Mangala arotik

[Guest guest]

Dear Sriman Vidura Priya,

 

> My query

> basically was to find out where in scriptures attending/ performing

> mangala aarti is specified

 

I can specifically answer this question in a general but nonetheless

authoritative way by saying simply "the pancaratra". Bhaktirasamrita Sindhu

may contain specific injunctions but in any case, Srila Rupa and the other

Goswamis, especially Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami wrote with frequent

reference to the pancaratra samhitas and on their knowledge of the

traditions based in turn on this literature. I have read bits of several

pancaratra texts (generally not available in modern language translations)

and they are full of injunctions such as what to do, how to do it, what to

attend, what to chant, etc. I hope you will be satisfied with this answer.

Your question is more or less academic. That is alright but for the devotees

in general the underlying appreciation of the purpose, as I have attempted

to present briefly in my letter responding to your first query, is more

important.

 

I accept Prabhupada's instructions about attending/performing as sastric

authority. Srimad Bhagavatam says 'acarya mam vijnanayam'... "Know the

acarya to be My very Self". Whatever is spoken by the Lord is sastra and

whatever is spoken by the sampradaya acarya, the antar-anga-confidential

devotee, the jagat guru, is sastra.

 

Yours,

 

Rasananda das