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Arcanam The Science of Deity Worship
Arcanam The Science of Deity Worship
Arcanam The Science of Deity Worship
2. With your right hand purify the bhoga by sprinkling it lightly with
water from a Panca-patra while chanting the maha-mantra.
3. Sitting on an asana (cushion) before the altar and ringing a bell,
recite three times the pranama prayer(s) to your spiritual master, begging
permission to assist him in his service to the Lord:
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate [spiritual master's name] iti namine
I offer my respectful obeisances unto [spiritual master's name], who is
very dear to Lord Krsna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
Chant the following prayer to Lord Caitanya three times, requesting His
mercy:
namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te
krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah
O most munificent incarnation! You are Krsna Himself appearing as Sri
Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Srimati
Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krsna. We offer
our respectful obeisances unto You. [Cc. Madhya 19.53]
Chant the following prayer three times, offering respect to Lord Krsna:
namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagad-dhitaya krsnaya govindaya namo namah
I offer my obeisances again and again to Lord Krsna, who is always
worshiped by qualified brahmanas and is very dear to them. He is always
concerned with the welfare of the cows, the brahmanas, and the whole
universe, and He gives pleasure to the cows, land, and senses. [Visnu
Purana]
4. Leave the room for ten minutes, allowing the Lord and His associates
(including your spiritual master and the previous acaryas) to eat. During
this time you may chant the Gayatri mantras [if you have received second
initiation] for your spiritual master and for Lord Caitanya (the third and
fifth guru-given mantras); then you may chant the Hare Krsna mantra and
other Vaisnava songs.
5. Re-enter the room, clapping the hands three times. Remove the plate,
praying that you have served the Lord and His associates to Their full
satisfaction. While it is not expected that home worship be strictly
punctual, it is best to keep as regular a schedule as possible. Whatever
food one prepares for oneself and others must be offered to the Deities,
so the number of offerings may vary; however, one should have a set number
of offerings in the day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner, for example) to
which the family cooking schedule is oriented.
Daily Service
You should worship the Deities with arati (see description below) and
kirtana at least once a day, preferably twice—morning and evening. If
possible you should also offer dhupa-arati after the midday bhoga
offering.
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bedecked with a peacock feather, who has a figure of beauty tinged with
the hue of blue clouds, and whose unique loveliness is charming millions
of Cupids.
Dry the Deities with towels, dress Them, and offer ornaments and garlands.
Ringing a bell, offer flowers and Tulasi leaves (if available) with
candana (tilaka) to Their Lordships lotus feet; then offer incense and a
ghee or camphor lamp.
Ringing a bell and chanting the prayers for offering bhoga (as described
above), offer some fruit and/or sweets and drinking water.
Offer obeisances and beg forgiveness for any offenses you may have
committed in the worship.
Finally, clear away the paraphernalia used in the worship. At this time
you may offer a simple darsana-Arati with incense, flowers, and camara [a
fan also available through the Hare Krsna Bazaar]—or simply camara—while
playing a recording of the Govindam song.
Services in the Course of the Day
You may offer breakfast, lunch, and the evening meal in the same manner
as Bhoga Offering above. After lunch (followed by a dhupa-arati if
possible) the Deities should be put to rest, at least by meditation, and
They should be closed from view in the afternoon. (Also, if the Deities
reside in your living room, amid various family activities, you may need
to close the Deity curtains at other times of the day. When the Deities
are visible, make sure They are offered proper respect.
Arati Ceremony
Every scheduled bhoga offering is followed by an arati. Except for
kirtana, offering arati is the only regular daily function of Deity
worship performed publicly.
Required Paraphernalia
Make sure the following items are present:
For all Aratis:
1) a bell on a plate;
2) a Panca-patra containing samanya-arghya water (or simply fresh water)
and a spoon;
3) a conch (for blowing) with a water-filled lota for purifying it;
4) a receptacle to catch the water from rinsing the conch (just outside
the Deity room, in the temple room).
In addition, for full Arati:
1) an incense holder with an odd number of incense sticks;
2) a camphor lamp (for midday arati);
3) a ghee lamp with an odd number of wicks (at least five);
4) a conch for arghya water, with a stand;
5) a waterpot with a spout and a cover, filled with water (this is for the
arghya water to be offered in the conch);
6) a small visarjaniya-patra (throw-out container) for the offered arghya;
7) a handkerchief;
8) flower(s) on a plate;
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great offense.
Do not wear wool in the kitchen.
All clothing must be clean—that is, it must not have been worn in the
bathroom, when eating or sleeping, or outside the temple grounds.
Personal Cleanliness
You should be freshly showered and wearing tilaka and neckbeads.
Wash your hands when first entering the kitchen, and wash them again if
you touch your face, mouth, or hair, or if you sneeze or cough
(having—hopefully—covered your mouth).
Food Purity
After assembling the ingredients for cooking, wash all vegetables and
fruits and anything else that can be washed.
If something washable falls on the floor or in a sink, wash it off; if it
is unwashable, reject it. Discard anything that falls on your feet,
whether it is washable or not.
The cook should cover all preparations as soon as they are cooked. If an
animal sees a preparation before it is offered, it must be rejected. No
one except the cook and the pujari should see the unoffered food.
The kitchen staff should cover the ghee used for frying when it is not in
use. Old ghee should be replaced regularly with fresh ghee.
See to it that all ingredients are properly stored in closed containers.
Kitchen and Utensil Cleanliness
Devotees who serve in the kitchen should thoroughly clean it regularly,
including inside the stoves, ovens, and refrigerators.
The cleaners should scrub the pots after they are used (the sooner they
are cleaned after use, the easier they are to clean).
No one should eat or drink in the kitchen; nor should anyone use the sink
for spitting into or drinking from.
Remove all garbage from the kitchen at least once a day.
Maintaining Proper Consciousness
Allow yourself enough time to prepare the offering in good consciousness.
"Haste makes waste."
Conversation should be restricted to Krsna-katha.
Do not play recordings of popular-style music in the kitchen. Traditional
bhajana and kirtana recordings are appropriate.