Canto 11: General HistoryChapter 27: Lord Kṛṣṇa's Instructions on the Process of Deity Worship

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.27.1

śrī-uddhava uvāca

kriyā-yogaḿ samācakṣva

bhavad-ārādhanaḿ prabho

yasmāt tvāḿ ye yathārcanti

sātvatāḥ sātvatarṣabha

SYNONYMS

śrī-uddhavaḥ uvācaŚrī Uddhava said; kriyā-yogam — the prescribed method of activity; samācakṣva — please explain; bhavat — of You; ārādhanam — the Deity worship; prabhoO Lord; yasmāt — based on what kind of form; tvām — You; ye — who; yathāin what manner; arcanti — they worship; sātvatāḥ — the devotees; sātvata-ṛṣabhaO master of the devotees.

TRANSLATION

Śrī 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.

<<< >>>

Buy Online Copyright © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari