"Those who have taken shelter of the lotus feet of a sad-guru
and received diksa from him realise that Sri Bhagavan is the
Supreme Lord and everyone’s worshipable Deity. Amongst the
sixty-four limbs of bhakti, the nine-fold limbs of devotion (navadhäbhakti)
and the five-fold limbs of devotion (pancäìga-bhakti),
devotion constantly accompanied by the performance of kirtana
(kirrtanäkhyä-bhakti) is described as being the topmost. Yadyapy
anyä-bhaktiù kalau kartavyä, tadä kértanäkhyä bhakti-samyogenaiva
this statement shows the supremacy of kértanäkhyä-bhakti in the
age of Kali. Still, in order to remove the weakness of heart and
mundane conceptions of a kanistha-adhikäri, or neophyte devotee,
who is initiated into the visnu-mantra, arcana is specifically
required.
The consciousness of the conditioned soul is very flickering
and similar to that of an ignorant child. Only by the mercy of
the äcärya does he develop a reverential attitude towards the
transcendental Deity and become fortunate to receive instruction
on the worship of Sri Visnu, who is non-dual, or one without a
second (advaya). Those who are adverse to service to Sri Hari
disregard the path of arcana and instead engage in the activities
of karma and the cultivation of jñana. On the other hand, those
who perform arcana according to the rules of päncarätrika know
bhakti-yoga to be the topmost. Impurity exists in any endeavour
devoid of the worship of Sri Bhagavän. In the absence of a
proper relationship with Bhagavän, one tends to worship many
demigods. In such consciousness, one cannot properly perform
the arcana of Sri Hari.
Those attached to household life have
envious natures and agitated minds. Due to this, they become
entangled in various types of imaginary paths and disrespect the
arcana process. When the jiva becomes free from the influence of
his material ego and accepts his eternal occupation of servitude,
then his worshipable Sri Bhagavän manifests before him in the
form of a Deity to accept his service. Yena janma-çataiù pürvaà
väsudevaù samarcitaù, tan-mukhe hari-nämäni sadä tiñöhanti bhärata.
The exalted devotees of Sri Bhagavän have commented on this
verse as follows: To achieve the eligibility to genuinely enter
näma-bhajana, the jiva must first be elevated from the kanistha adhikäri
stage to the madhyama-adhikäri stage by rendering
service to the Deity form of Bhagavän (arcävatära). The process
of Deity worship has been mentioned in both the Pancarätra and
the Bhägavatam. Therefore, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu has said:
krsna-mantra haite habe saàsära-mocana
krsna-näma haite päbe kåñëera caraëa
Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (ädi-lélä 7.73)
One can obtain freedom from material existence simply by
chanting the krsna-mantra. Indeed, by chanting krsna-näma
one obtains Krsna’s lotus feet.
As long as a devotee remains a kanistha-adhikäri, he
cannot realise the supramundane or transcendental position
of Bhagavän’s eternal devotees. By faithfully worshiping the
Deity of Väsudeva [ÇSri Krisna] with the help of various items,
he gradually realises the intrinsic nature of the transcendental
name and mantra, which consequently diminishes his mundane
conceptions. Apart from the arcä-vigraha, the Deity of Bhagavän,
the jéva maintains an intense enjoying tendency towards all
other perceivable objects. Therefore, in order to enhance his
8 reverential attitude towards Sri Bhagavän, the neophyte devotee
is recommended to perform all of his endeavours for Bhagavän’s
pleasure while simultaneously completely renouncing other
activities. While performing arcana, one must focus his attention
on the arcä-vigraha and the process of arcana itself. By advancing
in the process of arcana, one enters into the realm of bhajana
(spontaneous devotional meditation). Although the process of
arcana is not the priority in bhajana, still, bhajana is not opposed
to the reverential service attitude required for arcana. In fact, the
arcä-vigraha is a special incarnation of Bhagavän. Bhagavän’s
incarnations appear in this world at certain times, but both the
Supersoul and the arcä-vigraha can be realised at all times by the
process of loving devotional service.
By performing arcana of Bhagavän, one soon feels immense
pleasure within oneself, which is the cause of all varieties of
perfections and auspiciousness. Without performing arcana, it is
not possible for a person attached to material enjoyment to break
free from bad association and so forth. Sri Bhagavän Himself
instructs us on the process of His arcana through the guidelines
given in the sastras. Moreover, great sages like Brahmä, Siva,
Närada, Vyäsa, and others have recommended this process as the
most beneficial for the supreme welfare of all individuals situated
within the varna ashrama system, including women and südras.
Arcana is classified under three categories – vaidika, or that
which is prescribed in Vedas, the täntrika, or that which is taught
in the Tantras, and misra, or mixed. The altar or sacrificial arena,
fire, the sun, water, and the heart are either places of arcana or
objects of arcana. The Deity can be of eight kinds: carved from
stone, carved from wood, made of clay, paint, sand, jewels, gold
or other alloys, or mentally conceived. Furthermore, the Deity
can also be either moveable or stationary. Bathing the Deity
with mantras, worshipping the Deity at the different sandhyäs
(intervals), cleansing the Deity, changing the Deity’s clothes and
decorating the Deity with ornaments, sprinkling purified water
on the different instruments and ingredients employed in arcana,
offering pädya (ingredients used for bathing the Deity’s feet),
arghya-äcamaniya (ingredients used for washing the mouth),
incense, scents, a lamp, flowers, food, worshipping the Deity’s
eternal devotees in the guru-paramparä, chanting the müla-mantra,
the recitation of hymns, offering prostrated obeisances, reciting
prayers and honouring the garlands, candana (sandalwood
paste), flowers, and other items offered to the Deity are limbs of
arcana. Constructing a temple for the proper installation of the
Deity, organizing processions, and observing festivals related to
the Deity are also integral limbs of arcana. Thus, by performing
arcana unto Sri Hari with single-minded pure devotion (bhaktiyoga),
one attains loving devotional service to His lotus feet.
Being a special avatära of Bhagavän, the Deity captivates the
faith of the arcaka, the devotee who performs arcana, and bestows
auspiciousness upon him. Those who consider the arcä-vigraha
to be composed of certain structural ingredients and maintain
an enjoying mentality towards Him have no faith in Bhagavän
Çré Viñëu. If anyone considers Bhagavän to be an object of his
enjoyment and pretentiously engages in arcana, then certainly
he possesses either very weak faith or no faith at all. With great
faith one should perform the worship of the Deity of Bhagavän
with sixteen varieties of paraphernalia. Sincere household
devotees should worship Sri Bhagavän with the best ingredients.
The uttama-adhikäris or premi-bhaktas, those who have develope
great love for Bhagavän, are beyond the rules and regulations of
varna ashrama. Being immersed in their mood of intense devotion,
they perform worship endowed with ecstatic emotions (bhävasevä),
with easily attainable ingredients. On the other hand,
wealthy household-devotees should worship the Deity with
the best ingredients and observe various devotional festivals
according to their capacity. Behaving in a miserly fashion in this
regard makes one wicked, and consequently his service-attitude
begins to deteriorate.
It is stated in the Çré Hari-bhakti-viläsa:
kåtyänyetäni tu präyo gåhiëäà dhanäni satäm
likhitäni na tu tyakta-parigraha-mahätmanäm
Mentioned herein are obligatory duties concerning the
process of arcana which are recommended for wealthy,
virtuous householders. They do not pertain to fully
renounced sages."
