Arcana-a must

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Especially for the householder devotees, the path of Deity worship is

strongly recommended. As far as possible, every householder, by the

direction of the spiritual master, must install the Deity of Visnu, forms

like Radha-Krsna, Laksmi-Narayana or Sita-Rama especially, or any other form

of the Lord, like Nrsimha, Varaha, Gaura-Nitai, Matsya, Kurma,

salagrama-sila and many other forms of Visnu, like Trivikrama, Kesava,

Acyuta, Vasudeva, Narayana and Damodara, as recommended in the

Vaisnava-tantras or Puranas, and one's family should worship strictly

following the directions and regulations of arcana-vidhi. Any member of the

family who is above twelve years of age should be initiated by a bona fide

spiritual master, and all the members of the household should be engaged in

the daily service of the Lord, beginning from morning (4 a.m.) till night

(10 p.m.) by performing mangala-aratrika, niranjana, arcana, puja, kirtana,

srngara, bhoga-vaikali, sandhya-aratrika, patha, bhoga (at night),

sayana-aratrika, etc. Engagement in such worship of the Deity, under the

direction of a bona fide spiritual master, will greatly help the

householders to purify their very existence and make rapid progress in

spiritual knowledge.**** Simple theoretical book knowledge is not sufficient

for a neophyte devotee. Book knowledge is theoretical, whereas the arcana

process is practical. Spiritual knowledge must be developed by a combination

of theoretical and practical knowledge, and that is the guaranteed way for

attainment of spiritual perfection.****

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 2.3.22