Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 4.62

punaḥ taila diya kaila śrī-ańga cikkaṇa

śańkha-gandhodake kaila snāna samādhāna

SYNONYMS

punaḥ — again; taila diyā — with oil; kaila — made; śrī-ańga — the body of the Deity; cikkaṇa — shiny; śańkha-gandha-udake — in water scented with flowers and sandalwood pulp and kept within a conchshell; kaila — did; snāna — bath; samādhāna — execution.

TRANSLATION

After the mahā-snāna was finished, the Deity was again massaged with scented oil and His body made glossy. Then the last bathing ceremony was performed with scented water kept within a conchshell.

PURPORT

In his commentary on this occasion, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura quotes from the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. Barley powder, wheat powder, vermilion powder, urad dhal powder and another powder preparation called āvāṭā (made by mixing banana powder and ground rice) are applied to the Deity's body with a brush made from the hair at the end of a cow's tail. This produces a nice finish. The oil smeared over the body of the Deity should be scented. To perform the mahā-snāna, at least two and a half mānas (about twenty-four gallons) of water are needed to pour over the body of the Deity.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness