Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Altar at home
Lord Kåñëa’s Instructions on the Process of Deity Worship
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Hare Krsna !
What are the real first priorities of life…...….... Nectarean Mellows
In Chaitanya Caritamrita, there is very wonderful example of such a personality. I would like to tell you this story. Please understand that this person I am very doubtful if anybody in this assembly tonight can imitate him. But we could learn from his example and follow in his footsteps and strive for his realization. His name was Vasudeva and this Vasudeva, he had contracted leprosy, terrible leprosy, very advanced stages. From the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, his flesh was so contaminated by this disease that it became utterly rotten and there was puss, terrible painful foul smelling puss, pouring from every part of his body and there was contaminated blood oozing. He smelled so terrible that no one would tolerate being anywhere near him and his flesh was so rotten that there were hundreds and thousands of worms in every part of his body eating him away, just eating him and eating his body. And when one of the worms would fall, Vasudeva would very carefully pick it up, and place it back and he would think that God has given me this body and Krishna has also given the worm this body to enjoy. So he is actually enjoying better in this body than me. I am suffering but he is enjoying. So let him enjoy physically, he was in the most desperately hopeless, helpless condition. Utter pain and disfiguration and socially his family rejected him, his friends rejected him. The whole society rejected him. Can you try to identify yourself in that position? It was a suffering situation. But in his mind, he was always grateful to Krishna. He was never the slightest bit disturbed. He was simply thinking, “Krishna is so kind, that He is going through so much trouble just to help me always remember Him and He is so kind and He is going through all this trouble just to make me humble and free from prestige and the desire to enjoy this body now.” What happened is, he found that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had come to a place called Kurma Ksetra and he was living at one Brahman’s house. "Mahaprabhu, God, Krishna!!! See He has come, I must go. I must have His darsana. I must serve His lotus feet. I must surrender my head at His feet". So as difficult as it was he walked a long distance and when he arrived he found that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had already left. He was already some distance away. He missed the opportunity of his life. And Vasudeva, he never felt distressed by the worms eating his body or all the puss and all the blood and everybody rejecting him. But when he learnt that he missed the opportunity to serve the Lord, he became so completely disturbed in his mind that he fell down unconscious. What is our position? How much are we so anxious for devotional service? And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the parama atma in everyone’s heart understood that this devotee despite the most terrible condition is grateful and never disturbed. But he is terribly disturbed from the point of the verge of death because I am not there to give him my mercy.
So Mahaprabhu returned and when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu returned with great love for his devotee, He lifted him up and embraced him. Who would want to embrace a person like this? But the supreme Personality of Godhead, He felt great ecstasy in embracing this man because the Lord does not see our physical, material qualifications or disqualification’s. He takes pleasure only in the condition of our heart. And when He embraced Vasudeva, a great miracle took place, this rotten decayed body became effulgent like Gold. All the disease all the leprosy vanished. And his body was youthful full of health full of strength full of energy and it was beautiful like a demigod. Now let me ask you if you had just been given a miracle like that would you be happy? Raise your hand if you would be happy. Be honest, you are suffering from leprosy, dying dejected by everyone. And the Lord embraced you and made you beautiful and young, handsome and healthy. Would you be happy about that? Vasudeva was completely miserable. He was never miserable before, he was never disturbed before. But after he was healed, he became completely disturbed in his mind. Why? Because he was thinking, he said to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He said, "My dear Lord when I was a useless leper rejected by everyone I had nothing to be proud of so it was very natural for me to just very humbly and helplessly always be remembering You but I know your nature is as soon as pride enters into the heart of Your devotee whatever service he offers gives You no satisfaction it is only the humility in which it is offered that gives You pleasure and now I am going to be famous everywhere because You have performed a miracle just for me. People are going to think Oh you are a very advanced devotee. The Lord has performed such a miracle to you, such great soul and you are handsome and young and beautiful. Naturally I have something too proud of spiritually because You have performed this miracle. I have something to be so proud of and if I become proud even one tinge nothing I do will satisfy You and therefore I am terribly disturbed and miserable when I was a leper, I was very peaceful. Please my Lord, instruct me how I can serve you in this position and never fall victim to false pride and he asked this question yearning and longing for the answer. This is very important. In the Bhagavad Gita as long as Arjuna thought I know something and was presenting his ideas, Krishna did not say a word to him because He knew if I speak now Arjuna will not understand. Krishna just remained silent sometime until Arjuna became completely frustrated ----Karpanya doso pahat svabhava……….Krishna I am completely confused about my duty. I do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done I do not know what is truth what is false. I don’t know anything Krishna. I am desperate, I am begging You please instruct me. I surrender to Your feet. Then Krishna knew because Arjuna was inquiring in the spirit, whatever he said would go right to his heart and would be understood. Most people when they are in a completely calamitous situation they become very helpless and hopeless. And then they turn to God and say, ‘please save me!’ or they come to the sadhus and say, ‘please give me relief.’ When Vasudev was in the most opulent condition of life he became like this. Queen Kunti was also like this. Let the troubles happen Krishna then I will always remember you. But now such comforts, complacency, pride and you disappear. So Vasudev begged Mahaprabhu, please tell me how I can always remain your humble servant under all conditions. And Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replied: yare dekathari kaha….Krishna upadesh....."Always chant the holy names, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Always seek shelter of the association of the devotees, and whomever you meet, enlighten them with the words of Krishna. In this way you will never fall victim to maya". And Vasudeva took these words as his life and soul. And then all of his anxiety, all of his frustration, all of his disturbance was removed simply by hearing these words of the Lord with a submissive and humble heart.
So a devotee as we are explaining does not take very seriously the conditions of this material world. He only takes one thing seriously, the connection of my Krishna. How am I chanting His names? How am I associating with His devotees? How am I pleasing Gurudeva? These are the real first priorities of life. Everything else we do, the needful and we do it well, perform our duty, we take care of our occupation, but we are doing it for Krishna, we are not attached to the fruits. We are attached to Krishna, we are attached to the service. We are not attached to the result and whatever predicament we are put in this world, its value is only as much as it helps us to remember Krishna and fall at His lotus feet. In any situation that is preventing us from doing that, that situation, is terrible. So as Vaisnavas we should not get so caught up in everything in this world.
The Only True Vocation !
The price of Krishna consciousnessExcerpt from a lecture by HH Radhanath Swami
Sridhar swami in his commentary, he explains that the word sattvena, which means the mode of goodness, in practical application means that we must be patient. This is one of the most essential items of devotional service. Patience.
Rupa Goswami says that we must be enthusiastic with patience and confidence. Patience is a symptom of surrender. Without patience, our surrender is hollow and incomplete. We must execute Krishna conscious principles with great great enthusiasm. But we are not fruitive workers. We are not doing business with Krishna. When Lord Nrsimhadeva offered Prahlad maharaj benedictions, he could have chosen to go back to Godhead or anything.
But he said, my Lord, Iam not here to do business with you. Iam not a fruitive worker that I have performed my service and remained faithful with the expectation that you'll give me something. I have done it for your satisfaction. The one thing a devotee wants is a pure heart.
narayana-parah sarvena kutascana bibhyatisvargapavarga-narakesvapi tulyartha-darsinah
SB 6.17.28
For the devotees of Lord Narayan, whether they are in heaven, hell or in mukti, it makes no difference. Their only concern is to serve. So we want a pure heart. Because purer the heart, the more pleasing our service will be. Whether Krishna wants to send us to heaven or hell to Goloka or Vaikuntha, wherever He wants me to please Him, I'll be there. But just give me a pure heart, so I just have that motive, that sincerity of purpose.
But after years of hearing and chanting, after years of working so hard, after years of giving up so much of what is precious to ordinary beings - our health, our youth, still the ego is there. The lust, the anger, the envy the pride, the illusions are there. Why? I've tried once, I've tried twice? How many times have I dressed Radha Gopinath? How many times I've completed my 16 rounds? How many times have I bowed down and said Vancha Kalpa tarubhyas ca to the Vaisnavas, How many books have I distributed? How many risks have I taken? How many people have I brought to Krishna Consciousness. How many times have I become sick, invalid, and gone on with my service? But still my heart is not pure.
Patience means Krishna, I am going to be always examining and re-examining the quality of my service and the intentions of my service. Because if Iam not pure, perhaps Iam not doing it right. Perhaps there is some flaw. Perhaps Iam making offenses. So we can't just be patient. If you're making aparadhs, if you're negligent of certain vaisnava principles, you could be patient for millions of births.
So we always have to be scrutinizingly examining and re-examining what is the quality of my sadhana, my bhajana, my seva, my relationship with Vaisnavas, and what is the inner content of my heart when Iam performing it. Am I doing it for pratistha? For recognition? Or am I doing it to please Krishna, to please Guru, to please Vaisnavas. And while carefully practicing this way, if it takes our whole life, if it takes hundreds of millions of births, it doesn't matter, because I know, when it is pleasing to Krishna, He will deliver me. I am His servant.
na dhanam na janam na sundarimkavitam va jagad-isa kamayemama janmani janmanisvarebhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi[Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]
"O Almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to enjoy beautiful women. Nor do I want any number of followers. What I want only is the causeless mercy of Your devotional service in my life, birth after birth."
I do not wany money, I do not want women, I do not want followers, disciples. I don't even want liberation. I only want to serve you birth after birth after birth unconditionally. Unconditional service means patience. Whenever Krishna desires, He will deliver me. It is His promise:
man-mana bhava mad-bhaktomad-yaji mam namaskurumam evaisyasi satyam tepratijane priyo 'si me18.65
Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and offer homage unto Me and in this way you'll come to Me without fail.
Srila Prabhupada explains the essence of patience. "Patience is necessary for developing the confidence that "Krsna will certainly accept me because I am engaging in devotional service." One has only to execute service according to the rules and regulations to insure success."
We worship the Deities as Krishna Himself. We honor every living entity as part of Krishna. We worship and respect every Vaisnava with maturity. And we carry on this way, chanting the holy name, hearing the glories of the Lord, serving His devotees, with patience and faith. Never to give up. If ever we give up, that means, we are not worthy of Bhakti. If our intention is clear, I'll go on as long as you want Krishna and when you want to purify my heart, that's your business, I'll never give up. It is that consciousness that is the price of Krishna consciousness.
Thank you very much.
My Sweet Lord!
This blog presents some of the wonderful pictures of Lord and His eternal pastimes.....
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