Lord Kåñëa’s Instructions on the Process of Deity Worship
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Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11.27th chapter Summary
In this chapter the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains the process of kriyä-yoga, or Deity worship.
Worshiping the Deity form of the Supreme Lord automatically brings purity and satisfaction to the mind. Thus it is the source of all desirable gains. If a person has no engagement in Deity service he will simply remain attracted to material sense gratification, and he will have no hope of giving up bad association. The Personality of Godhead has given instruction, among the regulations of the Sätvata scriptures, on the process of worshiping Him as the bona fide Deity. Brahmä, Çiva, Närada, Vyäsa and all other sages have recommended this process described by the Lord as most perfectly beneficial for all the occupational classes and spiritual orders of human society, including even the women and çüdras.
There are three varieties of arcana, Deity worship, based on either the original Vedas, the secondary tantras, or a combination of these. The Deity image, the ground, the fire, the sun, the water and the heart of the worshiper are all true locations of the Deity’s presence. The Deity form to be worshiped may be constructed of any one of eight substances—stone, wood, metal, clay, paint, sand (drawn upon the ground), the mind or jewels. These categories are further subdivided into two: temporary and permanent.
The details of the worshiping process are as follows: The devotee should bathe both physically and by chanting mantras, and then he should perform the utterance of Gäyatré at the prescribed juncture of the day. He should arrange a seat facing either east or north, or else directly facing the Deity, and should bathe and clean the Deity. Then he should present clothing and ornaments, sprinkle water on the vessels and other paraphernalia to be used in the worship, and offer water for bathing the Deity’s feet, arghya, water for washing His mouth, fragrant oils, incense, lamps, flowers and food preparations. After this, one should worship the Lord’s personal servants and bodyguards, His consort energies, and the spiritual masters by chanting their respective müla-mantras. The worshiper should recite prayers from the Puräëas and other sources, offer obeisances flat on the ground, beg for benediction, and place on himself the remnants of the Lord’s garlands.
Included in this method of Deity worship are the proper installation of the transcendental Deity by constructing a fine temple, and also the conducting of processions and other festivals. By worshiping Lord Çré Hari with unconditional devotion in this manner, one gains access to pure loving service to His lotus feet. But if one steals property that has been given as charity to the Deity or the brähmaëas, whether given by himself or by others, he will have to take his next birth as a stool-eating worm.
SB 11.27.1
TEXT 1
TEXT
çré-uddhava uväca
kriyä-yogaà samäcakñva
bhavad-ärädhanaà
prabho
yasmät tväà
ye yathärcanti
sätvatäù sätvatarñabha
SYNONYMS
çré-uddhavaù
uväca—Çré Uddhava said; kriyä-yogam—the prescribed
method of activity; samäcakñva—please explain; bhavat—of You;
ärädhanam—the Deity worship; prabho—O Lord; yasmät—based
on what kind of form; tväm—You; ye—who; yathä—in what manner;
arcanti—they worship; sätvatäù—the devotees; sätvata-åñabha—O
master of the devotees.
TRANSLATION
Çré Uddhava said:
My dear Lord, O master of the devotees, please explain to me the prescribed
method of worshiping You in Your Deity form. What are the qualifications
of those devotees who worship the Deity, on what basis is such worship
established, and what is the specific method of worship?
PURPORT
In addition to performing their
prescribed duties, devotees of the Lord engage in regulated worship of
the Lord in His Deity form in the temple. Such worship acts powerfully
to cleanse the heart of both the lust to enjoy one’s material body and
the material family attachment that results directly from this lust. To
be effective, however, the process of Deity worship must be performed in
the authorized way. Therefore Uddhava now inquires from the Lord about
this subject.
SB 11.27.2
TEXT 2
TEXT
etad vadanti munayo
muhur niùçreyasaà
nåëäm
närado bhagavän vyäsa
äcäryo ’ìgirasaù
sutaù
SYNONYMS
etat—this; vadanti—they say;
munayaù—the great sages; muhuù—repeatedly; niùçreyasam—the
highest goal of life; nåëäm—for men; näradaù—Närada
Muni; bhagavän vyäsaù—Çréla Vedavyäsa;
äcäryaù—my spiritual master; aìgirasaù—of
Aìgirä; sutaù—the son.
TRANSLATION
All the great sages repeatedly
declare that such worship brings the greatest benefit possible in human
life. This is the opinion of Närada Muni, the great Vyäsadeva
and my own spiritual master, Båhaspati.
SB
11.27.3-4
TEXTS 3–4
TEXT
niùsåtaà
te mukhämbhojäd
yad äha bhagavän ajaù
putrebhyo bhågu-mukhyebhyo
devyai ca bhagavän bhavaù
etad vai sarva-varëänäm
äçramäëäà
ca sammatam
çreyasäm uttamaà
manye
stré-çüdräëäà
ca mäna-da
SYNONYMS
niùsåtam—emanated;
te—Your; mukha-ambhojät—from the lotus mouth; yat—which; äha—spoke;
bhagavän—the great lord; ajaù—self-born Brahmä; putrebhyaù—to
his sons; bhågu-mukhyebhyaù—headed by Bhågu; devyai—to
the goddess Pärvaté; ca—and; bhagavän bhavaù—Lord
Çiva; etat—this (process of Deity worship); vai—indeed; sarva-varëänäm—by
all the occupational classes of society; äçramäëäm—and
spiritual orders; ca—also; sammatam—approved; çreyasäm—of different
kinds of benefit in life; uttamam—the topmost; manye—I think; stré—for
women; çüdräëäm—and low-class workers; ca—also;
mäna-da—O magnanimous Lord.
TRANSLATION
O most magnanimous Lord, the
instructions on this process of Deity worship first emanated from Your
lotus mouth. Then they were spoken by the great Lord Brahmä to his
sons, headed by Bhågu, and by Lord Çiva to his wife, Pärvaté.
This process is accepted by and appropriate for all the occupational and
spiritual orders of society. Therefore I consider worship of You in Your
Deity form to be the most beneficial of all spiritual practices, even for
women and çüdras.
SB 11.27.5
TEXT 5
TEXT
etat kamala-paträkña
karma-bandha-vimocanam
bhaktäya cänuraktäya
brühi viçveçvareçvara
SYNONYMS
etat—this; kamala-patra-akña—O
lotus-eyed Lord; karma-bandha—from the bondage of material work; vimocanam—the
means of liberation; bhaktäya—to Your devotee; anuraktäya—who
is very attached; brühi—please speak; viçva-éçvara—of
all the lords of the universe; éçvara—O Supreme Lord.
TRANSLATION
O lotus-eyed one, O Supreme Lord
of all lords of the universe, please explain to Your devoted servant this
means of liberation from the bondage of work.
SB 11.27.6
TEXT 6
TEXT
çré-bhagavän
uväca
na hy anto ’nanta-pärasya
karma-käëòasya
coddhava
saìkñiptaà
varëayiñyämi
yathävad anupürvaçaù
SYNONYMS
çré-bhagavän
uväca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; na—there is not; hi—indeed;
antaù—any end; ananta-pärasya—of the boundless; karma-käëòasya—Vedic
prescriptions for the execution of worship; ca—and; uddhava—O Uddhava;
saìkñiptam—in brief; varëayiñyämi—I shall
explain; yathä-vat—in a suitable manner; anupürvaçaù—in
the appropriate order.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead
said: My dear Uddhava, there is no end to the innumerable Vedic prescriptions
for executing Deity worship; so I shall explain this topic to you briefly,
one step at a time.
PURPORT
Here the word karma-käëòa
refers to the various Vedic methods of worship, culminating in Deity worship
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just as the means of sense gratification
and material renunciation are innumerable, the transcendental pastimes
and qualities the Supreme Personality of Godhead enjoys in His own abode,
called Vaikuëöha, are also innumerable. The various concepts
of piety and methods of purification in the material world ultimately cannot
be reconciled amongst themselves without accepting the Absolute Truth,
the Personality of Godhead, since without appreciation of Him there is
no definitive understanding of what is actually obligatory for a human
being. Even though almost all human beings are engaged in various processes
of worship, the Lord will now summarize this topic, describing how one
should worship Him in His Deity form.
SB 11.27.7
TEXT 7
TEXT
vaidikas täntriko miçra
iti me tri-vidho makhaù
trayäëäm épsitenaiva
vidhinä mäà
samarcaret
SYNONYMS
vaidikaù—according to
the four Vedas; täntrikaù—according to practical, explanatory
literatures; miçraù—mixed; iti—thus; me—of Me; tri-vidhaù—of
three kinds; makhaù—sacrifice; trayäëäm—of the three;
épsitena—that which one feels to be most suitable; eva—certainly;
vidhinä—by the process; mäm—Me; samarcaret—one should properly
worship.
TRANSLATION
One should carefully worship
Me by selecting one of the three methods by which I receive sacrifice:
Vedic, tantric or mixed.
PURPORT
Vaidika refers to sacrifice performed
with mantras from the four Vedas and auxiliary Vedic literature. Täntrika
refers to such literatures as the Païcarätra and the Gautaméya-tantra.
And “mixed” indicates utilization of both literatures. It should be remembered
that superficial imitation of elaborate Vedic sacrifices will not bring
one the actual perfection of life. One must perform sacrifice according
to the prescription of the Supreme Lord, who recommends for this age the
chanting of His holy names: Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa,
Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma,
Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.
SB 11.27.8
TEXT 8
TEXT
yadä sva-nigamenoktaà
dvijatvaà präpya
püruñaù
yathä yajeta mäà
bhaktyä
çraddhayä tan nibodha
me
SYNONYMS
yadä—when; sva—specified
according to one’s qualification; nigamena—by the Vedas; uktam—enjoined;
dvijatvam—the status of becoming twice-born; präpya—achieving; püruñaù—a
person; yathä—in which way; yajeta—he should execute worship; mäm—unto
Me; bhaktyä—with devotion; çraddhayä—with faith; tat—that;
nibodha—please hear; me—from Me.
TRANSLATION
Now please listen faithfully
as I explain exactly how a person who has achieved twice-born status through
the relevant Vedic prescriptions should worship Me with devotion.
PURPORT
The word sva-nigamena refers
to the particular Vedic injunctions relevant to one’s social and occupational
status. Members of the brähmaëa, kñatriya and vaiçya
communities all achieve dvijatvam, twice-born status, by initiation into
the Gäyatré mantra. Traditionally, fully qualified brähmaëa
boys may be initiated at age eight, kñatriyas at eleven and vaiçyas
at twelve, provided the proper conditions are met. Having achieved twice-born
status, one should faithfully worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead
in His form of the Deity, as the Lord Himself will describe.
SB 11.27.9
TEXT 9
TEXT
arcäyäà sthaëòile
’gnau vä
sürye väpsu hådi
dvijaù
dravyeëa bhakti-yukto ’rcet
sva-guruà mäm amäyayä
SYNONYMS
arcäyäm—within the
Deity form; sthaëòile—in the earth; agnau—in fire; vä—or;
sürye—in the sun; vä—or; apsu—in water; hådi—in the heart;
dvijaù—the brähmaëa; dravyeëa—by various paraphernalia;
bhakti-yuktaù—endowed with devotion; arcet—he should worship; sva-gurum—his
worshipable Lord; mäm—Me; amäyayä—without any deception.
TRANSLATION
A twice-born person should worship
Me, his worshipable Lord, without duplicity, offering appropriate paraphernalia
in loving devotion to My Deity form or to a form of Me appearing upon the
ground, in fire, in the sun, in water or within the worshiper’s own heart.
SB 11.27.10
TEXT 10
TEXT
pürvaà snänaà
prakurvéta
dhauta-danto ’ìga-çuddhaye
ubhayair api ca snänaà
mantrair måd-grahaëädinä
SYNONYMS
pürvam—first; snänam—bath;
prakurvéta—one should perform; dhauta—having cleaned; dantaù—his
teeth; aìga—of the body; çuddhaye—for purification; ubhayaiù—with
both kinds; api ca—also; snänam—bathing; mantraiù—with mantras;
måt-grahaëa-ädinä—by smearing with earth and so on.
TRANSLATION
One should first purify his body
by cleansing his teeth and bathing. Then one should perform a second cleansing
by smearing the body with earth and chanting both Vedic and tantric mantras.
SB 11.27.11
TEXT 11
TEXT
sandhyopästyädi-karmäëi
vedenäcoditäni me
püjäà taiù
kalpayet samyak-
saìkalpaù karma-pävaném
SYNONYMS
sandhyä—at the three junctures
of the day (dawn, noon and sunset); upästi—worship (by chanting the
Gäyatré mantra); ädi—and so on; karmäëi—prescribed
duties; vedena—by the Vedas; äcoditäni—recommended; me—My; püjäm—worship;
taiù—by these activities; kalpayet—one should perform; samyak-saìkalpaù—who
has perfectly fixed his determination (that the object of his endeavor
will be the Personality of Godhead); karma—the reaction of fruitive work;
pävaném—which eradicates.
TRANSLATION
Fixing the mind on Me, one should
worship Me by his various prescribed duties, such as chanting the Gäyatré
mantra at the three junctures of the day. Such performances are enjoined
by the Vedas and purify the worshiper of reactions to fruitive activities.
SB 11.27.12
TEXT 12
TEXT
çailé däru-mayé
lauhé
lepyä lekhyä ca saikaté
mano-mayé maëi-mayé
pratimäñöa-vidhä
småtä
SYNONYMS
çailé—made of stone;
däru-mayé—made of wood; lauhé—made of metal; lepyä—made
of clay, sandalwood and other substances laid down as a paste; lekhyä—painted;
ca—and; saikaté—made of sand; manaù-mayé—conceived
of in the mind; maëi-mayé—made of jewels; pratimä—the
Deity; añöa-vidhä—in eight varieties; småtä—it
is remembered.
TRANSLATION
The Deity form of the Lord is
said to appear in eight varieties—stone, wood, metal, earth, paint, sand,
the mind or jewels.
PURPORT
Çréla Jéva
Gosvämé explains that certain Deity forms, such as those made
of sand, are manifested for a brief time to fulfill a personal desire of
the worshiper. Those, however, who desire to attain pure love of God should
worship the permanent form of the Deity (made, for instance, of marble,
gold or brass), and they should maintain continual worship. In Kåñëa
consciousness there is no scope for neglecting the worship of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
SB 11.27.13
TEXT 13
TEXT
caläcaleti dvi-vidhä
pratiñöhä jéva-mandiram
udväsävähane na
staù
sthiräyäm uddhavärcane
SYNONYMS
calä—movable; acalä—immovable;
iti—thus; dvi-vidhä—of two varieties; pratiñöä—the
installation; jéva-mandiram—of the Deity, who is the shelter of
all living entities; udväsa—sending away; ävähane—and calling
forth; na staù—are not done; sthiräyäm—for the permanently
established Deity; uddhava—My dear Uddhava; arcane—in His worship.
TRANSLATION
The Deity form of the Lord, who
is the shelter of all living entities, can be established in two ways:
temporarily or permanently. But a permanent Deity, having been called,
can never be sent away, My dear Uddhava.
PURPORT
The devotees of the Lord understand
themselves to be the Lord’s eternal servitors; recognizing the Deity to
be the Lord Himself, they permanently install the Deity and engage in perpetual
worship. The impersonalists, however, regard the eternal form of the Lord
as a temporary manifestation of illusion. In fact, they regard the Deity
form as a mere stepping-stone in their ambitious program to become God.
Materialistic persons of whatever stripe consider the Lord to be their
order supplier, and so they make temporary arrangements for religious ceremonies
to achieve temporary material sense gratification. This temporary mode
of worship is favored by those desiring to exploit the Personality of Godhead
for their personal ends, whereas the loving devotees in Kåñëa
consciousness eternally engage in worship of the Personality of Godhead.
They install permanent Deities meant to be worshiped perpetually.
SB 11.27.14
TEXT 14
TEXT
asthiräyäà vikalpaù
syät
sthaëòile tu bhaved
dvayam
snapanaà tv avilepyäyäm
anyatra parimärjanam
SYNONYMS
asthiräyäm—in the case
of the temporarily installed Deity; vikalpaù—an option (as to whether
the Deity is to be called and sent away); syät—there is; sthaëòile—in
the case of the Deity traced upon the ground; tu—but; bhavet—do occur;
dvayam—these two rituals; snapanam—the bathing; tu—but; avilepyäyäm—in
the case when the Deity is not made out of clay (or paint or wood); anyatra—in
the other cases; parimärjanam—thorough cleansing, but without water.
TRANSLATION
The Deity that is temporarily
established can optionally be called forth and sent away, but these two
rituals should always be performed when the Deity is traced upon the ground.
Bathing should be done with water except if the Deity is made of clay,
paint or wood, in which cases a thorough cleansing without water is enjoined.
PURPORT
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.
SB 11.27.15
TEXT 15
TEXT
dravyaiù prasiddhair mad-yägaù
pratimädiñv amäyinaù
bhaktasya ca yathä-labdhair
hådi bhävena caiva
hi
SYNONYMS
dravyaiù—with items of
paraphernalia; prasiddhaiù—excellent; mat-yägaù—My worship;
pratimä-ädiñu—in the different Deity forms; amäyinaù—who
has no material desire; bhaktasya—of a devotee; ca—and; yathä-labdhaiù—by
whatever paraphernalia he can easily obtain; hådi—in the heart; bhävena—by
mental conception; ca—and; eva hi—certainly.
TRANSLATION
One should worship Me in My Deity
forms by offering the most excellent paraphernalia. But a devotee completely
freed from material desire may worship Me with whatever he is able to obtain,
and may even worship Me within his heart with mental paraphernalia.
PURPORT
A devotee still troubled by material
desire tends to see the world as an object of sense gratification. Such
a neophyte devotee may misunderstand the Lord’s supreme position and may
even consider the Lord an object of his own enjoyment. Hence the neophyte
must offer opulent paraphernalia to the Deity so that he may constantly
remember that the Deity is the supreme enjoyer and that he, the neophyte,
is simply the worshiper and is actually meant for the Deity’s pleasure.
In contrast, an advanced devotee, one fixed in Kåñëa
consciousness, never forgets that the Supreme Lord is the actual enjoyer
and controller of everything. The pure devotee offers his unalloyed love
to the Personality of Godhead along with whatever paraphernalia is easily
obtained. A Kåñëa conscious devotee does not waver in
his devotion to Lord Kåñëa, and even with the simplest
offering he completely satisfies the Personality of Godhead.
SB
11.27.16-17
TEXTS 16–17
TEXT
snänälaìkaraëaà
preñöham
arcäyäm eva tüddhava
sthaëòile tattva-vinyäso
vahnäv äjya-plutaà
haviù
sürye cäbhyarhaëaà
preñöhaà
salile salilädibhiù
çraddhayopähåtaà
preñöhaà
bhaktena mama väry api
SYNONYMS
snäna—bathing; alaìkaraëam—and
decorating with clothing and ornaments; preñöham—is most appreciated;
arcäyäm—for the Deity form; eva—certainly; tu—and; uddhava—O
Uddhava; sthaëòile—for the Deity drawn upon the ground; tattva-vinyäsaù—establishing
the expansions and potencies of the Lord within the various limbs of the
Deity by chanting the respective mantras; vahnau—for the sacrificial fire;
äjya—in ghee; plutam—drenched; haviù—the oblations of sesame,
barley and so on; sürye—for the sun; ca—and; abhyarhaëam—the
yoga meditation of twelve äsanas and offerings of arghya; preñöham—most
dear; salile—for the water; salila-ädibhiù—by offerings of
water and so on; çraddhayä—with faith; upähåtam—presented;
preñöham—most dear; bhaktena—by the devotee; mama—My; väri—water;
api—even.
TRANSLATION
In worshiping the temple Deity,
my dear Uddhava, bathing and decoration are the most pleasing offerings.
For the Deity traced on sacred ground, the process of tattva-vinyäsa
is most dear. Oblations of sesame and barley soaked in ghee are the preferred
offering to the sacrificial fire, whereas worship consisting of upasthäna
and arghya is preferred for the sun. One should worship Me in the form
of water by offering water itself. Actually, whatever is offered to Me
with faith by My devotee—even if only a little water—is most dear to Me.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead
is present everywhere, and Vedic culture prescribes various ritualistic
methods for worshiping the Lord in His various manifestations. The principal
item is the faith and devotion of the worshiper, without which everything
else is useless, as the Lord describes in the next verse.
SB 11.27.18
TEXT 18
TEXT
bhüry apy abhaktopähåtaà
na me toñäya kalpate
gandho dhüpaù sumanaso
dépo ’nnädyaà
ca kià punaù
SYNONYMS
bhüri—opulent; api—even;
abhakta—by a nondevotee; upähåtam—offered; na—does not; me—My;
toñäya—satisfaction; kalpate—create; gandhaù—fragrance;
dhüpaù—incense; sumanasaù—flowers; dépaù—lamps;
anna-ädyam—foodstuffs; ca—and; kim punaù—what to speak of.
TRANSLATION
Even very opulent presentations
do not satisfy Me if they are offered by nondevotees. But I am pleased
by any insignificant offering made by My loving devotees, and I am certainly
most pleased when nice presentations of fragrant oil, incense, flowers
and palatable foods are offered with love.
PURPORT
The Lord has stated in the previous
verse that even a little water offered with love and devotion gives Him
great pleasure. Therefore the words kià punaù indicate the
Lord’s complete happiness when a suitably opulent offering is made with
love and devotion. But an opulent offering made by a nondevotee cannot
please the Lord. As Çréla Jéva Gosvämé
explains, the rules and regulations concerning Deity worship and the listing
of offenses against the Deities are all meant for helping one avoid precisely
this kind of disrespectful or neglectful attitude toward the Personality
of Godhead in His Deity form. In fact, all offenses against the Deity are
based upon irreverence and disregard for the Lord’s position as master,
and thus upon disobedience to His orders. Since one must worship the Deity
with reverence, one should offer opulent presentations to the Deity with
love, for such presentations both enhance the respectfulness of the worshiper
and help him avoid offenses in his worship.
SB 11.27.19
TEXT 19
TEXT
çuciù sambhåta-sambhäraù
präg-darbhaiù kalpitäsanaù
äsénaù präg
udag värced
arcäyäà tv atha
sammukhaù
SYNONYMS
çuciù—clean; sambhåta—having
collected; sambhäraù—the paraphernalia; präk—their tips
facing the east; darbhaiù—with blades of kuça grass; kalpita—having
arranged; äsanaù—his own seat; äsénaù—sitting;
präk—facing the east; udak—facing the north; vä—or; arcet—he
should perform the worship; arcäyäm—of the Deity; tu—but; atha—or
else; sammukhaù—directly facing.
TRANSLATION
After cleansing himself and collecting
all the paraphernalia, the worshiper should arrange his own seat with blades
of kuça grass whose tips point eastward. He should then sit facing
either east or north, or else, if the Deity is fixed in one place, he should
sit directly facing the Deity.
PURPORT
The word sambhåta-sambhära
means that before beginning the Deity worship one should place all necessary
paraphernalia nearby. In this way one will not have to get up continually
to search for different items. If the Deity has been permanently installed,
then one should sit facing the Deity.
SB 11.27.20
TEXT 20
TEXT
kåta-nyäsaù
kåta-nyäsäà
mad-arcäà päëinämåjet
kalaçaà prokñaëéyaà
ca
yathävad upasädhayet
SYNONYMS
kåta-nyäsaù—having
sanctified his own body (by touching various parts and chanting appropriate
mantras while meditating on the corresponding forms of the Supreme Lord);
kåta-nyäsäm—(the Deity) upon which the same process has
been applied; mat-arcäm—My Deity manifestation; päëinä—with
his hand; ämåjet—should clean (by removing remnants of old offerings);
kalaçam—the ritual pot filled with auspicious substances; prokñaëéyam—the
vessel containing water for sprinkling; ca—and; yathä-vat—appropriately;
upasädhayet—he should prepare.
TRANSLATION
The devotee should sanctify the
various parts of his body by touching them and chanting mantras. He should
do the same for My Deity forms and then with his hands he should clean
the Deity of old flowers and the remnants of previous offerings. He should
properly prepare the sacred pot and the vessel containing water for sprinkling.
PURPORT
Before beginning the process
of worship mentioned here, one should offer obeisances to one’s spiritual
master, the Deity and other worshipable personalities.
SB 11.27.21
TEXT 21
TEXT
tad-adbhir deva-yajanaà
dravyäëy ätmänam
eva ca
prokñya päträëi
tréëy adbhis
tais tair dravyaiç ca
sädhayet
SYNONYMS
tat—of the vessel for sprinkling;
adbhiù—with the water; deva-yajanam—the place where the Deity is
worshiped; dravyäëi—the paraphernalia; ätmänam—one’s
own body; eva—indeed; ca—also; prokñya—sprinkling; päträëi—the
vessels; tréëi—three; adbhiù—with water; taiù
taiù—with those available; dravyaiù—auspicious items; ca—and;
sädhayet—he should arrange.
TRANSLATION
Then, with the water of that
prokñaëéya vessel he should sprinkle the area where
the Deity is being worshiped, the offerings that are going to be presented,
and his own body. Next he should decorate with various auspicious substances
three vessels filled with water.
PURPORT
Çréla Çrédhara
Svämé gives references from Vedic literature stating that the
water meant for bathing the feet should be combined with millet seeds,
dürvä grass mixed in water, viñëukränta flowers
and other items. The water used for arghya should include the following
eight items: fragrant oil, flowers, unbroken barleycorns, husked barleycorns,
the tips of kuça grass, sesame seeds, mustard seeds and dürvä
grass. The water for sipping should include jasmine flowers, ground cloves
and kakkola berries.
SB 11.27.22
TEXT 22
TEXT
pädyärghyäcamanéyärthaà
tréëi päträëi
deçikaù
hådä çérñëätha
çikhayä
gäyatryä cäbhimantrayet
SYNONYMS
pädya—of the water offered
to the Lord for bathing His feet; arghya—the water offered to the Lord
as a token of respectful greeting; äcamanéya—and the water
offered to the Lord for washing His mouth; artham—placed there for the
purpose; tréëi—three; päträëi—the vessels; deçikaù—the
worshiper; hådä—by the “heart” mantra; çérñëä—by
the “head” mantra; atha—and; çikhayä—by the “crown” mantra;
gäyatryä—and by the Gäyatré mantra; ca—also; abhimantrayet—he
should perform purification by chanting.
TRANSLATION
The worshiper should then purify
those three vessels. He should sanctify the vessel holding water for washing
the Lord’s feet by chanting hådayäya namaù, the vessel
containing water for arghya by chanting çirase svähä,
and the vessel containing water for washing the Lord’s mouth by chanting
çikhäyai vañaö. Also, the Gäyatré mantra
should be chanted for all three vessels.
SB 11.27.23
TEXT 23
TEXT
piëòe väyv-agni-saàçuddhe
håt-padma-sthäà
paräà mama
aëvéà jéva-kaläà
dhyäyen
nädänte siddha-bhävitäm
SYNONYMS
piëòe—within the
body; väyu—by air; agni—and by fire; saàçuddhe—which
has become completely purified; håt—of the heart; padma—upon the
lotus; sthäm—situated; paräm—the transcendental form; mama—of
Mine; aëvém—very subtle; jéva-kaläm—the Personality
of Godhead, from whom all living entities expand; dhyäyet—he should
meditate upon; näda-ante—at the end of the vibration of oà;
siddha—by perfected sages; bhävitäm—experienced.
TRANSLATION
The worshiper should meditate
upon My subtle form—which is situated within the worshiper’s own body,
now purified by air and fire—as the source of all living entities. This
form of the Lord is experienced by self-realized sages in the last part
of the vibration of the sacred syllable oà.
PURPORT
According to Çréla
Çrédhara Svämé, the praëava, or oàkära,
has five parts: A, U, M, the nasal bindu and the reverberation (näda).
Liberated souls meditate upon the Lord at the end of that reverberation.
SB 11.27.24
TEXT 24
TEXT
tayätma-bhütayä
piëòe
vyäpte sampüjya tan-mayaù
ävähyärcädiñu
sthäpya
nyastäìgaà
mäà prapüjayet
SYNONYMS
tayä—by that form meditated
upon; ätma-bhütayä—conceived of according to one’s own realization;
piëòe—in the physical body; vyäpte—which has become pervaded;
sampüjya—perfectly worshiping that form; tat-mayaù—surcharged
by His presence; ävähya—inviting; arcä-ädiñu—within
the various Deities being worshiped; sthäpya—establishing Him; nyasta-aìgam—having
touched the Deity’s various limbs with the chanting of appropriate mantras;
mäm—to Me; prapüjayet—he should carry out all the details of
worship.
TRANSLATION
The devotee conceives of the
Supersoul, whose presence surcharges the devotee’s body, in the form corresponding
to his realization. Thus the devotee worships the Lord to his full capacity
and becomes fully absorbed in Him. By touching the various limbs of the
Deity and chanting appropriate mantras, the devotee should invite the Supersoul
to join the Deity’s form, and then the devotee should worship Me.
PURPORT
The body of a devotee is pervaded
by the Supreme Lord just as a house is pervaded by the glow of a lamp.
Just as one gestures in a friendly way to indicate that a guest should
enter one’s house, one touches the body of the Deity, chants appropriate
mantras, and enthusiastically invites the Supersoul to enter the form of
the Deity. Since both the Deity and the Supersoul are the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, they are not different. One form of the Lord can immediately
become manifest in another.
SB
11.27.25-26
TEXTS 25–26
TEXT
pädyopasparçärhaëädén
upacärän prakalpayet
dharmädibhiç ca navabhiù
kalpayitväsanaà mama
padmam añöa-dalaà
tatra
karëikä-kesarojjvalam
ubhäbhyäà veda-tanträbhyäà
mahyaà tübhaya-siddhaye
SYNONYMS
pädya—water for washing
the Lord’s feet; upasparça—water for washing the Lord’s mouth; arhaëa—water
presented as arghya; ädén—and other paraphernalia; upacärän—the
offerings; prakalpayet—one should make; dharma-ädibhiù—with
the personifications of religion, knowledge, renunciation and opulence;
ca—and; navabhiù—with the nine (energies of the Lord); kalpayitvä—having
imagined; äsanam—the seat; mama—My; padmam—a lotus; añöa-dalam—having
eight petals; tatra—therein; karëikä—in the whorl; kesara—with
saffron filaments; ujjvalam—effulgent; ubhäbhyäm—by both means;
veda-tanträbhyäm—of the Vedas and tantras; mahyam—to Me; tu—and;
ubhaya—of both (enjoyment and liberation); siddhaye—for the achievement.
TRANSLATION
The worshiper should first imagine
My seat as decorated with the personified deities of religion, knowledge,
renunciation and opulence and with My nine spiritual energies. He should
think of the Lord’s sitting place as an eight-petaled lotus, effulgent
on account of the saffron filaments within its whorl. Then, following the
regulations of both the Vedas and the tantras, he should offer Me water
for washing the feet, water for washing the mouth, arghya and other items
of worship. By this process he achieves both material enjoyment and liberation.
PURPORT
According to Çréla
Çrédhara Svämé, religion, knowledge, renunciation
and opulence are the legs of the Lord’s sitting platform and occupy the
four corners, beginning with the southeast. Irreligion, ignorance, attachment
and wretchedness are the intermediate legs, standing in the four directions
beginning with the east. The nine çaktis, or potencies, of the Lord
are Vimalä, Utkarñiëé, Jïäna, Kriyä,
Yogä, Prahvé, Satyä, Éçänä and
Anugrahä.
SB 11.27.27
TEXT 27
TEXT
sudarçanaà päïcajanyaà
gadäséñu-dhanur-halän
muñalaà kaustubhaà
mäläà
çrévatsaà
cänupüjayet
SYNONYMS
sudarçanam—the Lord’s
disc; päïcajanyam—the Lord’s conchshell; gadä—His club;
asi—sword; iñu—arrows; dhanuù—bow; halän—and plow; muñalam—His
muñala weapon; kaustubham—the Kaustubha gem; mäläm—His
garland; çrévatsam—the decoration of Çrévatsa
on His chest; ca—and; anupüjayet—one should worship one after another.
TRANSLATION
One should worship, in order,
the Lord’s Sudarçana disc, His Päïcajanya conchshell,
His club, sword, bow, arrows and plow, His muñala weapon, His Kaustubha
gem, His flower garland and the Çrévatsa curl of hair on
His chest.
SB 11.27.28
TEXT 28
TEXT
nandaà sunandaà
garuòaà
pracaëòaà
caëòaà eva ca
mahäbalaà balaà
caiva
kumudaà kamudekñaëam
SYNONYMS
nandam sunandam garuòam—named
Nanda, Sunanda and Garuòa; pracaëòam caëòam—Pracaëòa
and Caëòa; eva—indeed; ca—also; mahä-balam balam—Mahäbala
and Bala; ca—and; eva—indeed; kumudam kumuda-ékñaëam—Kumuda
and Kumudekñaëa.
TRANSLATION
One should worship the Lord’s
associates Nanda and Sunanda, Garuòa, Pracaëòa and Caëòa,
Mahäbala and Bala, and Kumuda and Kumudekñaëa.
SB 11.27.29
TEXT 29
TEXT
durgäà vinäyakaà
vyäsaà
viñvakñenaà
gurün surän
sve sve sthäne tv abhimukhän
püjayet prokñaëädibhiù
SYNONYMS
durgäm—the Lord’s spiritual
energy; vinäyakam—the original Gaëeça; vyäsam—the
compiler of the Vedas; viñvaksenam—Viñvaksena; gurün—one’s
spiritual masters; surän—the demigods; sve sve—each in his own; sthäne—place;
tu—and; abhimukhän—all facing the Deity; püjayet—one should worship;
prokñaëa-ädibhiù—by the various prescriptions beginning
with sprinkling of water for purification.
TRANSLATION
With offerings such as prokñaëa
one should worship Durgä, Vinäyaka, Vyäsa, Viñvaksena,
the spiritual masters and the various demigods. All these personalities
should be in their proper places facing the Deity of the Lord.
PURPORT
According to Çréla
Jéva Gosvämé, the Gaëeça and Durgä
mentioned in this verse are not the same personalities present within the
material world; rather, they are eternal associates of the Lord in Vaikuëöha.
In this world Gaëeça, the son of Lord Çiva, is famous
for awarding financial success, and the goddess Durgä, the wife of
Lord Çiva, is famous as the external, illusory potency of the Supreme
Lord. The personalities mentioned here, however, are eternally liberated
associates of the Lord who reside in the spiritual sky, beyond the material
manifestation. Çréla Jéva Gosvämé quotes
from various Vedic literatures to prove that the name Durgä may also
indicate the internal potency of the Lord, who is nondifferent from Him.
The external, or covering, potency of the Lord expands from this original
Durgä. The Durgä of the material world, called Mahä-mäyä,
assumes the function of bewildering the living entities. Thus a devotee
should not fear becoming polluted by worshiping the Durgä mentioned
here, who has the same name as illusion, but rather the devotee must show
respect to these eternal servitors of the Supreme Lord in Vaikuëöha.
SB
11.27.30-31
TEXTS 30–31
TEXT
candanoçéra-karpüra-
kuìkumäguru-väsitaiù
salilaiù snäpayen
mantrair
nityadä vibhave sati
svarëa-gharmänuväkena
mahäpuruña-vidyayä
pauruñeëäpi
süktena
sämabhé räjanädibhiù
SYNONYMS
candana—with sandalwood paste;
uçéra—the fragrant uçéra root; karpüra—camphor;
kuìkuma—vermilion; aguru—aloes wood; väsitaiù—which
are perfumed; salilaiù—by different kinds of water; snäpayet—one
should bathe the Deity; mantraiù—with mantras; nityadä—every
day; vibhave—assets; sati—to the extent that there are; svarëa-gharma-anuväkena—by
the chapter of the Vedas known as Svarëa-gharma; mahä-puruña-vidyayä—by
the incantation called Mahäpuruña; pauruñeëa—by
the Puruña-sükta; api—also; süktena—the Vedic hymn; sämabhiù—by
songs from the Säma Veda; räjana-ädibhiù—known as
Räjana and so on.
TRANSLATION
The worshiper should bathe the
Deity every day, as opulently as his assets permit, using waters scented
with sandalwood, uçéra root, camphor, kuìkuma and
aguru. He should also chant various Vedic hymns, such as the anuväka
known as Svarëa-gharma, the Mahäpuruña-vidyä, the
Puruña-sükta and various songs of the Säma Veda, such
as the Räjana and the Rohiëya.
PURPORT
The Puruña-sükta
prayer, beginning oà sahasra-çérñä-puruñaù
sahasräkñaù sahasra-pät, is contained within the
Åg Veda.
SB 11.27.32
TEXT 32
TEXT
vastropavétäbharaëa-
patra-srag-gandha-lepanaiù
alaìkurvéta sa-prema
mad-bhakto mäà yathocitam
SYNONYMS
vastra—with clothing; upavéta—a
brähmaëa thread; äbharaëa—ornaments; patra—decorations
drawn on various parts of the body with tilaka; srak—garlands; gandha-lepanaiù—and
smearing of fragrant oils; alaìkurvéta—he should decorate;
sa-prema—with love; mat-bhaktaù—My devotee; mäm—Me; yathä
ucitam—as is enjoined.
TRANSLATION
My devotee should then lovingly
decorate Me with clothing, a brähmaëa thread, various ornaments,
marks of tilaka and garlands, and he should anoint My body with fragrant
oils, all in the prescribed manner.
PURPORT
Çréla Çrédhara
Svämé quotes Lord Çré Viñëu’s instructions
to Ambaréña Mahäräja in the Viñëu-dharma
Upapuräëa as follows: “Absorbing your mind completely in the
Deity, you should give up all other shelter and consider the Deity your
intimate well-wisher. You should mentally worship Him and meditate upon
Him while you walk, while you stand, while you sleep and eat. You should
see the Deity in front of you, behind, above, below and on both sides.
In this way you should constantly remember My Deity form.” In the Gautaméya-tantra
one is enjoined to give the Deity of the Lord a brähmaëa thread,
if possible one made of gold. In the Nåsiàha Puräëa
it is stated, “If one offers to Lord Govinda a yellow sacred thread containing
three strands of silk, he will become an expert in Vedänta.”
SB 11.27.33
TEXT 33
TEXT
pädyam äcamanéyaà
ca
gandhaà sumanaso ’kñatän
dhüpa-dépopahäryäëi
dadyän me çraddhayärcakaù
SYNONYMS
pädyam—water for washing
the feet; äcamanéyam—water for washing the mouth; ca—and; gandham—fragrances;
sumanasaù—flowers; akñatän—unbroken grains; dhüpa—incense;
dépa—lamps; upahäryäëi—such items of paraphernalia;
dadyät—he should present; me—to Me; çraddhayä—with faith;
arcakaù—the worshiper.
TRANSLATION
The worshiper should faithfully
present Me with water for washing My feet and mouth, fragrant oils, flowers
and unbroken grains, along with incense, lamps and other offerings.
SB 11.27.34
TEXT 34
TEXT
guòa-päyasa-sarpéàñi
çañkuly-äpüpa-modakän
saàyäva-dadhi-süpäàç
ca
naivedyaà sati kalpayet
SYNONYMS
guòa—sugar candy; päyasa—sweet
rice; sarpéàñi—and ghee; çañkulé—a
kind of large, ear-shaped cake made of rice flour, sugar and sesame and
fried in ghee; äpüpa—various kinds of sweet cakes; modakän—small
conical steamed dumplings made of rice flour and filled with sweet coconut
and sugar; saàyäva—an oblong cake made of wheat, ghee and milk
and covered with sugar and spices; dadhi—yogurt; süpän—vegetable
soups; ca—and; naivedyam—offerings of food; sati—if he has sufficient means;
kalpayet—the devotee should arrange.
TRANSLATION
Within his means, the devotee
should arrange to offer Me sugar candy, sweet rice, ghee, çañkulé
[rice-flour cakes], äpüpa [various sweet cakes], modaka [steamed
rice-flour dumplings filled with sweet coconut and sugar], saàyäva
[wheat cakes made with ghee and milk and covered with sugar and spices],
yogurt, vegetable soups and other palatable foods.
PURPORT
One can acquire detailed information
of proper and improper foods to offer in Deity worship by consulting Çré
Hari-bhakti-viläsa, Eighth viläsa, verses 152–164.
SB 11.27.35
TEXT 35
TEXT
abhyaìgonmardanädarça-
danta-dhäväbhiñecanam
annädya-géta-nåtyäni
parvaëi syur utänv-aham
SYNONYMS
abhyaìga—with ointment;
unmardana—massaging; ädarça—offering a mirror; danta-dhäva—washing
the teeth; abhiñecanam—bathing; anna—offering food that can be eaten
without chewing; ädya—offering food that is chewed; gétä—singing;
nåtyäni—and dancing; parvaëi—on special holidays; syuù—these
offerings should be made; uta—or else (if it is within one’s means); anu-aham—every
day.
TRANSLATION
On special occasions, and daily
if possible, the Deity should be massaged with ointment, shown a mirror,
offered a eucalyptus stick for brushing His teeth, bathed with the five
kinds of nectar, offered all kinds of opulent foods, and entertained with
singing and dancing.
PURPORT
Çréla Viçvanätha
Cakravarté Öhäkura describes the process of Deity worship
as follows: “First the Deity’s teeth should be cleaned and His body massaged
with fragrant oil and rubbed with vermilion, camphor powder and so forth.
Then He should be bathed with fragrant water and the five kinds of nectar.
Next one should offer valuable silk garments and jeweled ornaments to the
Deity, smear His body with sandalwood paste, and offer Him garlands and
other gifts. After this, one should hold a mirror in front of the Deity
and then offer fragrant oil, flowers, incense, lamps and scented water
for refreshing the mouth. One should offer all types of palatable foods,
fragrant water, betel nuts, garlands, ärati lamps, a bed to rest on,
and so on. One should also fan the Deity and perform instrumental music,
singing and dancing. This Deity worship must be performed on special occasions
like religious holidays or else, if one can afford it, daily.” According
to Çréla Çrédhara Svämé, Ekädaçé
is an appropriate day for performing special Deity worship.
SB 11.27.36
TEXT 36
TEXT
vidhinä vihite kuëòe
mekhalä-garta-vedibhiù
agnim ädhäya paritaù
samühet päëinoditam
SYNONYMS
vidhinä—according to scriptural
injunctions; vihite—constructed; kuëòe—in the sacrificial arena;
mekhalä—with the paraphernalia of the sacred belt; garta—the sacrificial
pit; vedibhiù—and the altar mound; agnim—the fire; ädhäya—establishing;
paritaù—on all sides; samühet—one should build up; päëinä—with
his hands; uditam—blazing.
TRANSLATION
In an arena constructed according
to scriptural injunctions, the devotee should perform a fire sacrifice,
utilizing the sacred belt, the sacrificial pit and the altar mound. When
igniting the sacrificial fire, the devotee should bring it to a blaze with
wood piled up by his own hands.
SB 11.27.37
TEXT 37
TEXT
paristéryätha paryukñed
anvädhäya yathä-vidhi
prokñaëyäsädya
dravyäëi
prokñyägnau bhävayeta
mäm
SYNONYMS
paristérya—scattering
(kuça grass); atha—then; paryukñet—he should sprinkle with
water; anvädhäya—performing the ritual of anvädhäna
(placing wood into the fire with recitations of oà bhür bhuvaù
svaù); yathä-vidhi—according to the standard prescription;
prokñaëyä—by the water in the äcamana vessel; äsädya—having
arranged; dravyäëi—the items to be offered as oblations; prokñya—sprinkling
them; agnau—within the fire; bhävayeta—he should meditate; mäm—on
Me.
TRANSLATION
After spreading kuça grass
on the ground and sprinkling it with water, one should perform the anvädhäna
ritual according to the prescribed rules. Then one should arrange the items
to be offered as oblations and should sanctify them with water from the
sprinkling vessel. The worshiper should next meditate upon Me within the
fire.
PURPORT
Çréla Jéva
Gosvämé mentions that one should meditate upon the Lord as
the Supersoul within the sacrificial fire.
SB
11.27.38-41
TEXTS 38–41
TEXT
tapta-jämbünada-prakhyaà
çaìkha-cakra-gadämbujaiù
lasac-catur-bhujaà çäntaà
padma-kiïjalka-väsasam
sphurat-kiréöa-kaöaka
kaöi-sütra-varäìgadam
çrévatsa-vakñasaà
bhräjat-
kaustubhaà vana-mälinam
dhyäyann abhyarcya därüëi
haviñäbhighåtäni
ca
präsyäjya-bhägäv
äghärau
dattvä cäjya-plutaà
haviù
juhuyän müla-mantreëa
ñoòaçarcävadänataù
dharmädibhyo yathä-nyäyaà
mantraiù sviñöi-kåtaà
budhaù
SYNONYMS
tapta—molten; jämbü-nada—of
gold; prakhyam—the color; çaìkha—with His conchshell; cakra—disc;
gadä—club; ambujaiù—and lotus flower; lasat—brilliant; catuù-bhujam—having
four arms; çäntam—peaceful; padma—of a lotus; kiïjalka—colored
like the filaments; väsasam—His garment; sphurat—shining; kiréöa—helmet;
kaöaka—bracelets; kati-sütra—belt; vara-aìgadam—fine ornaments
on the arms; çré-vatsa—the emblem of the goddess of fortune;
vakñasam—upon His chest; bhräjat—effulgent; kaustubham—the
Kaustubha gem; vana-mälinam—wearing a flower garland; dhyäyan—meditating
upon Him; abhyarcya—performing worship of Him; därüëi—pieces
of dry wood; haviñä—with the purified butter; abhighåtäni—soaked;
ca—and; präsya—throwing into the fire; äjya—of the ghee; bhägau—the
two designated portions; äghärau—in the course of performing
the äghära ritual; dattvä—offering; ca—and; äjya—with
ghee; plutam—drenched; haviù—various oblations; juhuyät—one
should offer into the fire; müla-mantreëa—with the primary mantras
naming each deity; ñoòaça-åcä—with the
hymn Puruña-sükta, consisting of sixteen lines of verse; avadänataù—pouring
an oblation after each line; dharma-ädibhyaù—to the demigods,
beginning with Yamaräja; yathä-nyäyam—in the proper order;
mantraiù—with the specific mantras naming each demigod; sviñöi-kåtam—the
ritual of this name; budhaù—the intelligent devotee.
TRANSLATION
The intelligent devotee should
meditate upon that form of the Lord whose color is like molten gold, whose
four arms are resplendent with the conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower,
and who is always peaceful and dressed in a garment colored like the filaments
within a lotus flower. His helmet, bracelets, belt and fine arm ornaments
shine brilliantly. The symbol of Çrévatsa is on His chest,
along with the glowing Kaustubha gem and a garland of forest flowers. The
devotee should then worship that Lord by taking pieces of firewood soaked
in the sacrificial ghee and throwing them into the fire. He should perform
the ritual of äghära, presenting into the fire the various items
of oblation drenched in ghee. He should then offer to sixteen demigods,
beginning with Yamaräja, the oblation called sviñöi-kåt,
reciting the basic mantras of each deity and the sixteen-line Puruña-sükta
hymn. Pouring one oblation after each line of the Puruña-sükta,
he should utter the particular mantra naming each deity.
SB 11.27.42
TEXT 42
TEXT
abhyarcyätha namaskåtya
pärñadebhyo balià
haret
müla-mantraà japed
brahma
smaran näräyaëätmakam
SYNONYMS
abhyarcya—having thus worshiped;
atha—then; namaskåtya—offering his obeisances by bowing down; pärñadebhyaù—unto
the Lord’s personal associates; balim—offerings; haret—he should present;
müla-mantram—the basic mantra for the Deity; japet—he should chant
quietly; brahma—the Absolute Truth; smaran—remembering; näräyaëa-ätmakam—as
the Supreme Personality, Lord Näräyaëa.
TRANSLATION
Having thus worshiped the Lord
in the sacrificial fire, the devotee should offer his obeisances to the
Lord’s personal associates by bowing down and should then present offerings
to them. He should then chant quietly the müla-mantra of the Deity
of the Lord, remembering the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Personality,
Näräyaëa.
SB 11.27.43
TEXT 43
TEXT
dattväcamanam uccheñaà
viñvakñenäya
kalpayet
mukha-väsaà surabhimat
tämbülädyam athärhayet
SYNONYMS
dattvä—offering; äcamanam—water
for washing the Lord’s mouth; uccheñam—the remnants of His food;
viñvaksenäya—to the personal associate of Lord Viñëu,
Viñvaksena; kalpayet—one should give; mukha-väsam—cologne for
the mouth; surabhi-mat—fragrant; tämbüla-ädyam—betel-nut
preparation; atha—then; arhayet—one should present.
TRANSLATION
Once again he should offer the
Deity water for washing His mouth, and he should give the remnants of the
Lord’s food to Viñvaksena. Then he should present the Deity with
fragrant perfume for the mouth and prepared betel nut.
SB 11.27.44
TEXT 44
TEXT
upagäyan gåëan
nåtyan
karmäëy abhinayan mama
mat-kathäù çrävayan
çåëvan
muhürtaà kñaëiko
bhavet
SYNONYMS
upagäyan—singing along;
gåëan—loudly vibrating; nåtyan—dancing; karmäëi—transcendental
activities; abhinayan—imitating by acting out; mama—My; mat-kathäù—stories
about Me; çrävayan—causing others to hear; çåëvan—hearing
himself; muhürtam—for some time; kñaëikaù—absorbed
in the celebration; bhavet—he should become.
TRANSLATION
Singing along with others, chanting
loudly and dancing, acting out My transcendental pastimes, and hearing
and telling stories about Me, the devotee should for some time absorb himself
in such festivity.
PURPORT
A devotee engaged in regulative
worship of the Supreme Lord should sometimes become ecstatically absorbed
in chanting and hearing the pastimes of the Lord, dancing, and other festivities.
The word muhürtam, “for some time,” indicates that a devotee should
be careful not to neglect his regulative principles and service to the
Lord in the name of so-called ecstasy. Although one may be ecstatically
engaged in chanting, hearing and dancing, he cannot give up the formality
of regulated service to the Lord.
SB 11.27.45
TEXT 45
TEXT
stavair uccävacaiù
stotraiù
pauräëaiù präkåtair
api
stutvä praséda bhagavann
iti vandeta daëòa-vat
SYNONYMS
stavaiù—with prayers from
the scriptures; ucca-avacaiù—of greater and lesser varieties; stotraiù—and
with prayers written by human authors; pauräëaiù—from
the Puräëas; präkåtaiù—from ordinary sources;
api—also; stutvä—thus praying to the Lord; praséda—please show
Your mercy; bhagavan—O Lord; iti—thus saying; vandeta—one should pay homage;
daëòa-vat—falling down on the ground like a rod.
TRANSLATION
The devotee should offer homage
to the Lord with all kinds of hymns and prayers, both from the Puräëas
and from other ancient scriptures, and also from ordinary traditions. Praying,
“O Lord, please be merciful to me! “he should fall down flat like a rod
to offer his obeisances.
SB 11.27.46
TEXT 46
TEXT
çiro mat-pädayoù
kåtvä
bähubhyäà ca
parasparam
prapannaà pähi mäm
éça
bhétaà måtyu-grahärëavät
SYNONYMS
çiraù—his head;
mat-pädayoù—at My two feet; kåtvä—placing; bähubhyäm—with
the hands; ca—and; parasparam—together (grasping the feet of the Deity);
prapannam—who am surrendered; pähi—please protect; mäm—me; éça—O
Lord; bhétam—afraid; måtyu—of death; graha—the mouth; arëavät—of
this material ocean.
TRANSLATION
Placing his head at the feet
of the Deity, he should then stand with folded hands before the Lord and
pray, “O my Lord, please protect me, who am surrendered unto You. I am
most fearful of this ocean of material existence, standing as I am in the
mouth of death.”
SB 11.27.47
TEXT 47
TEXT
iti çeñäà
mayä dattäà
çirasy ädhäya
sädaram
udväsayec ced udväsyaà
jyotir jyotiñi tat punaù
SYNONYMS
iti—thus praying; çeñäm—the
remnants; mayä—by Me; dattäm—given; çirasi—on one’s head;
ädhäya—placing; sa-ädaram—respectfully; udväsayet—should
send the Deity away; cet—if; udväsyam—if such is meant to be performed;
jyotiù—the light; jyotiñi—within the light; tat—that; punaù—once
again.
TRANSLATION
Praying in this way, the devotee
should respectfully place upon his head the remnants I offer to him. And
if the particular Deity is meant to be sent away at the end of the worship,
then this should be performed, the devotee once again placing the light
of the Deity’s presence inside the light of the lotus within his own heart.
SB 11.27.48
TEXT 48
TEXT
arcädiñu yadä
yatra
çraddhä mäà
tatra cärcayet
sarva-bhüteñv ätmani
ca
sarvätmäham avasthitaù
SYNONYMS
arcä-ädiñu—in
the Deity form and other manifestations of the Supreme Lord; yadä—whenever;
yatra—in whichever form; çraddhä—faith develops; mäm—Me;
tatra—there; ca—and; arcayet—he should worship; sarva-bhüteñu—within
all created beings; ätmani—separately, in My original form; ca—also;
sarva-ätmä—the original soul of all; aham—I am; avasthitaù—so
situated.
TRANSLATION
Whenever one develops faith in
Me—in My form as the Deity or in other bona fide manifestations—one should
worship Me in that form. I certainly exist both within all created beings
and also separately in My original form, since I am the Supreme Soul of
all.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead
is worshiped according to the faith of a particular worshiper. The Deity
form, arcä, is specifically mentioned here because Deity worship is
essential for spiritual progress. Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta
Sarasvaté Öhäkura mentions that inexperienced persons
may think that the Deity is meant for the sense gratification of the worshiper,
since superficially the Deity is made of external substances such as marble
or brass. But through the process of installing the Deity by chanting of
authorized mantras, one invites the Supreme Personality of Godhead to enter
the Deity form. By regulated, faithful worship one gradually understands
that the Deity is completely nondifferent from the Supreme Lord Himself.
At that stage, on the strength of Deity worship, one rises to the second-class
platform of devotional service. At this more developed stage one desires
to make friendship with other devotees of the Lord, and as one becomes
solidly established in the community of Vaiñëavas, one completely
gives up material life and gradually becomes perfect in Kåñëa
consciousness.
SB 11.27.49
TEXT 49
TEXT
evaà kriyä-yoga-pathaiù
pumän vaidika-täntrikaiù
arcann ubhayataù siddhià
matto vindaty abhépsitäm
SYNONYMS
evam—in this way; kriyä-yoga—of
regulated Deity worship; pathaiù—by the processes; pumän—a
person; vaidika-täntrikaiù—presented in the Vedas and tantras;
arcan—worshiping; ubhayataù—in both this life and the next; siddhim—perfection;
mattaù—from Me; vindati—he achieves; abhépsitäm—desired.
TRANSLATION
By worshiping Me through the
various methods prescribed in the Vedas and tantras, one will gain from
Me his desired perfection in both this life and the next.
SB 11.27.50
TEXT 50
TEXT
mad-arcäà sampratiñöhäpya
mandiraà kärayed
dåòham
puñpodyänäni
ramyäëi
püjä-yätrotsaväçritän
SYNONYMS
mat-arcäm—My Deity form;
sampratiñöhäpya—properly establishing; mandiram—a temple;
kärayet—he should construct; dåòham—strong; puñpa-udyänäni—flower
gardens; ramyäëi—beautiful; püjä—for regular, daily
worship; yäträ—special festivals; utsava—and yearly holidays;
äçritän—set aside.
TRANSLATION
The devotee should more fully
establish My Deity by solidly constructing a temple, along with beautiful
gardens. These gardens should be set aside to provide flowers for the regular
daily worship, special Deity processions and holiday observances.
PURPORT
Wealthy, pious persons should
be engaged in constructing temples and gardens for the pleasure of the
Deity. The word dåòham indicates that the most solid means
of construction should be employed.
SB 11.27.51
TEXT 51
TEXT
püjädénäà
pravähärthaà
mahä-parvasv athänv-aham
kñeträpaëa-pura-grämän
dattvä mat-särñöitäm
iyät
SYNONYMS
püjä-ädénäm—of
the regular worship and special festivals; praväha-artham—in order
to assure the continuance; mahä-parvasu—on auspicious occasions; atha—and;
anu-aham—daily; kñetra—land; äpaëa—shops; pura—cities;
grämän—and villages; dattvä—bestowing as a gift to the Deity;
mat-särñöitäm—opulence equal to Mine; iyät—he
achieves.
TRANSLATION
One who offers the Deity gifts
of land, markets, cities and villages so that the regular daily worship
and special festivals of the Deity may go on continually will achieve opulence
equal to My own.
PURPORT
By placing tracts of land in
the Deity’s name, there will be regular income for opulent Deity worship,
both from rent and from agricultural production. A worshiper who makes
the arrangements mentioned above will certainly achieve opulence like that
of the Personality of Godhead.
SB 11.27.52
TEXT 52
TEXT
pratiñöhayä
särvabhaumaà
sadmanä bhuvana-trayam
püjädinä brahma-lokaà
tribhir mat-sämyatäm
iyät
SYNONYMS
pratiñöhayä—by
having installed the Deity; särva-bhaumam—sovereignty over the entire
earth; sadmanä—by building a temple for the Lord; bhuvana-trayam—rulership
over the three worlds; püjä-ädinä—by worship and other
service; brahma-lokam—the planet of Lord Brahmä; tribhiù—by
all three; mat-sämyatäm—the status of equality with Me (by having
a transcendental, spiritual body similar to Mine); iyät—he attains.
TRANSLATION
By installing the Deity of the
Lord one becomes king of the entire earth, by building a temple for the
Lord one becomes ruler of the three worlds, by worshiping and serving the
Deity one goes to the planet of Lord Brahmä, and by performing all
three of these activities one achieves a transcendental form like My own.
SB 11.27.53
TEXT 53
TEXT
mäm eva nairapekñyeëa
bhakti-yogena vindati
bhakti-yogaà sa labhata
evaà yaù püjayeta
mäm
SYNONYMS
mäm—Me; eva—indeed; nairapekñyeëa—by
being free from motivation; bhakti-yogena—by the performance of devotional
service; vindati—achieves; bhakti-yogam—devotional service; saù—he;
labhate—receives; evam—thus; yaù—whom; püjayeta—worships; mäm—Me.
TRANSLATION
But one who simply engages in
devotional service with no consideration of fruitive results attains Me.
Thus whoever worships Me according to the process I have described will
ultimately attain pure devotional service unto Me.
PURPORT
The previous two verses were
spoken by the Lord to attract those interested in fruitive results, and
now the ultimate purpose of worshiping the Lord is described. The ultimate
goal in life is Lord Kåñëa Himself. Love for the Lord
is the highest bliss, although ordinary people cannot understand this.
SB 11.27.54
TEXT 54
TEXT
yaù sva-dattäà
parair dattäà
hareta sura-viprayoù
våttià sa jäyate
viò-bhug
varñäëäm
ayutäyutam
SYNONYMS
yaù—who; sva-dattäm—given
previously by himself; paraiù—by others; dattäm—given; hareta—takes
away; sura-viprayoù—belonging to the demigods or brähmaëas;
våttim—property; saù—he; jäyate—takes birth; viö-bhuk—as
a stool-eating worm; varñäëäm—for years; ayuta—ten
thousand; ayutam—times ten thousand.
TRANSLATION
Anyone who steals the property
of the demigods or the brähmaëas, whether originally given to
them by himself or someone else, must live as a worm in stool for one hundred
million years.
SB 11.27.55
TEXT 55
TEXT
kartuç ca särather
hetor
anumoditur eva ca
karmaëäà bhäginaù
pretya
bhüyo bhüyasi tat-phalam
SYNONYMS
kartuù—of the performer;
ca—and; säratheù—of the assistant; hetoù—of the instigator;
anumodituù—of the person who approves; eva ca—also; karmaëäm—of
the fruitive reactions; bhäginaù—of the shareholder; pretya—in
the next life; bhüyaù—more grievously; bhüyasi—to the
extent that the action is grievous; tat—(must suffer) of that; phalam—the
result.
TRANSLATION
Not only the performer of the
theft but also anyone who assists him, instigates the crime, or simply
approves of it must also share the reaction in the next life. According
to their degree of participation, they each must suffer a proportionate
consequence.
PURPORT
Stealing paraphernalia meant
for worshiping the Supreme Lord or His authorized representatives should
be avoided at all costs.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda to the Eleventh Canto, Twenty-seventh Chapter, of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, entitled “Lord Kåñëa’s Instructions on the Process of Deity Worship.”
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