Arcanam: The Science of Deity Worship

"With devotion steeped in love and affection, the yogi should

meditate within the core of his heart upon Lord Visnu. The laughter

of Visnu is so captivating that it can be easily meditated upon.

When the Supreme Lord is laughing, one can see His small teeth,

which resemble jasmine buds rendered rosy by the splendor of His

lips. Once devoting his mind to this, the yogi should no longer

desire to see anything else."

Lord Kapila

Shrimad-Bhagavatam

3.28.33

Learn more about Srila Prabhupada

Procedures for Daily Worship

Waking the Deities

Performing Acamana

Bhoga [Unoffered Food] Offering

Morning Worship (Bathing and Dressing)

Services in the Course of the Day

Arati Ceremony

Putting the Deities to Rest at Night

Minimum Standards for Home Deity Worship

Cleanliness and Regulation

Children and Deity Worship

Travel and Deity Worship

Dress for the Lord (vastra)

Tulasi Leaves and Buds

Ornaments

Sandalwood Paste

Flowers

Forbidden foods

Offerable foods

Size of the Lord's Offering

Kitchen Standards

Personal Cleanliness

Kitchen and Utensil Cleanliness

Maintaining Proper Consciousness

The Guru-Gauranga Altar and Tulasi-seva:

Worship Simple and Sublime

Srila Prabhupada very often had his disciples worship a picture of

the Panca-tattva (Lord Caitanya with His four chief associates),

along with pictures of the spiritual masters. Anyone can maintain a

simple but sublime standard of worship at home with pictures of the

Panca-tattva and the spiritual masters. Although one cannot

physically dress and decorate the forms of the Lord in a picture,

one can offer bhoga, perform arati and kirtana, and offer obeisances

just as one does for the Lord in His three-dimensional murti.

Also, if one can care for them nicely, one may keep and worship

Tulasi plants at home, growing them from seeds usually available

from a local temple. The presence of Tulasi-devi in the home is very

auspicious, a fact known to millions of householders in India. If

one simply offers her incense, a lamp, and a flower daily in the

morning while singing the Tulasi-puja-kirtana, Krsna becomes most

pleased, and thus one makes great spiritual advancement.

Procedures for Deity Worship at Home

The following is a simple procedure for Deity worship at home, using

the worship of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai as an example. With minor

adjustments, one could also follow this procedure for worshiping

other Deities, or for worshiping the Panca-tattva in a picture.

Waking the Deities

1. After bathing, dressing, applying tilaka, and performing

acamana*, offer obeisances to your spiritual master.

2. While ringing a bell, call out Jaya Sri-Sri-gaura-Nitai! and turn

on the altar lights.

3. Ringing a bell, touch your spiritual master's lotus feet (in the

picture) and ask him to rise from bed; then touch the lotus feet of

Gaura-Nitai and ask Them to rise from bed. (If the Deities are not

put physically in beds, visualize that They have rested in bed and

are now rising from it.)

4. Offer, or meditate on offering, water for Their Lordships to sip

(acamana). If possible, offer sweets at this time.

Acamana

Acamana, or sipping water, is a means of purification. Sit on a

proper sitting place (asana, a clean mat or cushion). (If there is

no asana, kneel with your right knee touching the floor and your

left foot flat on the floor.) With an acamana-patra filled with

water clean both hands by sprinkling them with water; holding the

acamana spoon in your left hand, pour a few drops into the right

palm:

Chant om kesavaya namah and sip water from the palm of your right

hand. Pour a few drops into the right palm, and discard the drops

over a cloth on the floor. Pour a few drops into the right palm.

Chant om narayanya namah and sip water from the palm of your right

hand. Pour a few drops into the right palm, and discard the drops

over a cloth on the floor. Pour a few drops into the right palm.

Chant om madhavaya namah and sip water from the palm of your right

hand. Pour a few drops into the right palm and discard the water

over a cloth on the floor.

Bhoga [Unoffered Food] Offering

1. On a plate reserved for the Lord's use, nicely arrange the bhoga

preparations. Perform acamana and offer obeisances to your spiritual

master. Set the offering plate in front of the Deities, either

directly on the altar or on a table before the altar. Arrange for

the Lord to eat in private, perhaps by putting up a curtain before

the altar.

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.

Morning Worship (Bathing and Dressing)

One of the simplest ways to worship the Lord is to offer each item

mentally while presenting a spoonful of water from a Panca-patra and then

discard the water into a throw-out pot. You may do this without mantras,

simply by requesting the Lord to accept each item. Perform this worship in

the morning.

If you cannot physically bathe the Deities every day, you should do so

regularly—at least once every two weeks (perhaps on Ekadasi), especially

if They are metal Deities who need polishing. At that time it is best to

worship Them using actual paraphernalia, to dress Them and offer Them

flowers, and so on. If you are worshiping a picture you can perform these

activities mentally.

The basic procedure for Gaura-Nitai worship is as follows:

1. Gather all the required paraphernalia and arrange it neatly and

conveniently for performing the worship. Make sure you have everything you

need so that you will not have to interrupt the worship to get something.

2. Sit on an asana and perform acamana; then lightly sprinkle yourself,

the area, and the paraphernalia with water from the Panca-patra, chanting

the Hare Krsna mantra.

3. Offer worship to your spiritual master as follows: Ringing a bell with

your left hand, offer a flower(s) dipped in sandalwood paste (if it is

available) at his lotus feet. Beg for his blessings to perform the worship

of Gaura-Nitai. Then chant the guru-given Gayatri mantras silently [if you

have received those mantras].

4. Offer worship to Gaura-Nitai as follows:

Invite Their Lordships to the bathing receptacle with a gesture of the

hands, remove Their clothing, clean Them with a damp cloth, and cover Them

with gamchas. If the Deities are metal, polish Them at this time, using a

cloth to apply almond paste or powdered gopi-candana mixed with a little

lemon juice. Avoid the eyes and painted areas. Clean off the gopi-candana

or paste with a soft, damp cloth.

Ringing a bell in your left hand, pour water over Their Lordships from a

conch held in your right hand. Fill the conch at least three times.

Chant the Brahma-samhita prayers while bathing Them:

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-

laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam

laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending

cows yielding all desires among abodes built with spiritual gems and

surrounded by millions of desire trees. He is always served with great

reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of laksmis, or gopis.

venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam

barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundaraìgam

kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept at playing on His

flute, who has eyes like the petals of a blooming lotus, whose head is

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;

9) a camara (yak-tail whisk);

10) a peacock fan (only in warm weather).

For dhupa-arati:

1) an incense holder with an odd number of sticks;

2) flower(s) on a plate;

3) a camara;

4) a peacock fan (only in warm weather).

Preliminary Activities for Arati

Outside the Deity room, after performing acamana (if not already done for

previous services), offer obeisances to your spiritual master, requesting

to assist him in the worship.

After cleaning the place where the arati paraphernalia will be set up

(either on a low table, on the floor, or, if space allows, on the altar

itself), bring the tray with paraphernalia and place them in the order of

offering.

You may now light a standing or hanging oil or ghee lamp for lighting

incense and arati lamps.

Requesting the Lord to Accept the Arati

While ringing a bell, offer flower petals to the lotus feet of your

spiritual master and then to each Deity's lotus feet, requesting each

Deity to accept the arati ceremony. The order of offering puspanjali is as

follows:

your spiritual master,

Srila Prabhupada,

Lord Nityananda,

Lord Caitanya,

Srimati Subhadra,

Lord Baladeva,

Lord Jagannatha,

Srimati Radharani,

and Lord Krsna.

While offering the petals, chant esa puspanjali and the mula-mantra for

each Deity. Or in simplified worship, simply say, "Please accept these

flowers of surrender." (Substitute water from the Panca-patra for flower

petals if necessary, holding a spoonful of water toward each personality

and then discarding it in the visarjaniya-patra; or simply offer Them

flower petals in the mind.)

Ringing the bell again, open the Deity room doors. Then, take the blowing

conchshell and lota with water just outside the Deity room (without the

bell), blow the conch three times, rinse it off over a receptacle placed

outside for that purpose, and then bring the conch and lota back inside.

(You may place the conch horizontally on top of the lota.) Next wash your

hands with water from the Panca-patra and open the curtain while ringing

the bell.

Performing the Arati

While standing on an asana and ringing a bell, present the incense first

to your spiritual master by waving it in three or seven graceful circles,

and then present it to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya in the same

manner. Arati paraphernalia should be offered gracefully, in a meditative

mood. But do not be either too slow or too fast, and do not perform it in

a showy manner, but as a humble servant of your spiritual master and the

assembled Vaisnavas. Stand to the left of the altar (as viewed from the

temple room)—not hidden entirely from view but also not distracting by

your presence.

For devotees who are not direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada: Along

with the worship of one's own spiritual master, devotees in ISKCON

worship His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as both

the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON and the siksa-guru for all devotees of

ISKCON. In addition to the worship of Srila Prabhupada in his guru-puja,

one should also honor him when performing arati by presenting the arati

items to Srila Prabhupada after presenting them to one's own spiritual

master.

Then, with the consciousness that you are offering it on behalf of your

spiritual master and with the blessings of Srila Prabhupada and Lord

Caitanya, offer it with the full number of circles (listed below) to the

main Deity.

After offering the incense to the main Deity, offer it as prasada to the

Lord's associates in descending order, and to the guru-parampara—senior to

junior. This may be done with seven or three circles for each personality,

depending on time allowance. (Some manuals say that when offering items as

prasada in Arati, one should not offer below the waist.)

Then "distribute it" (with one or three circles) to the assembled

Vaisnavas as the prasada of the Lord and His associates.

Offer the remaining items in a similar way. When offering each upacara

(item of worship), say softly the name of the item and the appropriate

mula-mantra (see below) of the Deity being worshiped. Or in simplified

worship, simply say to each personality, "Please accept this offering of

[incense, lamps, etc.].

Offered items should not be mixed with unoffered items. You may place

offered items back on the plate that was used to bring in the

paraphernalia, provided no unoffered paraphernalia remains on it.

How to Offer Each Item

Offer all the items, except the camara and fan, by moving them in

clockwise circles while ringing a bell with your left hand (above waist

level), fixing your attention on the Deities.

Lamp(s): offer four circles to the lotus feet, two circles to the navel,

and three circles to the Lord's face; then offer seven circles to the

Lord's whole body.

Arghya in a conch: offer three circles to the Lord's head and seven

circles to the whole body of the Lord. Then pour a small amount of the

offered arghya into the visarjaniya-patra (small throw-out pot) before

proceeding to offer arghya to the next personality. (Arati arghya: plain

or scented water).

Cloth: offer seven times around the Lord's body.

Flowers: offer seven times around the Lord's body.

Camara: wave before the Lord a suitable number of times.

Fan: wave before the Lord a suitable number of times.

You may give out the lamp(s) to the assembled devotees immediately after

offering them to the Deities; it is traditional in many temples, to avoid

interrupting the arati, to distribute arghya water and flowers at the end

of the arati, after blowing the conch.

Upacara-mantras for Arati

The mantras for each item are as follows:

Incense: esa dhupa and the mula-mantra

Camphor and ghee lamps: esa dipa and the mula-mantra

Water in a conchshell: idam arghyam and the mula-mantra

Cloth: idam vastram and the mula-mantra

Flowers: etani puspani and the mula-mantra (idam puspam if offering a

single flower)

Camara: esa camara-seva and the mula-mantra

Fan: esa vyajana-seva and the mula-mantra

Mula-mantras

The standard mula-mantras for the Deities worshiped in ISKCON are given

below. They should be chanted only by devotees duly initiated by a bona

fide spiritual master into the chanting of Pancaratrika Gayatri mantras.

See the Supplement for a further explanation of mantras used in Deity

worship.

Your guru: aim gurave namah

Previous guru: om parama-gurave namah

Lord Caitanya: klim gauraya namah

Lord Nityananda: klim nityanandaya namah

or klim devi-jahnava-vallabhaya namah

Lord Krsna, Lord Jagannatha, Govardhana-sila, and Dvaraka-sila:

klim krsnaya namah

Srimati Radharani: Srim ram radhikayai svaha or Srim radhayai namah

Radha-Krsna: Srim klim radha-krsnabhyam namah

Srimati Tulasi-devi: om tulasyai namah

Lord Nrsimha: klim nrsimhaya namah or ksraum nrsimhaya namah

Laksmi-Nrsimha:Srimklim laksmi-nrsimhabhyam namah

or Srim ksraum laksmi-nrsimhabhyam namah

Completing the Arati

Full Aratis, including fanning and blowing of the conch before and after

the arati, may last up to twenty-five minutes; the duration of short

Aratis (in which incense, flowers, and camara are offered) is from five

to eight minutes.

After completing the arati, blow the conch three times outside the Deity

room, as at the beginning of the arati. Then distribute the arghya and

flower prasada to the assembled devotees.

Chant the prema-dhvani mantras if the kirtana leader or another devotee in

the temple does not chant them.

Then with joined palms offer pranama prayers softly to your spiritual

master and Their Lordships.

Next remove the arati paraphernalia from the Deity room, clean the area

and articles, and at last offer dandavat-pranamas (prostrated obeisances)

outside the Deity room.

Putting the Deities to Rest at Night

1. Offer obeisances to your spiritual master and perform acamana.

2. Change the Deities' dress to nightclothes, or at least remove Their

ornaments and garlands.

3. Arrange the Deities' beds and invite Their Lordships to take rest. Lay

Them down in Their beds and visualize that you are massaging Their legs.

4. Finally, offer obeisances and turn off the lights.

Minimum Standards for Home Deity Worship

In a letter Srila Prabhupada gives simple instructions for the worship

of Gaura-Nitai:

He can worship Gaura-Nitai in his home. The most important element for

their worship is the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. They can have

at least one aratrika, and whatever foodstuffs are prepared can be

offered. [letter from Srila Prabhupada, 15 February 1975]

Cleanliness and Regulation

A devotee can perform Deity worship in the home simply, according to his

capacity. However, he should maintain a high standard of cleanliness in

his worship, following as far as possible the rules given in this

manual. Although it is not expected that worship at home will follow as

strict a schedule as that in a public temple, the more regulated the

Deity worship is, the more meaningful and satisfying it becomes.

Children and Deity Worship

Householders who worship Deities at home have a great opportunity to

bring up their children in an atmosphere of practical devotional service

to the Lord. Children should be encouraged to take shelter of the

Deities by bowing down, chanting, dancing, and performing various

services. One may also encourage them to offer the Lord whatever they

receive, such as new clothes. If a child draws a picture or produces

some other artwork, the parent may have him show it to the Deities. In

this way a child can develop a natural attraction and attachment to the

Lord in His Deity form.

Young devotees who are properly trained and encouraged may become

excellent pujaris because of the attachment they develop for Krsna

through regular association with Deities of the Lord from early

childhood.

Travel and Deity Worship

A devotee who undertakes Deity worship at home should have a similar

commitment as he would have in caring for a baby. Although difficulties

may arise that impede regular service, one should feel the same sense of

duty to make the necessary arrangements for the Deity as one would for

one's own children. If a devotee performing Deity worship at home must

travel, he must arrange for the Deity worship to continue, either by

leaving them under suitable care at home or elsewhere. If no family

members remain at home who can worship the Deities during his absence,

he may arrange for another qualified person to do it, but in general a

householder or his own family members should do the worship. A

householder should not expect the public temple he is affiliated with to

help maintain the worship of his household Deities. Also, if he is

traveling with his Deities and staying at a temple, he should take care

that his worship does not inconvenience the devotees living there

Dress for the Lord (vastra)

The Lord should be dressed in upper and lower cloth that is durable,

soft (not scratchy), clean, untorn, never worn by others, scented, and

of variegated colors. The scriptures allow for various local styles in

dressing the Lord, but traditional dressing, like traditional cooking,

is very dear to Him.

The scriptures say little concerning what colors of clothing to use on

different days, but temples use their own traditional colors according

to day and season (the Jagannatha temple in Puri, for instance). Many

temples in Vrndavana dress the Deity in the color corresponding to the

planetary gem of the ruling planet of the day of the week: gold (for the

metal gold) or red (for ruby) on Sunday, white or silver (for pearl) on

Monday, red or pink (for coral) on Tuesday, green (for emerald) on

Wednesday, yellow or orange (for yellow sapphire) on Thursday, white,

silver, gold, multicolor, or any color (for diamond) on Friday, and

purple, blue, or black (for blue sapphire) on Saturday. Synthetic fabric

is allowable for Deity dresses, although natural fabrics such as silk

and cotton are best.

The Deities should be dressed in clothing suitable to the season—warm

clothing in the cold season, light in the hot season. Dressing Deities

according to season is prominent in traditional temples in Vrndavana.

Tulasi Leaves and Buds

If fresh Tulasi leaves are unavailable, you may use dry Tulasi leaves

for offering bhoga and for placing on the Lord's lotus feet. If no

Tulasi leaves are available, during puja you may touch Tulasi wood to

the Lord's body as an offering of Tulasi, and before offering the Lord's

meal you may sprinkle the offering lightly with water containing ground

Tulasi wood. If even Tulasi wood is unavailable, you should chant the

name of Tulasi-devi and perform the worship meditating on her presence.

Ornaments

Since precious metals and precious stones attract thieves, Srila

Prabhupada instructed devotees to decorate Deities with synthetic

jewelery. However, semi-precious stones and silver generally may be

used, with due consideration for protection of the Deities and Their

paraphernalia.

Sandalwood Paste

Gandha may consist of sandalwood pulp with a pinch of aguru (aloes) and

camphor, or two parts musk, four parts sandalwood, three parts kunkuma,

and one part camphor. Finely ground Tulasi wood may also be added.

Flowers

The Hari-bhakti-vilasadedicates an entire chapter to the subject of

flowers. Flowers are a very important item in Deity worship, and thus we

should take great care to offer the best flowers possible. Ideally the

Deity should have His own flower garden so that He has a plentiful

supply of flowers, at least seasonally.

If flowers are unavailable, you may offer leaves (especially Tulasi,

jambu, mango, amalaki, sami, and tamala leaves) or newly grown grass

shoots. If neither leaves nor grass are available, you may substitute

pure water.

Srila Prabhupada writes: There is no question of using paper [or]

plastic fruits and flowers for worshiping the deities. If no fresh

fruits or flowers are available, then you can decorate with some fresh

leaves. You have seen our temples; nowhere do we use such things.… We

are not after decoration; we are after devotional service for pleasing

Krishna's senses. Decoration must be there, of course, to make the

temple as opulent as possible for pleasing Krishna. Outside the temple,

you can use the plastic ornaments. But not for worship. For daily

worship there must be fresh fruit, flowers, and leaves. [letter from

Srila Prabhupada, 26 December 1971]

Forbidden foods

Common forbidden foods include meat, fish, eggs, onions, mushrooms,

garlic, masur-dal (red lentils), burned rice, white eggplant, hemp

(marijuana), citron,* saps from trees (if not boiled first), buffalo-

and goat-milk products, and milk with salt in it. Also, one should not

offer canned or frozen foods to the Deity, and it is best to avoid

offering foods containing unhealthy substances such as yeast and white

sugar.

Srila Prabhupada comments:

Frozen means nasty. I never take frozen.… All rotten, rather the same

vegetable, as we have got in India practice, we dry it and keep it. That

is tasteful. [conversation with Srila Prabhupada, Vrndavana, 3 November

1976]

Regarding purchasing things in the market, these items are considered as

purified when we pay the price for them. That is the general

instruction. But when we know something is adulterated, we should avoid

it. But unknowingly if something is purchased, that is not our fault.

Things which are suspicious, however, should be avoided. [letter from

Srila Prabhupada, 21 October 1968] Since it is offensive to offer

anything to Krsna that He will not accept, one should be extremely

cautious not to offer (or eat) anything questionable.

Offerable foods

The Hari-bhakti-vilasa lists some of the foods that may be offered:

bilva, amalaki, dates, coconut, jackfruit, grapes, tala fruit, lotus

root, leafy vegetables, cowmilk products, and items made from grains,

ghee, and sugar. Grains, especially rice, should always be offered with

ghee. Rice without ghee is considered asuric. The Lord is pleased when

offered items made with ghee, sugar, yogurt, gur (jaggery), and honey;

chickpea preparations, dals, soups (wet sabjis), varieties of cakes, and

other items that can be licked, chewed, sucked, or drunk are all

pleasing as well.

One may also offer drinks such as sugarcane juice, yogurt drinks,

sweetened lemon water, water flavored with cinnamon, camphor, or

cardamom, and fruit drinks of various scents and colors. Many passages

in the Caitanya-caritamrta describe preparations that please Krsna. Here

is a sample, from Antya-lila, describing what Lord Caitanya's associates

would prepare for Him:

They offered [Him] pungent preparations made with black pepper,

sweet-and-sour preparations, ginger, salty preparations, limes, milk,

yogurt, cheese, two or four kinds of spinach, soup made with bitter

melon [sukta], eggplant mixed with nimba flowers, and fried patola. [Cc.

Antya 10.135–136] In a letter Srila Prabhupada described foods in the

mode of goodness and how to present them to the Lord: Foodstuffs in the

modes of goodness are wheat, rice, pulse (beans, peas), sugar, honey,

butter, and all milk preparations, vegetables, flowers, fruits, grains.

So these foods can be offered in any shape, but prepared in various ways

by the intelligence of the devotees. [letter from Srila Prabhupada, 13

November 1968]

In his Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Prabhupada describes the best type of

rice for If nothing else offerable is available, one may offer fruit

alone. If even fruit is unavailable, one may offer edible herbs. And if

herbs are not available, one may offer pure water while meditating on

offering elaborate preparations. If even water is unavailable, one

should at least mentally make an offering of bhoga.

Size of the Lord's Offering

Srila Prabhupada writes in his Caitanya-caritamrta: [Krsna] does not

become hungry like an ordinary human being; nonetheless, He presents

Himself as being hungry, and as such, He can eat everything and

anything, regardless of quantity. The philosophy underlying Krsna's

eating is understandable by our transcendental senses. [Cc. Madhya 4.77,

purport]

And in a letter Srila Prabhupada writes:

Regarding prasadam offering to the Deities, you will take from the

cooked foodstuffs in a plate just sufficient for one man's eating, and

this prasadam should be offered to the Deity, not the whole quantity.

The rest of the foodstuffs may remain in the oven to keep it hot until

the devotees accept and honor it.* [letter from Srila Prabhupada, 14

February 1969]

Kitchen Standards

Just as we must select pure, excellent foods to offer to Krsna, so we

must also prepare them purely. To prepare food for the Lord, one must

meticulously observe the rules for cleanliness and take the utmost care

to prepare the food properly, maintaining the correct consciousness so

that the Lord will accept the offering.

The consciousness of the cook enters into the food he prepares, and

therefore he should strive to be Krsna conscious while in the kitchen.

The kitchen, where the Lord's food is prepared, is an extension of the

Deity room, where He eats. So the same high standard of cleanliness

should be maintained in both places.

Kitchen Dress

Cover your hair so as to avoid any hair falling into a preparation. If

there is even a single hair in the food being offered to the Lord, it is a

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.