Deity

[Guest guest]

Hare Krsna!

What is the difference between installed deity and one

that is not? I've received explanation that when deity

is installed, specific mantras are being chanted and

by that process of instalation Krsna is asked to

kindly come to that form to be personally there. I

know that Krsna is everywhere in His universal form.

So can somebody explain this.

Thank you!

ys Nina

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

On Sat, 6 Oct 2001, nina r wrote:

> What is the difference between installed deity and one

> that is not? I've received explanation that when deity

> is installed, specific mantras are being chanted and

> by that process of instalation Krsna is asked to

> kindly come to that form to be personally there. I

> know that Krsna is everywhere in His universal form.

> So can somebody explain this.

There may be no harm in worshipping an uninstalled Deity,

though it is something like a common-law marriage; it resembles what

Krsna describes (albeit in another context, Gita 9.23) as "yajanty

avidhi-purvakam" (worshipping in a fanciful manner). Those who are

serious will want to follow Krsna's rules, taking the guidance of the

self-realized acaryas.

As described in the Srimad Bhagavatam (11.27), the Deity is an

incarnation of Paramatman, who is localized in all atoms, and also present

within our hearts. By the process of installation, one formally requests

the Lord to accept external worship in an authorized form, i.e., the Deity.

There are eight such forms (described in the above chapter). By this arcana

(Deity worship), Krsna agrees to be worshipped in tangible elements, by

the sincere but conditioned souls of the material world, who do so under

the guidance of a bonafide guru. Srila Prabhupada often explained that

one cannot expect a letter placed into any box to be delivered--one has to

place it into the official mailbox designed for this purpose. Similarly,

although Krsna is everywhere, those of us with conditional vision cannot

actually perceive this and may thus take advantage of His merciful Deity

incarnation to make further progress; Deity worship is intensely personal

as well as practical, whereas worship of the universal form (popular

among mayavadis) is more impersonal and theoretical. Arcana is one of the

nine methods of devotional service mentioned by the great mahajana, Sri

Prahlada Maharaja (cf. Srila Prabhupada's comments on it in Bhagavatam,

7.5.23-24).

Still, Krsna is also present in His pictures, uninstalled murtis,

etc., and even in the form of the Bhagavatam--a book. Srila Prabhupada

therefore also advised that we try not to disrespect these in any way. I

don't see any harm in worshipping an uninstalled Deity until one feels ready

to make the committment actual Deity worship entails, but that is just my

personal opinion.

I hope this is helpful. Hare Krsna!

 

Mukunda Datta dasa