TAKING CARE OF GAURA-NITAI
Dear Guest,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. These web pages are an attempt to present some of Srila Prabhupada's instructions which may help you take care of your Gaura-Nitai deities in your home. They were written originally to guide people who had purchased Gaura-Nitai deities from us, but most of it is relevant to everyone interested in starting worship in the home. There are many other instructions in the writings of Srila Prabhupada about Gaura-Nitai, but this is just a small booklet. We are worshipping Lord Krishna and Lord Balaram in their forms of Gaura-Nitai because They are most forgiving of our shortcomings."Irregularity in worshipping Guru and Gauranga can be tolerated, as They are always kind and forgiving, but irregularity in worshipping Lord Jagannath and Sri Sri Radha-Krishna is not good.""Lord Chaitanya is very kind and He accepts the simplest worship or sincere chanting of the holy name of Krishna."Gaura-Nitai are the most kind and forgiving Deities, the most suitable to worship in every home. Srila Prabhupada advised a devotee who was worshipping her Jagannath deities in her family home to change to worshipping Gaura-Nitai because her family ate meat:"It is very good idea that you have to be more attached to the Deities above marriage. But it is not good to live at home because that is where meat is eaten. That will be offensive, so how can you worship the Deity under such circumstances? If your whole family become devotees, then that is another thing. I think that you can move from the Lord Jagannath Deities to the Gaura-Nitai Deities if that is your desire. That will be best."If you have purchased deities from us (at antardwp@foobar.co.uk), you should read the following section to get the Deities dressed. Otherwise skip to the section, "Taking care of Gaura-Nitai". As you see from the illustration, Their dresses fan up at the back. If you want to get this effect, then pin the dresses closed along their open side, tight enough to get them to stand up at the back. The peacock feathers
and/or plumes are fitted to the back of the crowns with bluetack. The crowns themselves are not very easy to fit using the wire provided, and a tab of bluetack on the Deities' forehead keeps the crowns in place much easier. The bracelets
fit on the Deities' wrists with a squeeze, and the necklaces
tie around Their necks, but it is takes two or three goes to get them the right length! While Srila Prabhupada said They can even be kept in a cabinet with dolls and the family keeping Them will benefit, the booklet is intended for those who want to worship Them. So it is best to find a suitable place for Them, perhaps make a small altar, and leave room for offering a tray of food.
If you wish to clean Them, the traditional way is to use cotton wool dipped in a tilak/lemon juice mixture and rub, alternatively another natural cleaner is tamarind. The full instructions used in Deity worship in ISKCON temples come from the sacred Narada Pancharatra. This work has just recently been published by ISKCON in two hard-bound volumes called "Pancaratra Pradipa" ("Illumination of Pancharatra") which are advertised on the back page of this manual. As a final note, we would like to include an instruction of Srila Prabhupada which tells us how to balance our spiritual progress between Deity worship and works to benefit others with Krishna consciousness.
"Now work with Himavati to take care of the Deities very, very nicely. Both of you have seen in LA how much they are careful about Deity worship. We have to make our steady progress, keeping both sides in balance, namely pancaratriki-vidhi and Bhagavata-vidhi. The Pancaratriki-vidhi is arcana or temple worship and the Bhagavata-vidhi is to preach by chanting and distributing literature. Although chanting is quite sufficient to cover all the vidhis still to keep ourselves pure and sanctified we must observe the rules and regulations of Pancaratriki-vidhi."Srila Prabhupada here describes the two sides to Krishna consciousness which should be practised in order to make steady spiritual progress, ie. both worship and preaching. Although Pancaratriki-vidhi here refers to the elaborate worship of installed Deities in ISKCON temples, it is hoped that every worshipper of Gaura-Nitai in the home will feel inspired by Them to give Krishna consciousness to others (Bhagavata-vidhi) and progress in a balanced manner in spiritual life.
TAKING CARE OF GAURA-NITAI "Regarding Rudra dasa, he can worship Gaura-Nitai in his home. The most important element in their worship is the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. They can have at least one arati and whatever foodstuffs are prepared can be offered."These are the three activities which this booklet covers: Chanting, Arati and offering all one's foodstuffs.1: By Chanting Hare Krishna
Even in the worship of ISKCON Temple Deities, Srila Prabhupada writes:"I am so glad to learn that you are taking very much interest in the Deity worship and such activities must be accompanied with chanting of theThus chanting Hare Krishna regularily is the basis for worshiping the deity. This is especially important with Gaura-Nitai, as Srila Prabhupada writes:holy name regularly. Actually chanting of the holy name regularly is our life and soul, and on the basis of such activities all other devotional service will sustain."
"Gaura-Nitai can be established anywhere, and it is simple to worship Them. Simply chant before Their Lordships. He doesn't mind that you haven't decorated very nicely, but if you chant and dance, He is very pleased."The Hare Krishna maha-mantra goes like this:Hare Krishna Hare KrishnaBefore chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, we pray for the mercy of Gaura-Nitai and Their associates as follows:
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare HareJaya Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Prabhu Nityanandaand it can be chanted quietly (japa) for one's own benefit, or sung congregationally (sankirtan) with dancing. Not only does Srila Prabhupada say that chanting Hare Krishna is indispensible even in Deity worship in major ISKCON temples, but it is of more importance:
Sri Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasadi
Gaura bhakta vrinda"In this age, chanting of Hare Krishna is the prime business of.......Srila Prabhupada letter to Hansadutta, 5th September 1969the devotee, and preaching of this Hare Krishna mantra by outdoor sankirtana and propogation of literature is our more important business. Side by side, Deity worship is recommended, but when there is a question of accepting one of them, we shall prefer to accept chanting of Hare Krishna mantra first."
2: BY OFFERING ALL YOUR FOODSTUFFS TO GAURA-NITAI
Here Lord Krishna directly instructs us to offer all that we eat first to Him:
yat karosi yad asnasi: yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya: tat kurusva mad-arpanam"Oh son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto me."Lord Krishna speaking Bhagavad Gita 9.27
yajna-sistasinah santo: mucyante sarva-kilbisaih bhunjate te tv agham papa: ye pacanty atma-karanat"The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin."Lord Krishna speaking Bhagavad Gita 3.13 The prepared foodstuffs should be placed on a plate kept especially for the Deities and placed before them. The offering should then be made as detailed below while ringing a bell:"Foodstuffs can be offered at any place but with devotion and formalities."........Srila Prabhupada letter to Madhusudana, 1st February, 1968"For the time being, if Arundhati wants to offer prasadam, the Hare Krishna mantra will do."Srila Prabhupada letter to Pradyumna, 4th July 1969
Here Srila Prabhupada says that simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra with devotion in front of the Deities, the foodstuff can be offered."Regarding offering food: the custom is to offer the foodstuff first to the spiritual master; we cannot do anything directly. The spiritual master accepts the offering on behalf of his disciple and offers the same to Krishna. After Krishna's eating, the spiritual master eats it, and then the devotees take it as maha-prasada. This is the system. Everything is offered to the spiritual master first, with the prayer: Nama om visnu-padaya....".......Srila Prabhupada letter to Jadurani, 15th February 1968 According to these statements, it is better to offer the food to the spiritual master, who then offers it to Lord Krishna. If you do not have a spiritual master, you can place a picture of Srila Prabhupada on your altar and offer the food first to him to offer to the Lord."Yes, you may say the prayer to the spiritual master three times and also the Namo brahmanya... prayer three times when offering prasada. That is very nice, to say the mantra three times. Also, you may, after offering to the spiritual master, offer to Lord Chaitanya by saying the prayer: Namo maha-vadanyaya.... three times and then offer to Krishna thrice.".........Srila Prabhupada letter to Balai, 22nd March 1968 Here are the mantras in full with translations: A bell should be rung while chanting. Each mantra should be chanted three timesnama om vishnu-padaya, krishna-presthaya bhu-tale Translation: I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krishna, having taken shelter at his lotus feet.
srimate bhaktivedanta-swamin iti naminenamas te sarasvati deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine
Translation: Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Saraswati Goswami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Chaitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.namo maha-vadanyaya krishna-prema-pradaya te
krishnaya krishna-chaitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah
Translation: O most munificent incarnation! You are Krishna Himself appearing as Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden colour of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krishna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagat-hitaya krishnaya govindaya namonamah
Translation: I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Absolute Truth, Krishna, Who is the well-wisher of the cows and the brahmanas as well as the living entities in general. I offer my repeated obeisances to Govinda, who is the resevoir of pleasure for all the senses."Regarding prasadam, Krishna does not accept any foodstuff offered by a person who is not a devotee. In the Bhagavad-gita it is stated: patram puspam phalam toyam, yo me bhakta prayacchati (9.26). So the importance is stressed on the bhakti, the devotion. Krishna does not accept anything unless one is a pure devotee of Krishna. How to become a pure devotee of Krishna, you have to chant Hare Krishna and follow the four regulative principles of no meat eating, intoxication, illicit sex, or gambling, and you have to follow a guru who is expert in the science of devotional service. If you are serious about understanding Krishna consciousness, you can live with us for some time in one of our centres with your father's permission and learn the science and do the needful."..........Srila Prabhupada letter to Fredrico Lourenco, 14th October, 1974
3) BY OFFERING ARATI 
"Each offering is made by moving it in 7 big circles, starting at the lotus feet of the Lord, and going clockwise round. First of all, burning camphor or ghee (5 fires if possible) is offered in this way, slowly circling them before the Lord. With left hand bell is being rung, and with right hand the offerings are made by circling. Next burning dhup is offered. Then water is offered in a conchshell. Then a nice handkerchief is offered. Then a nice flower, as a rose. Then the Deities are offered a fan, nice peacock feather fan. And the last is the blowing of the conchshell three times."Srila Prabhupada letter to Hayagriva, 18th November, 1968 This letter describes a full arati, and it is not difficult to do. It can be accompanied by a kirtan. However, if you do not have the conch shell or fan available, the arati can consist of offering dhup (incense), followed by the lamp and then a fragrant flower, accompanied by the chanting of Hare Krishna. In temples, the conch shell is also blown at the start of arati and the incense is offered before the lamp."So far your question regarding Deity worship, during arati everything should be offered first to the guru."Srila Prabhupada letter to Giriraj, 28th May 1972 There should be a picture of your spiritual master or Srila Prabhupada if you have not yet taken shelter of one, for you to first offer the items, so you are offering them to Nitai-Gaura through the chain of disciplic succession.
Achaman
The paraphernalia for a simple arati is shown in this picture. The ghee lamp is simply a ball of cotton wool with a pointed tip soaked in ghee on a holder. The little pot with the spoon is used in a ceremony called achaman before arati (and offering bhoga) as a purifier as follows: Put a drop of water, with the spoon in your left hand, on your right hand to clean it and discard the water. Take a fresh drop from the pot and put it on your right hand, sprinkle another drop from the pot onto your hand, and then a third and final drop. Then chant "Om kesavaya namah" and sip the water from your right hand trying not to touch your hand with your lips (quite a feat!). Take another drop to clean your right hand and discard the water. Now take drops three times from the pot onto your right hand as before, chant "Om narayana namah" and sip the water as before. Another drop of water to clean, discard it, three more drops, chant "Om madhavaya namah", a sip and a final clean completes the purifying ceremony of achaman. Three drops of water can be sprinkled on the various arati items, including the bell for purification before offering.
