòitjés.
Prabhupäda: Yes, they are paëòita.
Gargamuni: He is training his son also.
Prabhupäda: Yes, his son will be great paëòita. Both of them are devotees, husband and wife. Therefore nice son is born. Yathä béjaà yathä yoni. Yathä béjaà yathä yoni. Yoni is the mother. Béjam is the father. Yathä béjaà yathä yoni. So I’ll not send it to Bombay.
Gopäla Kåñëa: No. Okay. Good. It’s better to...
Prabhupäda: My father used to carry çälagräma-çilä if he was going out in the...
Gopäla Kåñëa: In the neck?
Prabhupäda: His Guru Mahäräja advised him.
Gopäla Kåñëa: It’s auspicious.
Prabhupäda: No, it is the safest place. In a linen handkerchief, bound up. Yes. So it is safe always, kaëöha. My father used to carry. Wherever he would stay, gaìga-jala, tulasé, decoration. Say, half an hour business. My father was a great devotee. Yes.
Gopäla Kåñëa: You dedicated the Kåñëa book to him.
Prabhupäda: Yes. Because he was a pure Vaiñëava. And he wanted me to become like this. He was praying Rädhäräëé. He was praying to Rädhäräëé. And any saintly person would come, he would simply say, “Give blessings to my son that he may become a Rädhäräëé’s servant.” That was my father’s prayer. He never prayed that “My son may become very rich man.” He never prayed like that. Actually, his ardent desire that his son may become a Vaiñëava. And my Guru Mahäräja’s training has put me this position. That I have admitted. Later on. What is that word I have given? Hmm? Find out.
Gargamuni: “The eternal father?”
Gopäla Kåñëa: “Which was later on solidified...”
Prabhupäda: Ahh!
Gopäla Kåñëa: “...by my eternal father.”
Prabhupäda: “The ideas given by my father were solidified by...”
Gopäla Kåñëa: That’s what you said.
Prabhupäda: Read it.
Gargamuni: “To my father, Gour Mohan De, 1849-1930, pure devotee of Kåñëa, who raised me as a Kåñëa conscious child from the beginning of my life. In my boyhood ages he instructed me how to play the mådaìga. He gave me Rädhä-Kåñëa vigraha to worship and he gave me Jagannätha Ratha to duly observe the festival as my childhood play. He was kind to me, and I imbibed from him the ideas later on solidified by my spiritual master, the eternal father.”
Gopäla Kåñëa: Very beautifully written.
Gargamuni: Yes, very poetic.
Prabhupäda: That is a fact. I got good father and good spiritual master. That’s all.
Gargamuni: We have gotten bad father, but now we have spiritual father.
Prabhupäda: No bad father. Unless good father, son cannot be good. Yathä yoni yathä béjam.
Hari-çauri: They must be just fallen.
Gargamuni: They have not accepted your mercy.
Gopäla Kåñëa: They’ll all benefit by the son’s devotional service. It doesn’t matter how fallen they are, you know.
Prabhupäda: My father never chastised me.
Hari-çauri: I think you said your mother was always very strict.
Prabhupäda: Because he was very lenient. So mother had to be little strict for my education...............
(Room Conversation 21st August 1976. Hyderabad. AP.)
(By the mercy of Guru and Krishna this Shalagram is with Jaya Tirtha Charan dasa now - Gopinath.)
 

Prabhupäda: So first of all finish your construction. Then you go to (indistinct).
Saurabha: (indistinct), they carving the wood and everything, the shape of the...
Prabhupäda: Now, we shall bring priests from Hyderabad.
Saurabha: Aha. That is the technical thing. But I was speaking regarding the construction because I want to know whether you want to have the bathing ceremony only taking place on the opening day, or also later on the facility can...
Prabhupäda: No, no.
Saurabha: Only that day.
Prabhupäda: Only that day.
Saurabha: Then is it necessary to make this special arrangement that this...
Prabhupäda: No, no. The small deities, çälagräma, they are worshiped. And big Deity, they are decorated nicely. No need of worshiping.
Saurabha: So only the opening ceremony.
Prabhupäda: Yes.
Harikeça: Nitäi had them bathe the big Deities here, Rädhä and Kåñëa, on Janmäñöamé.
Dhanaïjaya: And on Balaräma’s appearance day, the big Deities were bathed. Kåñëa-Balaräma.
Harikeça: Terrible speculation.
Dhanaïjaya: Actually Janmäñöamé celebrations were very bad and it’s very...
Prabhupäda: Therefore the color has faded? He is a rascal.
Harikeça: I remember that when these Deities... They’re never to be washed. Never water was to touch. Supposed to put a plastic bag over the Deity. That was... If you have to use the big Deities, you’re supposed to cover them with plastic.
Prabhupäda: Why did you allow? Just see, this is the disease. Rascals they do not know. And although I was...
Dhanaïjaya: No, but everyone was listening to him. He was posing himself as the most learned in Deity worship.
Prabhupäda: That he’s fond of.
Dhanaïjaya: He was introducing Hari-bhakti-viläsa.
Harikeça: But it doesn’t say in Hari-bhakti-viläsa that you bathe in water marble Deities. It says you’re supposed to have a smaller set for bathing. That’s in Hari-bhakti-viläsa.
Dhanaïjaya: His idea was that we would become the most famous temple for bathing big Deities in Våndävana. This was his idea.
Prabhupäda: That bathing is not done on the siàhäsana. The Deity is taken out. Then it is done. But that is very risky. You cannot do it.
Dhanaïjaya: And besides that, the bathing was done by devotees who are not experienced in Deity worship.
Prabhupäda: Don’t allow him. This botheration he has gone. He is simply posing himself very learned Sanskrit scholar, above everything. That is his ambition.
Saurabha: And on the opening day the Deities will be on the altar or they will be in front when they’re bathed? When the bathing is taking place in Bombay for the opening...
Prabhupäda: That the priest will arrange who will come from...
Saurabha: Yes. But they will be on the altar or they will be in front?
Prabhupäda: No. In the front they are left.
Saurabha: So not on the altar.
Prabhupäda: No. But if it is risky, you should not do. Big Deity, we have got big Deity, huh?
Harikeça: Yes, very heavy. They are very heavy, Rädhä-Räsabihäré.
Prabhupäda: What they do in Hyderabad?
Harikeça: Hyderabad the Deity was already installed. There was no need for bathing so they didn’t do it.
Prabhupäda: Other Deities?
Dhanaïjaya: Here, just like here for the opening on pratiñöhä.
Harikeça: Yes, they bathed the small Rädhä and Kåñëa.
Prabhupäda: Anyway, we should not take risk at any rate.
Harikeça: Rädhä-Räsabihäré, also, when They came from Akash-Ganga there was a disturbance with Them also. Rädhä has a tendency to crack on the arm. Her left arm cracks.
Prabhupäda: Where?
Harikeça: Slightly. There was a very weak, it was very weak. Very weak. I remember ’cause they had to move three times. I was there all the times when They were moved.
Prabhupäda: In Bombay.
Harikeça: In Bombay. And every time they were very upset because of this left arm.
Prabhupäda: This risk should not be taken at any gain. Never mind Hari-bhakti-viläsa, this-viläsa—no risk. You must always know. No risk. That is the first point. Then we consult Hari-bhakti-viläsa. Nobody can give reference to Hari-bhakti-viläsa at risk. No. Not at all. Do? Anything more?
Dhanaïjaya: Can I ask one question? You were mentioning that you wanted to start local industries, casting Deities.
Prabhupäda: Yes, we can purchase... We can...
Dhanaïjaya: Purchase raw materials?
Prabhupäda: So, everything is all right now?
Dhanaïjaya: So I was wondering...
Prabhupäda: Can you come, there... [break] There are, what is called, Deity makers here?
Dhanaïjaya: Well, most of the Deities, they are cast in Aligarh.
Prabhupäda: Aligarh? Oh.
Dhanaïjaya: Yes. Then they’re brought here and there is, craftsmen, they finish. They polish then they add...
(Room Conversation 11th September 1976, Vrindavan.)
 

Kapiladeva was a young man, say 15 or 16 years. He appeared as a baby. Salagrama sila is a black stone ball, round, with eyes and nose painted with gopicandana with a golden crown on and placed on one small srngasana. Advaita Acarya was worshiping this way.
(excerpt of letter to Jadurani dasi 8th November 1973, New Delhi.)
Read More about Advaita Acharya worshipping the Salagram
 

My dear Palika dasi,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters of 17th and 25th March, 1972, and shall answer as follows: 1. There is no question of bathing Caitanya deity. Of course He is bathed many times daily by Hare Krishna Mantra, but for bathing of such deities requires Salagrama Sila, and I have not introduced yet, but I shall do so later. Of course you should always cleanse Him with dry or damp cloth from time to time, but no daily bathing process is recommended by me for the time being. 2. You may dress Him in the same manner as Lord Krishna. 3. Deities should be changed in early morning, after mangala arati, before noon offering, and before Sundara arati They should be put on Their fine dress. 4. The Govardhana rock should be returned to Mt. Govardhana as soon as possible. I am very glad that you are doing such a nice service by worshiping Radharani and Krishna so nicely and giving Them so many nice clothes and ornaments and taking such nice care, so now I am very much relieved to know everything is going well in Calcutta during my absence. Now you make Mayapur into a gorgeous palace for Radha and Krishna, and I shall come there immediately and sit down there permanently to stay by Them.
Hoping this meets you in good health,
Your ever well-wisher.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
(letter to Palika dasi - unknown date June 1976.)

Prabhupäda: Very good advancement. What is this?
Tamäla Kåñëa: It says, “Äçrama Stems.” It’s describing the construction of your palace. And here’s a picture of the two çälagrämas which they now worship. Look how elaborate!
Prabhupäda: Very good.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Çré Hiraëyagarbha and Çré Sudarçana in jeweled thrones. This is making the top of the domes. On your Palace there’s... The top domes have lotus petals coming under them. So over that will go the domes. This is very big. The devotees are making the whole thing themselves. This shows devotees. See, this is a form, and into this form they’ll pour concrete and other things and make shapes like these lotus petals. It’s all hand done. “The Hare Kåñëa Movement.” This is pictures of saìkértana in Pittsburgh and Wheeling, West Virginia. “Iñöagoñöhi: Questions and answers discussed between His Holiness Kértanänanda Swami and members and guests of New Vrindaban.” “Cow-Kathä.” (laughter) Like kåñëa-kathä, cow-kathä.
(Room Conversation 8th July 1977.)
 

The specific “solitary place” where Indra approached Çré Kåñëa is mentioned by the sage Çré Vaiçampäyana in the Hari-vaàça (Viñëu-parva 19.3): sa dadarçopaviñöaà vai govardhana-çilä-tale. “He saw Him [Kåñëa] sitting at the base of Govardhana Hill.”
From the commentaries of the äcäryas we understand that Lord Kåñëa wanted to provide a solitary meeting for Indra so that he would not be further humiliated. Indra came to surrender and beg forgiveness, and the Lord allowed him to do so privately.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 10:27:2. purport)

govardhana dekhi’ prabhu ha-ilä daëòavat
‘eka çilä’ äliìgiyä ha-ilä unmatta
SYNONYMS
govardhana dekhi’—seeing Govardhana Hill; prabhu—Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; ha-ilä daëòavat—offered obeisances like a straight rod; eka çilä—one piece of stone; äliìgiyä—embracing; ha-ilä—became; unmatta—maddened.
TRANSLATION
When the Lord saw Govardhana Hill, He immediately offered obeisances, falling down on the ground like a rod. He embraced one piece of rock from Govardhana Hill and became mad.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya lila 18:16. text)
 

preme matta cali’ äilä govardhana-gräma
‘harideva’ dekhi’ tähäì ha-ilä praëäma
SYNONYMS
preme—in ecstatic love; matta—maddened; cali’—proceeding; äilä—came; govardhana-gräma—to the village known as Govardhana; harideva—the Deity named Harideva installed there; dekhi’—seeing; tähäì—there; ha-ilä praëäma—offered obeisances.
TRANSLATION
Mad with ecstatic love, the Lord came to the village known as Govardhana. There He saw the Deity named Harideva and offered His obeisances unto Him.
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya lila 18:17. text)
 

eta bali’ täìre punaù prasäda karilä
‘govardhanera çilä’, ‘guïjä-mälä’ täìre dilä
SYNONYMS
eta bali’—saying this; täìre—unto him; punaù—again; prasäda karilä—gave something in mercy; govardhanera çilä—a stone from Govardhana Hill; guïjä-mälä—a garland of small conchshells; täìre dilä—delivered to him.
TRANSLATION
After saying this, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu again bestowed His mercy upon Raghunätha däsa by giving him a stone from Govardhana Hill and a garland of small conchshells.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:288

çaìkaränanda-sarasvaté våndävana haite äilä
teìha sei çilä-guïjä-mälä laïä gelä
SYNONYMS
çaìkaränanda-sarasvaté—one of the devotees of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; våndävana haite—from Våndävana; äilä—came; teìha—he; sei—that; çilä-guïjä-mälä—stone and the garland of small conchshells; laïä—taking; gelä—went.
TRANSLATION
Previously, when Çaìkaränanda Sarasvaté had returned from Våndävana, he had brought the stone from Govardhana Hill and also the garland of conchshells.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:289

pärçve gäìthä guïjä-mälä, govardhana-çilä
dui vastu mahäprabhura äge äni’ dilä
SYNONYMS
pärçve—on one side; gäìthä—strung together; guïjä-mälä—the garland of small conchshells; govardhana-çilä—the stone from Govardhana; dui vastu—two things; mahäprabhura äge—in front of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; äni’ dilä—presented.
TRANSLATION
He presented Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu with these two items—the garland of conchshells and the stone from Govardhana Hill.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:290

dui apürva-vastu päïä prabhu tuñöa hailä
smaraëera käle gale pare guïjä-mälä
SYNONYMS
dui—two; apürva-vastu—uncommon things; päïä—getting; prabhu—Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; tuñöa hailä—became very happy; smaraëera käle—at the time of remembering (when He was chanting Hare Kåñëa); gale—on the neck; pare—wears; guïjä-mälä—the garland of small conchshells.
TRANSLATION
Upon receiving these two uncommon items, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu was extremely happy. While chanting, He would put the garland around His neck.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:291

govardhana-çilä prabhu hådaye-netre dhare
kabhu näsäya ghräëa laya, kabhu çire kare
SYNONYMS
govardhana-çilä—the stone from Govardhana Hill; prabhu—Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; hådaye—on the heart; netre—on the eyes; dhare—puts; kabhu—sometimes; näsäya—with the nose; ghräëa laya—smells; kabhu—sometimes; çire kare—He puts on His head.
TRANSLATION
The Lord would put the stone to His heart or sometimes to His eyes. Sometimes He would smell it with His nose and sometimes place it on His head.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:292

netra-jale sei çilä bhije nirantara
çiläre kahena prabhu——‘kåñëa-kalevara’
SYNONYMS
netra-jale—by the tears of His eyes; sei—that; çilä—stone; bhije—remains wet; nirantara—always; çiläre—the stone; kahena—says; prabhu—Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; kåñëa-kalevara—the body of Lord Kåñëa.
TRANSLATION
The stone from Govardhana was always moist with tears from His eyes. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu would say, “This stone is directly the body of Lord Kåñëa.”
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:292

ei-mata tina-vatsara çilä-mälä dharilä
tuñöa haïä çilä-mälä raghunäthe dilä
SYNONYMS
ei-mata—in this way; tina-vatsara—for three years; çilä-mälä—the stone and the garland of conchshells; dharilä—He kept; tuñöa haïä—when He became very happy; çilä-mälä—the stone and the garland; raghunäthe—to Raghunätha däsa; dilä—He delivered.
TRANSLATION
For three years He kept the stone and garland. Then, greatly satisfied by the behavior of Raghunätha däsa, the Lord delivered both of them to him.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:293

prabhu kahe,——“ei çilä kåñëera vigraha
iìhära sevä kara tumi kariyä ägraha
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe—Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu said; ei çilä—this stone; kåñëera vigraha—the form of Lord Kåñëa; iìhära—of this; sevä—worship; kara—do; tumi—you; kariyä ägraha—with great eagerness.
TRANSLATION
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu instructed Raghunätha däsa, “This stone is the transcendental form of Lord Kåñëa. Worship the stone with great eagerness.”
PURPORT
Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura writes in his Anubhäñya that in the opinion of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, the govardhana-çilä, the stone from Govardhana Hill, was directly the form of Kåñëa, the son of Mahäräja Nanda. The Lord used the stone for three years, and then in the heart of Raghunätha däsa the Lord awakened devotional service to the stone. The Lord then gave the stone to Raghunätha däsa, accepting him as one of His most confidential servants. However, some envious people conclude that because Raghunätha däsa had not taken birth in the family of a brähmaëa, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu did not give him the right to worship the Deity directly but instead gave him a stone from Govardhana. This kind of thought is näraké, or hellish. As stated in the Padma Puräëa, arcye viñëau çilä-dhér guruñu nara-matir vaiñëave jäti-buddhiù . . . yasya vä näraké saù. If one thinks that the worshipable çälagräma-çilä is a mere stone, that the spiritual master is an ordinary human being or that a pure Vaiñëava preaching the bhakti cult all over the world is a member of a particular caste or material division of society, he is considered a näraké, a candidate for hellish life. When Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu instructed that the govardhana-çilä, the stone taken from Govardhana, is nondifferent from the body of Çré Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He indirectly advised such foolish persons that one should not be envious of a Vaiñëava who belongs to a different caste or sect. One should accept a Vaiñëava as transcendental. In this way one can be saved; otherwise, one is surely awaiting a hellish life.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:294

ei çilära kara tumi sättvika püjana
acirät päbe tumi kåñëa-prema-dhana
SYNONYMS
ei çilära—of this stone; kara—do; tumi—you; sättvika püjana—worshiping like a perfect brähmaëa, or in the mode of goodness; acirät—very soon; päbe tumi—you will get; kåñëa-prema—ecstatic love of Kåñëa; dhana—wealth.
TRANSLATION
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu continued, “Worship this stone in the mode of goodness like a perfect brähmaëa, for by such worship you will surely attain ecstatic love of Kåñëa without delay.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:295

eka kuìjä jala ära tulasé-maïjaré
sättvika-sevä ei——çuddha-bhäve kari
SYNONYMS
eka—one; kuìjä—jug; jala—water; ära—and; tulasé-maïjaré—flowers of the tulasé tree; sättvika-sevä—worship in goodness; ei—this; çuddha-bhäve—in complete purity; kari—performing.
TRANSLATION
“For such worship, one needs a jug of water and a few flowers from a tulasé tree. This is worship in complete goodness when performed in complete purity.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:296

dui-dike dui-patra madhye komala maïjaré
ei-mata añöa-maïjaré dibe çraddhä kari’”
SYNONYMS
dui-dike—on two sides; dui-patra—two tulasé leaves; madhye—within; komala maïjaré—very soft tulasé flowers; ei-mata—in this way; añöa-maïjaré—eight tulasé flowers; dibe—you should offer; çraddhä kari’—with faith and love.
TRANSLATION
“With faith and love, you should offer eight soft tulasé flowers, each with two tulasé leaves, one on each side of each flower.”
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:297

çré-haste çilä diyä ei äjïä dilä
änande raghunätha sevä karite lägilä
SYNONYMS
çré-haste—by His own transcendental hand; çilä—the stone from Govardhana Hill; diyä—delivering; ei äjïä—this order; dilä—He gave; änande—in great happiness; raghunätha—Raghunätha däsa; sevä karite lägilä—began to worship.
TRANSLATION
After thus advising him how to worship, Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu personally offered Raghunätha däsa the govardhana-çilä with His transcendental hand. As advised by the Lord, Raghunätha däsa worshiped the çilä in great transcendental jubilation.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:298

eka-vitasti dui-vastra, piìòä eka-khäni
svarüpa dilena kuìjä änibäre päni
SYNONYMS
eka-vitasti—about six inches long; dui-vastra—two cloths; piìòä eka-khäni—one wooden platform; svarüpa dilena—Svarüpa Dämodara Gosvämé delivered; kuìjä—a jug; änibäre päni—for bringing water.
TRANSLATION
Svarüpa Dämodara gave Raghunätha däsa two cloths, each about six inches long, a wooden platform and a jug in which to keep water.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:299

ei-mata raghunätha karena püjana
püjä-käle dekhe çiläya ‘vrajendra-nandana’
SYNONYMS
ei-mata—in this way; raghunätha—Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé; karena püjana—worships; püjä-käle—while worshiping; dekhe—he sees; çiläya—in the stone from Govardhana; vrajendra-nandana—the son of Nanda Mahäräja.
TRANSLATION
Thus Raghunätha däsa began worshiping the stone from Govardhana, and as he worshiped he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, the son of Nanda Mahäräja, directly in the stone.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:300.

‘prabhura svahasta-datta govardhana-çilä’
ei cinti’ raghunätha preme bhäsi’ gelä
SYNONYMS
prabhura—of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; sva-hasta—own hand; datta—handed over by; govardhana-çilä—the stone from Govardhana Hill; ei cinti’—thinking this; raghunätha—Raghunätha däsa; preme—in ecstatic love; bhäsi’ gelä—became overflooded.
TRANSLATION
Thinking of how he had received the govardhana-çilä directly from the hands of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, Raghunätha däsa was always overflooded with ecstatic love.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:301.

jala-tulaséra seväya täìra yata sukhodaya
ñoòaçopacära-püjäya tata sukha naya
SYNONYMS
jala-tulaséra seväya—by worshiping with water and tulasé; täìra—his; yata—as much as; sukha-udaya—rise of transcendental happiness; ñoòaça-upacära-püjäya—by worshiping with sixteen kinds of paraphernalia; tata—so much; sukha—happiness; naya—is not.
TRANSLATION
The amount of transcendental bliss that Raghunätha däsa enjoyed simply by offering water and tulasé is impossible to achieve even if one worships the Deity with sixteen kinds of paraphernalia.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:302

ei-mata kata dina karena püjana
tabe svarüpa-gosäïi täìre kahilä vacana
SYNONYMS
ei-mata—in this way; kata dina—for some days; karena püjana—he worshiped; tabe—at that time; svarüpa-gosäïi—Svarüpa Dämodara Gosvämé; täìre—to him; kahilä vacana—said some words.
TRANSLATION
After Raghunätha däsa had thus worshiped the govardhana-çilä for some time, Svarüpa Dämodara one day spoke to him as follows.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:303.

“añöa-kauòira khäjä-sandeça kara samarpaëa
çraddhä kari’ dile, sei amåtera sama”
SYNONYMS
añöa-kauòira—costing eight kauòis; khäjä-sandeça—khäjä and sandeça sweetmeats; kara samarpaëa—offer; çraddhä kari’—with love and faith; dile—if you offer; sei—that; amåtera sama—just like nectar.
TRANSLATION
“Offer the Govardhana stone eight kauòis worth of the first-class sweetmeats known as khäjä and sandeça. If you offer them with faith and love, they will be just like nectar.”
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:304.

tabe añöa-kauòira khäjä kare samarpaëa
svarüpa-äjïäya govinda tähä kare samädhäna
SYNONYMS
tabe—then; añöa-kauòira—costing eight kauòis; khäjä—the sweetmeat named khäjä; kare samarpaëa—offers; svarüpa-äjïäya—by the order of Svarüpa Dämodara; govinda—the personal servant of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; tähä—that; kare samädhäna—arranges.
TRANSLATION
Raghunätha däsa then began offering the costly sweetmeats known as khäjä, which Govinda, following the order of Svarüpa Dämodara, would supply.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:305

raghunätha sei çilä-mälä yabe päilä
gosäïira abhipräya ei bhävanä karilä
SYNONYMS
raghunätha—Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé; sei çilä—that stone; mälä—garland; yabe—when; päilä—he got; gosäïira—of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; abhipräya—intention; ei—this; bhävanä karilä—he thought.
TRANSLATION
When Raghunätha däsa received from Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu the stone and the garland of conchshells, he could understand the Lord’s intention. Thus he thought as follows.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:306.

“çilä diyä gosäïi samarpilä ‘govardhane’
guïjä-mälä diyä dilä ‘rädhikä-caraëe’”
SYNONYMS
çilä diyä—by offering this stone; gosäïi—Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; samarpilä—offered; govardhane—a place near Govardhana Hill; guïjä-mälä diyä—by offering the garland of small conchshells; dilä—offered; rädhikä-caraëe—shelter at the lotus feet of Çrématé Rädhäräëé.
TRANSLATION
“By offering me the govardhana-çilä, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu has offered me a place near Govardhana Hill, and by offering me the garland of conchshells, He has offered me shelter at the lotus feet of Çrématé Rädhäräëé.”
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:307.

änande raghunäthera bähya vismaraëa
käya-mane sevilena gauräìga-caraëa
SYNONYMS
änande—in transcendental bliss; raghunäthera—of Raghunätha däsa; bähya vismaraëa—forgetting everything external; käya-mane—by mind and body; sevilena—served; gauräìga-caraëa—the lotus feet of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Raghunätha däsa’s transcendental bliss was boundless. Forgetting everything external, he served the lotus feet of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu with his body and mind.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:308.

ananta guëa raghunäthera ke karibe lekhä?
raghunäthera niyama,——yena päñäëera rekhä
SYNONYMS
ananta guëa—unlimited transcendental attributes; raghunäthera—of Raghunätha däsa; ke—who; karibe lekhä—can write; raghunäthera—of Raghunätha däsa; niyama—the strict regulative principles; yena—like; päñäëera rekhä—lines on a stone.
TRANSLATION
Who could list the unlimited transcendental attributes of Raghunätha däsa? His strict regulative principles were exactly like lines on a stone.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 6:309.
 

räsa-sthaléra välu ära govardhanera çilä
çuñka pakka pélu-phala ära guïjä-mälä
SYNONYMS
räsa-sthaléra välu—sand from the place where Lord Kåñëa held His räsa dance; ära—and; govardhanera çilä—a stone from Govardhana Hill; çuñka—dry; pakka—mature; pélu-phala—pélu fruit; ära—also; guïjä-mälä—a garland of small conchshells.
TRANSLATION
The gifts consisted of some sand from the site of the räsa-lélä, a stone from Govardhana Hill, dry ripened pélu fruits and a garland of small conchshells.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 13:67.
 

dämodara-svarüpa-öhäïi täìre samarpila
‘govardhana-çilä’, ‘guïjä-mälä’ täìre dila
SYNONYMS
dämodara-svarüpa-öhäïi—to the care of Svarüpa Dämodara Gosvämé; täìre samarpila—the Lord entrusted him; govardhana-çilä—the stone from Govardhana Hill; guïjä-mälä—the garland of small conchshells; täìre dila—delivered to him.
TRANSLATION
That chapter also tells how the Lord entrusted Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé to the care of Svarüpa Dämodara Gosvämé and gave Raghunätha däsa the gift of a stone from Govardhana Hill and a garland of small conchshells.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya lila 20:113.
 

My dear Batu Gopala dasa,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 9, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for selling so many books there. This is very much wanted. Try to sell again more and more each day. Regarding naming your Cleveland center, New Govardhana Hill is a very nice name. But as far as worshiping a Govardhana Sila from Govardhana hill, that we shall see later on.

I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/ps
(Letter to Batu Gopal dasa. 12th June 1975. Honolulu, Hawaii, USA)

76-06-07
Bombay
My dear Saurabha,
<cut>
Concerning the Govardhana hill sila (stones), keep them there with you and when I come I shall see.
<cut>
I hope that this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/pks
(Letter to Saurabha, 7th June 1976. Los Angeles.)

Go to more ARTICLES