in puja balarama wears peacock feather or crows feathers?

[Guest guest]

Pranam.

 

> I've not seen any sastric mention of

> such a decoration for Krishna in Dwarka and what to speak of Lord

> Ramachandra, Nrsimhadev or other vishnu-tattva deities. One may also

> consider that there is a good reason why none of the paintings of

> Mahaprabhu, done either by ISKCON artists under the guidance of Srila

> Prabhupada or by "traditional" vaishnava artists outside of ISKCON, show

> him with a peacock feather. Of course that is separate from when he

> manifests one in pastimes such as revealing himself as Krishna before

> Adwaita Acarya or his sad-bhuj and universal forms. There is also a good

> reason why Srila Prabhupada instructed devotees not to offer Gaura Nitai

> grains on ekadasi, even though they are vishnu-tattva.

 

Obviously, when He (Lord Caitanya) is enacting pastimes as Krishna, then it

is appropriate to decorate Him with peacock feather, forest flowers, gunja

mala, etc.

 

> > ... Lord Caitanya must always wear a peacock feather.

>

> I've heard about these instructions that Srila Prabhupada gave to

> Jananivas and Mother Malati. I've always wondered, did Srila Prabhupada

> ever express them in writing, or in public, as a clear standard he wanted

> followed for all time, for the whole society?

 

He said it so you can follow. He is acarya. Whatever acarya says is perfect

for following. Who is fit to interpret the acarya's words, besides Krishna?

 

> ... there are strong philosophical

> and historical reasons not to do so. Reasons, which have impelled most

> groups outside of ISKCON (including the followers of Srila

> Bhaktisiddhanta) to make "no peacock feather" rules for deities of Gaura

> Nitai in their temples and institutions. As you may know, practically 90

> to 99 percent of the temples and pujaris of traditional and ancient

> deities of Mahaprabhu follow the principle of not putting a peacock

> feather on Mahaprabhu.

 

Prabhupada hardly cared a fig for what "most groups" did. Almost to a man

his godbrothers were envious of his accomplishments. As far as "historical

and philosophical reasons", others have to follow but acarya means that he

can create fresh tradition if he sees fit. If he (Prabhupada) would have

stuck to tradition there would never be a Hare Krishna movement as we know

it. There would be no women in the mission, no rathyatras all over the

world, etc., etc.

 

> ... if a pujari doesn't want to put a peacock

> feather because he doesn't want to disturb Mahaprabhu's mood of being a

> devotee ...

 

As refered to above, sometimes Mahaprabhu is in the mood of, and performs

the activites of, Krishna.

 

> ... my humble suggestion is that there should be no absolute mandate on

> this issue. Whichever of these two options individual temples and head

> pujaris decide on doing should be respected. However, for the sake of

> avoiding controversy, I hope that they have a clear philosophical

> reasoning that they can offer to the devotees in their temples why they

> accept one or the other. Blind following is condemned, but worse than

> blind following is blindly legislating others.

 

This is alright.

 

dasa, Rasananda das