English

EXPECTING THE LORD’S MERCY In the Tenth Canto, fourteenth chapter, verse 8, it is said, “My dear Lord, any person who is constantly awaiting Your causeless mercy to be bestowed upon him, and who goes on … Read More

CHAPTER TEN Techniques of Hearing and Remembering HEARING The beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service is hearing, in Sanskrit called śravaṇam. All people should be given the chance to come and join devotional parties so … Read More

OBSERVING ĀRATI AND CELEBRATIONS OF THE LORD In the Skanda Purāṇa there is the following description of the result of seeing ārati (worship) of the Deity: “If someone sees the face of the Lord while ārati … Read More

SEEING THE DEITY In the Varāha Purāṇa there is a statement praising the seeing of the Deity of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the temple. A devotee says there, “My dear Vasundharā, any person who goes to Vṛndāvana … Read More

TOUCHING THE DEITY In the Viṣṇu-dharmottara there is a statement about touching the lotus feet of the Lord. It is said, “Only a person who is initiated as a Vaiṣṇava and is executing devotional service in … Read More

SMELLING THE INCENSE OR FLOWERS OFFERED TO THE DEITY In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya there is a statement about the incense which is offered in the temple: “When the devotees smell the good flavor of the incense which … Read More

DRINKING CARAṆĀMṚTA Caraṇāmṛta is obtained in the morning while the Lord is being washed before dressing. Scented with perfumes and flowers, the water comes gliding down through His lotus feet and is collected and mixed with … Read More

PARTAKING OF PRASĀDA There is this specific statement in the Padma Purāṇa: “A person who honors the prasāda and regularly eats it, not exactly in front of the Deity, along with caraṇāmṛta [the water offered to … Read More

Reciting Notable prayers According to great learned scholars, the whole Bhagavad-gītā contains many authorized prayers, especially in the eleventh chapter, where Arjuna prays to the universal form of the Lord. Similarly, in the Gautamīya-tantra all the … Read More

SUBMISSION In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a statement about submission unto the lotus feet of the Lord. It is said there that those who are sober devotees can offer their submission to Kṛṣṇa in the … Read More

SAṄKĪRTANA When a person loudly chants the glories of the Lord’s activities, qualities, form, etc., his chanting is called saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtana also refers to the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord. In the … Read More

SINGING In the Liṅga Purāṇa there is a statement about glorifying and singing about the Lord. It is said there, “A brāhmaṇa who is constantly engaged in singing the glories of the Lord is surely elevated … Read More

RENDERING SERVICE TO THE LORD It is stated in the Viṣṇu-rahasya, “Any person who can arrange for service to the Lord in the same way that a king is given service by his attendants is surely … Read More

ARCANĀ Arcanā means worship of the Deity in the temple. By executing this process one confirms himself to be not the body but spirit soul. In the Tenth Canto, eighty-first chapter, verse 19 of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it … Read More

CIRCUMAMBULATING THE TEMPLE OF VIṢṆU It is said in the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, “A person who is circumambulating the Deity of Viṣṇu can counteract the circumambulation of repeated birth and death in this material world.” The conditioned soul … Read More

GOING TO THE TEMPLE OF VIṢṆU OR TO PLACES OF PILGRIMAGE It is stated in the Purāṇas, “Persons who attempt to visit the holy places of pilgrimage, like Vṛndāvana, Mathurā or Dvārakā, are actually glorified. By … Read More

FOLLOWING THE DEITY A similar statement is there in the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa, in which it is said, “Even if born of a lowly family, a person who follows the Ratha-yātrā car when the Deities pass in … Read More

STANDING UP TO RECEIVE THE LORD In the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa it is said, “A person who sees the Lord’s Ratha-yātrā car festival and then stands up to receive the Lord can purge all kinds of sinful … Read More

BOWING DOWN IN HONOR OF THE DEITY In the Nāradīya Purāṇa there is a statement about bowing down and offering respect to the Deity. It is said there, “A person who has performed a great ritualistic … Read More

DANCING BEFORE THE DEITY In the Dvārakā-māhātmya the importance of dancing before the Deity is stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa as follows: “A person who is in a jubilant spirit, who feels profound devotional ecstasy while dancing … Read More