Festivals, Travel, and Personal Service of the Deity
Worship of the Supreme Lord is never static; it is a festival of ever-increasing love. To engage the devotees and bless the public, the arcā-vigraha participates in elaborate ceremonies, processions, and even travels to distant places. This article highlights the celebratory nature of Deity worship, focusing on festivals like Puṣyābhiṣeka, the protocols for traveling with the Deity, and the personal attention required to dress and decorate the Lord in a way that captivates the mind.
Festivals and Processions
The temple is a place of constant celebration. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes ceremonies like Puṣyābhiṣeka, where the Deity is profusely decorated with flowers and ornaments, followed by a street procession. These events are not just rituals; they are opportunities for the citizens to see the beauty of Kṛṣṇa and for the devotees to render opulent service.
- Pusyabhisheka means a ceremony to decorate the deity profusely with flowers, ornaments, cloths. After there should be lavish feasting and a procession through the streets, so that all the citizens should see how beautiful Krishna appears.
- The Deities come out onto the street and travel in the neighborhood while the people of the neighborhood come out to offer prasadam. The residents of the neighborhood all follow the procession so that it is a very nice scene.
Traveling with the Lord
In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, preaching is the priority. To facilitate this, devotees sometimes take Deities on traveling saṅkīrtana parties. While this is authorized, Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that it must be done with extreme care. The Deities must be secured so They do not fall, and the worship must be maintained even on the road.
- My sanction for the deities in the touring van is still there. But I have heard that sometimes the deity falls down, so these things are objectionable. Touring and book distribution, side by side, this is the main business.
- The members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness are now traveling from one village to another in the Western countries and are even carrying the Deity with them.
Attracting the Mind with Beauty
The purpose of decorating the Deity is to capture the restless mind. By dressing Kṛṣṇa in first-class jewelry and arranging flowers artistically, the devotee's mind becomes fixed on the Lord's form, just as a bumblebee is attracted to a flower. This opulent service is not for Kṛṣṇa's need, but for our own purification.
- Please try to attract always the bumblebee by sufficiently decorating the Deity with flowers.
- Krsna being richly dressed, richly fed, it will be reflected on you. Krsna is not in necessity, but we should dress Krsna with the first-quality ornaments. In India, the Deities, They are given very, very valuable jewelry.
Intimate Service
The history of Mādhavendra Purī illustrates the intimacy of Deity worship. When he saw the sweet rice offered to the Gopīnātha Deity, he desired to taste it solely to learn the recipe for his own Gopāla Deity. This was not a material craving but a desire to offer the best to his beloved Lord. Such personal, affectionate service is the perfection of arcana.
- Seeing the food uncovered before the Deity, Madhavendra Puri desired to taste a little of it so that he could prepare a similar sweet rice for his Gopala. Madhavendra Puri was so strict, however, that he considered this to be an offense.
- That Deity was known widely as Ksira-cora-gopinatha, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu told His devotees the story of how the Deity became so famous.
Conclusion
Whether seated on a golden throne in a temple, riding on a chariot during Ratha-yātrā, or traveling in a bus to preach to the conditioned souls, the Deity is the center of the devotee's life. By engaging in festivals, maintaining high standards of personal service, and constantly striving to please the Lord with beautiful decorations and offerings, the devotee enters into a deep, reciprocating relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Deity. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.