Śrī-vaiṣṇavālaṅkāraḥ — The Vaiṣṇava’s Adornments

By bathing only once in the most sacred holy place in the form of chanting the holy name of Sri Krsna Caitanya, even a most impure person becomes counted as one of the exalted personalities and becomes qualified to preach religious principles.

After completing one's bath and offering of oblations, one should first offer his obeisances to his worshipable Lord and then to his spiritual master and other elderly persons, except those who may be out collecting flowers, wood for sacrifice, kusa grass, or water and thus are away from home.

After bathing, one should offer his respects to the Supreme Lord, thinking that He is situated in the water, before returning home. Then, one should worship Srl Visnu by chanting the Purusa-sukta mantra.

After performing dcamana and other duties, one should clean the Lord's temple room. Thereafter, while meditating upon the Deity, the devotee should surrender himself to the Lord while chanting the glories of His holy names and transcendental qualities. Afterwards, one should mix cow dung, pure clay, and water and then smear it on the floor of the temple. When this is finished, one should sprinkle water mixed with cow dung in the temple courtyard.

Maharaja Ambarisa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Krsna, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord's temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Krsna or about Krsna.

One should consider oneself to be My humble servant, without duplicity, and thus should help to clean the temple, which is My home. First one should sweep and dust thoroughly, and then one should further cleanse with water and cow dung. Having dried the temple, one should sprinkle scented water and decorate the temple with mandaias. O n e should thus act just like My servant.

sri nrsimha purdne (In the Nrsimha Purdna it is stated) narasimhagrhe nityarh yah sammdrjanam dcaret samasta pdpanirmukto visnuloke sa modate A person who cleans the temple of Lord Nrsimhadeva every day becomes liberated from all sinful reactions and then goes to happily reside in the abode of Lord Visnu.

There is no doubt that a person who cleans the temple of Sri Kesava becomes free from the influence of the modes of passion and ignorance. O King, a person will enjoy divine happiness in heaven for as many years as the particles of dust he accumulates while cleaning the temple of the Supreme Lord.

O mother Earth, a person will enjoy blissful life in Sakadvlpa for as many thousands of years as he strokes the ground with his broom while sweeping. Thereafter, he will be born as My devotee and become endowed with religiosity, purity, devotion, and freedom from offenses. After enjoying life in Sakadvlpa, he will first go to heaven and enjoy the association of celestial women in the Nandana-kanana garden. Thereafter, when he again attains a human birth, he will become fixed in My devotional service after giving up all types of material attachment, and then rerturn to My transcendental abode.

temple of the Supreme Lord with cow dung mixed with water) tatraiva (In the same place, Lord Varaha addressed the earth)

gomayarh grhya vai bhumi mama vesma upalepayet ydvatastu paddmstatra samantad upalepayet tdvad varsa sahasrani mudbhakto jdyate tathd samlpe yadi vd dure yascalayati gomayam ydvattasya paddgrdni tdvat svarge mahiyate One should smear cow dung on the floor of My temple. By doing so, he will reside with Me as My devotee for as many thousands of years as he takes his strides while smearing the cow dung inside the temple and on the grounds surrounding it. While smearing cow dung in My temple, as many steps one takes, he will enjoy life in heaven for that many thousands of years.

Thereafter, when one finishes his period of enjoying life in heaven, he will be born as a pious king in Salmahdvlpa. He will be My sincere devotee and he will be very expert in the understanding of all scriptures. While seeing a devotee's strong inclination for smearing My temple with cow dung, I become very satisfied.

SRl H A R I - B H A K T I - VILAS A

ekenaiva tu lepena goyonyd vipramucyate The cow whose dung is used to smear the floor of a temple of the Supreme Lord even once certainly becomes liberated after giving up her cow's body.

O mother Earth! O fortunate one! Now hear from Me about the great piety one achieves by pouring water while smearing cow dung and cleaning My temple. O beautiful one, as many drops of water as one pours onto the floor while cleaning the temple, he will enjoy life for that many thousands of years in the heavenly planets. O Vasundhare, such a person becomes worshiped in Krauncadvlpa for as many thousands of years as the drops of water he pours onto the floor to clean My temple. •

Such a devotee, after enjoying life in Krauncadvlpa, devotes himself to a life of piety, gives up all material attachments, and ultimately returns to My supreme abode.

By regularly smearing the floor of the temple of Sri Visnu with cow dung, one can easily transfer himself to the most auspicious planets within the universe. Simply by smearing cow dung over the temple floor, even an area of one square foot, one becomes a king, and then goes to heaven where he enjoys life with hundreds of celestial women.

One who smears the Lord's temple with cow dung, clay, and water obtains the result of following the vow of cdndrdyana and is transferred to the supreme abode of the Lord after death.

-,40 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA Do not bring to me for punishment those who clean the temple of the Supreme Lord and then smear it with cow dung. Also, do not bring to me the forefathers of their mother's, father's, or wife's families.

visnudharmottare (In the Visnu-dharmottara it is stated) abhyuksanantu yah kuryydt pdnlyena surdlaye sa sdntatdpo bhavati natra kdryyd vicdrand abhyuksanantu yah kuryad deva devajire narah sarvd papa vinirmukto vdrunarh lokamasnute There is no doubt that one who sprinkles water within the temple o{ the Supreme Lord becomes relieved of all miseries. A person who washes the courtyard of the temple becomes delivered from all sinful reactions and at the end of his life, he attains the abode of Varuna.

A devotee should enhance the beauty of the temple of Sri Hari by drawing on the floor auspicious symbols, such as a lotus and svastika, using powders of different colors.

One should cheerfully decorate the temple of Lord Visnu by drawing lotus flowers and other auspicious symbols with colorful powders. One should increase the beauty of the courtyard, boundary walls, and the foundation of the temple by sweeping the floor, wiping it, and smearing cow dung.

skandapurdne kdrttika prasange (In the Karttika-vrata section of the Skanda Fur ana it is stated) agamya gamane pdpama bhaksyasya ca bhaksane sarvarh tanndsam dpnoti mandayitvd harergrham The sinful reactions accumulated by having sexual intercourse with a prohibited woman, and by eating abominable food can be nullified by decorating the temple of Sri Hari.

One who decorates the temple of Sri Kesava with clay or other materials, even once, becomes eligible to live in the abodes of the demigods for one hundred kalpas. One who draws a svastika in front of the salagrama-slla, especially in the month of Karttika, purifies seven generations of his family.

747 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA sapta janmani vaidhavyam na prdpnoti kaddcana grhitva gomayam ya tu mandalarh kesavdgratah bharttur viyogam ndpnoti santatesca dhanasya ca A woman who daily draws a mandala in front of Sri Kesava will not become a widow duringher next seven births. A lady who draws mandalas with cow dung and other substances, in front of Lord Kesava, will never be separated from her husband, children, or wealth.

One who decorates the courtyard of the Lord's temple with colorful drawings and svastikas enjoys a happy life anywhere within the three worlds.

One who smears the floor of the temple of Sri Hari with clay, cow dung, and colorful metallic powders becomes qualified to enjoy flying in a celestial airplane as a demigod.

O n e who smears the temple of Sri Hari with cow dung and decorates it with colorful drawings becomes happy in all conditions of life, and the residents of Visnuloka joyfully come to greet him after death.

dgame (In the Vedas it is stated) vidiggata catuskani bhittvd sudasadhd sudhlh mdrjayet svastikdkaram sveta pita runasitalh O n e should draw a square, divide it into sixteen small squares, and then color them with white, yellow, red and black powder to make it look like a svastika.

O n e should collect powder of five different colors. For white, one should use rice powder or barley powder. For red, one should use kunkum, vermilion, or saffron. For yellow, one should use haritala or turmeric. For black, one should use powder made from burnt barley, and for green one should use a combination of burnt barley and turmeric.

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Thereafter, a devotee should decorate the temple of Lord Visnu with nice colorful flags and banners.

the Dvaraka-mahdtmya section of the Skanda Pur ana it is stated) dhvaja mdro payedyastu prdsddopari bhaktitah tasya brahmapade vdsah krldate brahmana saha A person who devotedly places a flag on the top of a temple of Lord Visnu becomes qualified to live in Brahmaloka and thus enjoy life in the company of Lord Brahma.

tatraivdgre ca (and elsewhere it is stated) pato dhvajasya vipendra ydvaccalati vdyuna tavanti papa jaldni nasyantyeva na sarhsayah

mahdpdtaka yukto vd yukto vd sarvapdtakaih dhvajarh visnu grhe krtvd sarvapdpaih pramucyate The demigods, headed by Brahma, worship the devotee who decorates a temple of Sri Visnu by placing a flag on top of it. What more can I say? O foremost brdhmana, the more the cloth of the flag flaps, the more one's sinful reactions are destroyed—of this there is no doubt. It does not matter whether one is very sinful or even the most sinful person—all of his sinful reactions are vanquished simply by putting a flag on top of a temple of Lord Visnu.

Pious persons who become pleased by seeing a nice flag established on top of a temple of Sri Krsna at once become liberated from millions of sinful reactions.

All the wonderful glories of placing a flag on top of a temple that are described in the Brhan-ndradlya Purdna are to be accepted.

dvdrkd mdhatyme tatraiva (In the Dvdrakd-mahdtmya section of the Brhan-ndradlya Fur ana it is stated) krsndlayarh yah kurute patdkdbhisca sobhitam

sadaiva tasya loke tu vdsastasya nd cdnytah One who decorates the temple of Sri Hari with flags and banners certainly resides in the transcendental abode of the Lord and nowhere else.

As a result of decorating the temple of Sri Hari with an auspicious flag, a twice-born devotee can attain the planet of Vayu and reside there for many years. The more the flag flutters in the wind, the more the sinful reactions of the person who placed it there become vanquished.

dvdrka mdhdtyme tatraiva (In the Dvdrakd-mdhatmya section of the Visnu-dharmottara it is stated) bhupa vandan mdlantu kurute krsna vesamani deva kanyd vrtair laksaih sevyate surandyake yah kuryydt krsna bhavanarh kadali stambha shobhitam nandate cdpsaro yuktah svdgatam tasya devardt

O King, one who decorates the temple of Sri Hari with flower garlands becomes the object of adoration by the demigods and hundreds of thousands of celestial women. One who beautifies the temple of Sri Hari with banana trees enjoys the most delightful association of the Apsaras. Indeed, he commands respect from even Indra, the King of the demigods.

O n e should purify the metal containers, clothes, and altar of the Lord while observing the prescribed rules and regulations.

nrsirhhe (In the Nrsirhha Pur ana it is stated) pdda plthanca krsnasya bilva patrena gharsayet usna ambund ca praksdlaya sarva pdpaih pramucyate One should rub the altar of Sri Krsna with a bilva leaf and then wash it with warm water. This process enables one to gain freedom from all sinful reactions.

mdrkandeya purdne (In the Mdrkandeya Purdna it is stated) udumbara andmamlena ksdrena trapu sisayoh bhasma ambubhisca kdrhsydndrh suddhih pldvo dravasya ca

SRI H A R I - B H A K T I - VILASA One should polish copper containers with sour substances, glass and tin containers with ashes, and brass containers with ashes and water. Simply by heating, substances such as ghee become purified.

By polishing with white mustard cake, or sesame cake—jewels, diamonds, coral, pearls, conch shells, and stone containers become purified.

If containers made of metals and other materials—such as those made of gold, silver, conch shell, stone, pearl, crystal, jewels, bell metal, iron, copper, brass, tin and lead—are not touched by grains, such as cooked

rice, they can be cleaned simply by rinsing with water. If these containers are contaminated due to being used by sudras, they should be purified by washing them three times with ash, tamarind, and water. If the pots are very contaminated, they should be properly purified before being used for serving guests, or for the service of the Supreme Lord. It is a well-known fact that one should never use a contaminated pot in the service of the Supreme Lord.

One should purify pots made of copper, iron, bell metal, brass, tin, or lead in a proper manner, using ashes, lemon juice, and water.

One should purify copper, lead, and tin containers by rubbing them with a sour juice. Bell metal and iron containers should be purified with ashes.

Pots that are contaminated due to being used by a woman who has just delivered a baby, pots contaminated due to being used by a maidservant, pots contaminated due to being used for containing wine, and pots contaminated by blood should be cleaned twenty-one times to

p,-Q SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA make them purified. However, pots made of bell metal can be purified simply by heating them on the fire.

If a copper pot is not touched by meat of other such food, it can be purified by rubbing it with any sour object. However, if it is touched by meat, fish, or eggs, it must be purified by heating it on the fire.

If one wants to purify pots that have been used by a woman who has just delivered a baby; that has been touched by a dead body, or by stool or urine, or by a woman who is in her menstrual period, he must heat them for as long has he can hold them.

Pots made of iron, as well as those made of gold and silver, can be purified by rubbing them with ashes and cow dung. If they are very

contaminated they should be heated to be purified. Pots made of stone can be purified by heating them, rubbing them with some cleansing agent, or by washing them with water. Wooden pots can be purified by means of clay, cow dung, or water. Clay pots should be purified by heating them.

If clay pots are contaminated by wine, urine, stool, phlegm, pus, mucus, or saliva—they cannot be purified even by being heated on fire.

If only one pot is contaminated among many pots that have been kept together, by purifying only the contaminated pot, all the other pots are automatically purified.

tatra sankhah (Sankha has said in this regard) tdntavarh malinarh purvam adbhih ksdraisca sodhayet arhsubhih sosayitvd vd vdyund vd samdharet urnd pattdrhsuka ksauma dukuldvika carmandm alpdsauce bhavet suddhih sosana proksana ddibhih

jE2 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA Dirty cotton cloth should be purified by washing it with soap and water. After washing, it should be dried in the sun, or in fresh air, before being used. Wool, silk, linen, shaggy cloth, and cloth made from sheep's hair, as well as one's skin, should be purified simply by putting them in the sun, or in some cases, simply by sprinkling water on them.

If the above-mentioned cloths are touched by contaminated objects, they should be purified by using white mustard seeds, the husk of rice paddy, or juice abstracted from some kind of fruit or bark. Cloth made of cotton, a pillow, or cloth that is embroidered with gold or silver should be put in the sun for some time and then rubbed with one's hand to make it purified. Thereafter, one can sprinkle some water on it. If such cloth is very contaminated or dirty, it should be purified by the process that is described above.

If cloth dyed by kusumbha, kunkuma, or lac is touched by a dog-eater, it should be purified by rinsing it with water.

The skin of a spotted deer should be purified by contact with fresh air, a camara should be purified by clay and water, a conch shell and articles made of ivory should be purified by cow's urine, and linen cloth should be purified by using white mustard seeds.

Things made of ivory and horn should be purified by using white mustard seeds. Containers made of a coconut shell should be purified by the tail of a cow. White mustard seeds can also be used to purify things made from bones.

Thick juice of some particular trees, jaggery, salt, kusumbha, flowers, wool, and cotton can be purified by sprinkling water on them.

A large quantity of rice paddy and cloth should be purified by means of sprinkling water. A small quantity should be soaked in water. Leather goods, as well as things made of bamboo and cane, should be purified the same way as cloth, which was previously described. Purification of vegetables, roots, and fruit should be done in the same way as rice paddy. Grass, wood, and straw become purified by sprinkling water on them. One's house is purified by sweeping and mopping, and clay pots are purified by heating them on a fire.

O n e should continue to use water and clay for purifying something that has been touched by an impure object until the stain and smell of the impurity has completely vanished.

By washing with water, things made of bamboo and leather become purified. Cloth should also be purified by washing with water. However, if such things are extremely contaminated, the affected part should be cut off so that purity can be maintained.

If clay, leaves, grass, or wood is touched by a dog, bone, a dog-eater, or a crow, they should be purified by sunlight, moonlight, or air.

Sitting places, beds, vehicles, boats, roads, grass, and houses made of bricks and cement are purified by sunlight and air.

tatra baudhdyanah (In this regard, Baudhayana has said) vrlhayah proksanddadbhi sdka mula phaldni ca tanmd trasya pahdrddvd nistusl karane ca Rice paddy, spinach and other vegetables, roots, and fruit should be purified by sprinkling water on them, by removing the contaminated portion, or by peeling the skin.

Ghee, oil, and other milk products should be purified by sprinkling water on their containers (Because it is not possible to sprinkle water on these items directly, it is recommended that one sprinkle water on the containers). Closed containers of such things can be submerged in water for purification. Vegetables, fruit, and roots should be purified by washing them.

If the thing to be purified is light yet large in quantity, it should be dipped into water, along with its container. The contaminated portion of rice paddy, other grains, vegetables, and fruit should be removed and then the rest should be rinsed in water for purification.

Ghee and oil should be purified by heating them on the fire. Milk products should be purified by sprinkling water on their containers. By removing the contaminated portion, yogurt and condensed milk can be purified. If ghee is solid then the same procedure can be applied, and if it is liquid, it can be purified by washing the entire container with water. If a container is contaminated, it can be purified simply by replacing it. Ghee, sweet rice, milk, sugarcane juice, jaggery, buttermilk, and honey does not become impure even if touched by a sudra or kept in a sudra's pot.

If something that is held in one's hand becomes contaminated, one must wash both that thing and one's hand to become purified. Vaisnavas should refer to the smrti literature to learn more about the rules and regulations with regards to purifying other things. Out of fear of increasing the volume of this book, we will abstain from elaborating any further on this subject.

Thereafter, a devotee should first offer his obeisances to Lord Visnu and take His permission before picking tulasi leaves and suitable flowers.

If a brdhmana picks flowers while wearing wet clothes after bathing, the demigods do not accept them. Rather, these flowers are burnt to ashes like wood.

mdhdtmye (This procedure applies only to the noon bath) (In the Vaisdkha-mdhdtmya section of the Padma Purdna it is stated) asndtvd tulaslrh citvd devdrthe pitrkarmani tat sarvarh nisphalarh ydti pancagavyena sudhyati Picking tulasi leaves for offering to the Supreme Lord, or for offering as oblations to the forefathers, without first bathing, is completely useless. However, these tulasi leaves can be purified by putting them in paficagavya (milk, yogurt, ghee, cow's urine, and cow dung)

After bathing at home, one should wash his hands and feet, practice breathing exercises and nydsas, and then meditate on Sri Hari.

Thereafter, an intelligent devotee should meditate on holy rivers, such as the Ganges, and then invoke the holy water into a pot that is filled with water and tulasi leaves.

O Ganges! O Yamuna! O Godavari! O Sarasvati! O Narmada! O Sindhu! O Kaveri! Please manifest yourself within this water.

Otherwise, one may also invoke the Ganges, which is the embodiment oi ail sacred rivers, into the waterpot by chanting her twelve names.

The twelve names of the Ganges are—Nalini, NandinI, Slta, MalinI, Mahapaga, Visnupadarghyasambhuta, Gariga, TripathagaminI, Bhaglrathl, Bhogavatl, Jahnavl and Tridasesvarl.

section of the Padma Purdna it is stated) nandinltyeva ye ndma devesu nalinlti ca daksa prthvl ca vihagd visvanathd sivamrta vidyadhari mahadevi tatha loka prasadanl ksamavati jahnavl ca santa santi-pradayinl athdcamya gurum smrtd'nujnam prdthrya ca purvavat krsnapdddvjato gangdm patantlm miirddhni cintayet O mother Ganges! You are celebrated in the heavenly planets as NandinI, Nalini, Daksa, Prthvl, Vihaga, Visvanatha, Siva, Amrta, Vidyadhari, Mahadevi, Loka-prasadani, Ksamavati, Jahnavl, Santa and Santi-pradayinl. One should perform dcamana and then meditate on his spiritual master to beg his permission for invoking you. At this time, one should think of how the sacred river, Ganges, which emanated from the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, is directly falling on his head.

One should meditate on Lord Vasudeva, who is situated within one's heart, who is the form of one's worshipable mantra, whose eyes are just

like blooming lotus flowers, and who is as brilliant as countless suns. The Lord has four arms in which He holds a conch, disc, club, and lotus. He is dressed in yellow garments, His complexion is blackish, and His face appears peaceful and most pleasing. While looking into His eyes, it appears that He is ready to award a benediction. His limbs are smeared with sandalwood paste and He wears an enchanting smile upon his face. His ears are adorned with fish-shaped jeweled earrings. He is decorated with a garland of forest flowers. Great sages, such as Narada, are constantly engaged in worshiping Him. He is decorated with armlets and bracelets. His golden crown shines brightly. His entire body is supremely attractive and it is decorated with transcendental ornaments. One should meditate upon how the Ganges, which emanated from the Lord's lotus feet, falls directly on one's head and enters within his body. As a result, his entire body is being purified. If an initiated person meditates on the Supreme Lord in this way, within a short while, he will become as pure as crystal. It is said that this process of sndna is better than all the other processess of bathing. While bathing, one should remember Lord Narayana and glorify Him.

Sri Narayana is the source of all water and as such, He is said to reside within water. Therefore, it is the duty of all learned persons to remember Him at the time of bathing.

Even if one is healthy, he can bathe in warm water after massaging his body with amalaki or sesame oil, except in prohibited days.

sattrimsanmate (In the opinion of the Sattrirhsat) dpah svabhdvato medhyd visesd dagniyogatah santah prasamsanti sndnamusnena vdrina By nature, water is pure, but it becomes especially pure when it is heated on the fire. This is why saintly persons glorify bathing in warm water.

Water is always pure and when it is heated by a fire it becomes more pure. You should know for certain that warm water is most pure.

It is to be understood that when a person bathes in water that was heated by fire or sunshine, his body becomes highly purified but he does not get the pious result one ordinarily attains by bathing.

only with regards to fruitive activities and occasional activities) ataevoktam gargena (Therefore, Gargamuni has said)

kuryydnnaimittikarh sndnarh sltddbhih kdmyameva ca nityarh yddvacchi kaficaiva yathdruci samdcaret Bathing for the purpose of fulfilling one's ambitions, as well as an occasional bath, should be done with cool water. There are no special rules for taking one's daily bath. According to one's taste, one may either use warm or cool water for bathing.

tatra yamah (In this regard, Yamaraja has said) putra janmani sarhkrdntau grahane candra suryyayoh asprsya sparsane caiva na sndyddusna vdrind O n the birthday of one's son, on the day when the sun enters a new sign of the zodiac, on the days of a solar or lunar eclipse, or if the warm water has been touched by an untouchable person—one must avoid bathing with warm water.

There is no doubt that a person who bathes in warm water on a full moon day and on a new moon day is considered to be as sinful as the killer of a cow.

tatra mdrkandeyah (In this regard, Sri Markandeya has said)

tusyatyd malakair visnur ekddasydm vesesatah sri kdmah sarvadd sndnarh kurvitd malakairnarah saptamydrh na sprsettailam nlllvastram na dhdrayet na cdpyd malakaih sndyan na kuryydt kalaham narah Amalaki is very dear to Lord Visnu. Therefore, those who desire wealth should bathe with water mixed with amalaki, especially on Ekddasl. O n e should avoid applying oil to his body, wearing blue clothes, bathing in water mixed with amalaki, and quarreling with others on the seventh day of the waning moon.

It is prohibited to bathe with water mixed with amalaki on the new moon day, as well as on the sixth, seventh, ninth and thirteenth days of the waning moon. It is also prohibited to bathe on days when the sun enters a new sign of the zodiac, and on Sundays.

By bathing with water mixed with amalaki on a new moon day, as well as on the seventh and ninth days of the waning moon, a person loses his strength, duration of life, wealth, and capacity to beget children.

tatra vrhaspatih (Brhaspati has said in this regard) sarvakdlarh tilaih snanarh • punarvydso'vravinmunih The great sage, Vyasadeva, has made the arrangements for bathing with sesame seeds during all seasons.

Those who desire wealth, children, and a good wife should not touch a person who touches sesame seeds on the seventh day, new moon day, or a day when the sun enters a new sign of the zodiac, as well as on days of a solar or lunar eclipse.

tatraiva (In the same literature, it is sated) I - • •! - sastnayam tauamanayusyam catursvapi ca parvasu By applying oil on one's body on the sixth day of the waning moon, as well as on the four festival days, one's duration of life is reduced.

A person without foresight who bathes on the tenth day of the waning moon, without appling oil to his body, becomes bereft of a long duration of life, good intelligence, fame, and wealth. A person who. due to ignorance, massages his body with oil on the first day, sixth day, new moon day, fourth day, ninth day, or fourteenth day of the waning moon also loses the four above-mentioned assets. It is also prohibited to apply oil to the body on the fifteeth day, fourteenth day, seventh day, twelveth day, and sixth day of the waning moon, as well as on the day when the sun travels into a new sign of the zodiac.

One must avoid using oil on the seventh day, ninth day, first day, eighth day, or fourteenth day of the waning moon, and especially on the new moon day.

Whether for bathing or otherwise, using warm oil does not yield any fault.

2z-r, SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

If a brdhmana passes stool or urine after applying oil or ghee to his body, he should purifiy himself by fasting for twenty-four hours and then eating five kinds of milk products—milk, yogurt, ghee, cow's urine and cow dung. Thereafter, he should bathe and perform the agahmarsana ritual, in which one sips a small quanity of water from his palm while his nose is placed within the water. This should be followed by another bath, using the water that has washed the feet of his spiritual master and other elderly persons. Finally, he should bathe once again by pouring water mixed with tulasl on his body with a conch shell.

gdrilde (In the Garuda Purdna it is stated) marjjayatya abhiseke tu tulasyd vaisnavo narah sarva tirtha mayarh deharh tatksandt dvija jdyate tulasl dalaja snane ekddasyarh visesatah

FOURTH VILAS A 269 mucyate sarva papebhyo yadyapi brahmdhd bhavet O brahmana, if a Vaisnava touches tulasi to his body while bathing, he at once becomes an abode of all sacred places. If the killer of a brahmana bathes with water mixed with tulasi leaves, especially on Ekadasi, he becomes liberated from all sinful reactions.

By bathing daily after smearing one's body with clay from the root of a tulasi plant, a devotee achieves the result of having ten ritualistic baths after the performance of horse sacrifices. Learned persons know that there is no difference between ordinary water mixed with tulasi leaves and Ganges water. One who daily puts water mixed with tulasi on his head attains the result of bathing in the Ganges. There is no doubt that by carrying water mixed with tulasi on one's head, a person achieves the result of bathing in all the holy places. One should place the water mixed with tulasi that has washed the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord and kept in a copper container in a conch shell and pour it on his head while chanting the mula-mantra.

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The water mixed with tulasl that was used to bathe the sdlagrdma- sild or dvdraka-sild, and which had been poured onto a copper plate with a conch shell, destroys the sinful reactions awarded to one for killing a brdhmana.

One should take off the clothes that he had worn while bathing and use a fresh, dry cloth for wiping his body. After doing so, he should put on a clean dhoti and chddara.

O n e should not wear unwashed clothes, clothes washed by a laundry man, or clothes washed on previous days, as well as red clothes, dirty clothes, wet clothes, and a dirty loin cloth. One who wears old and dirty clothes is as good as naked. A person who wears short clothing is also called naked. One who wears clothes that are twice the size of ordinary clothes is also considered naked. One who wears red clothes is considered naked. Those who wear stitched clothes, oily clothes, clothes tucked in in two places, and clothing without a chddar, as well as those who do not wear any clothes are all considered to be naked.

Such naked people are not eligible to perform the ritualistic activities that are prescribed in the Vedas and Smrtis. If, by mistake, they do so, their degradation is inevitable. Whatever they do is useless labor only. Their so- called religious activities simply help the demons. O n e should maintain purity, silence, self-control, and a proper dress code while performing fire sacrifices, chanting mantras, observing fasts, or performing the sraddha ceremony. While performing these activities, one should always wear fresh, clean clothes.

77T SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

It is prohibited to wear the same cloth while eating and while worshiping the Supreme Lord.

O n e should always wear white clothes and never wear red clothes.

Wool and cloth made from sheep's hair should be purified by exposing them to the air, fire, sunlight, or moonlight. If blankets made of sheep's hair are touched by semina, or a dead body, they do not become impure. Clothes made of sheep's hair—although torn, burnt, or patched—always remain pure. It is the duty of a human being to perform the srdddha ceremony while wearing clothes made of sheep's hair. If one does this, his srdddha performance is considered to be equal to a irdddha performed at Gaya. The performer attains inexhaustible piety by satisfying the forefathers.

FOURTH VILAS A 273

O King, one should not wear torn clothes that have been repaired by stitching while engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. One should also avoid wearing burnt or torn clothes, or clothes that have been used by someone else. Unwashed clothes are considered to be as impure as crow's stool. Clothes washed by a laundry man are also considered to be impure.

Clothes that have been eaten by insects, clothes that one wore while passing stool and urine, and clothes that one had worn while enjoying sex should always be rejected for the service of the Lord.

274 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA agnirdvikavastranca brahmandsca tathd kusdh caturndrh na krto doso brahmand paramesthind O King, clothes made from sheep's hair are always pure. They can be used for any purpose, including offering oblations to the forefathers, worshiping the Deity in the temple, and performing all kinds of worldly functions. Whether such clothes are washed or unwashed, burnt, stitched, washed by a laundry man, or touched by semina, urine and blood—they are considered to be pure. The grandfather of the universe, Brahma, has created four things as being never impure—fire, clothes made of sheep's hair, a brdhmana, and kusa grass.

One should always wear a pure, white dhoti and cddara that are not torn and appear to be in good condition. After dressing in these clothes, one should sit on an dsana and perform dcamana.

vahavrcaparisiste (In the Vahavrcaparisista it is stated) yatlndmdsanam suklarh kurmdkdrantu kdrayet anyesdntu catuspddarh catursrantu kdrayet go sakrnmrnmayarh bhlnnarh tathd paldsapai palam lohabaddharh sadaivarkarh varjayed dsanarh budhah

The asana of a sannydsl should be white and shaped like a tortoise. For the members of the other asramas, the sitting mat should be square and about three feet wide. Those who are wise avoid using asanas made of cow dung, clay, paldsa wood, peepal wood, and iron.

tatraiva (In the same literature it is stated) ddnam dcamanarh homarh bhojanarh devatd arcanarh praudhpddo na kurvita svddhydyancaiva tarpanam dsdndrudha pddastu jdnunovdrth janghyoh Una vasakthiko yastu prddhapddah sa ucyate While giving charity, performing dcamana, conducting fire sacrifices, worshiping the Deity, reciting the Vedas, and offering oblations to the forefathers, one should not kneel or place both feet on the asana while sitting.

Thereafter, one should sit properly, keeping both feet touching the floor, and then mark his body with gopl-candana tilaka after performing dcamana. (Although the general rule is to put on tilaka before performing dcamana, because one needs to have tilaka to perform pujd, dcamana

should be performed first.) Afterwards, one should apply the sandalwood paste that was used in the service of the Lord's lotus feet and smear it over one's body.

O Brahma, who appeared on a lotus flower, to attain the highest level of purification, one should always decorate his body with sandalwood paste that has been offered to the salagrdma-sild.

After applying sandalwood, a Vaisnava should mark his forehead and other parts of his body with tilaka while chanting twelve names of the Supreme Lord, beginning with Kesava.

When one marks his forehead with tilaka, he should remember Kesava. When one marks the lower abdomen, he should remember Narayana. Whend marking one's chest, one should remember Madhava, and when marking the hollow of the neck, one should remember Govinda. Lord Visnu should be remembered while marking the right side of the belly and Madhusudana should be remembered when marking the right arm. Trivikrama should be remembered when marking the right shoulder, and Vamana should be remembered when marking the left side of the belly. Srldhara should be remembered while marking the left arm, and Hrslkesa should be remembered when marking the left shoulder. Padmanabha and Damodara should be remembered when marking one's back. At the end, one should take a little water in his hand to wash off the tilaka and pour it on top of his head while chanting Vasudevaya namah.

One should put tilaka on his forehead first. This is the rule. Then, one should put tilaka according to the above-mentioned procedure.

After marking his body with tilaka in this way, according to the rules and regulations prescribed for one's sampradaya, a devotee should perform the kirita-mantra nyasa on his head so that he can achieve all perfection.

I offer my repeated obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead—who is decorated with a crown, armlets, necklace, and fish- shaped earrings—in whose hands are held a conch, disc, club, and lotus— who is dressed in bright yellow garments—whose chest is decorated with the mark of Srivatsa—who is surrounded by His energies, Srldevi and BhumidevI—who is greatly effulgent—and whose transcendental body glows like thousands of suns.

pddme sribhagavaduktau (In the Padma Pur ana, the Supreme Lord has said) matpriyartham subhdrthamvd raksdrthe caturdnana matpuja homakdle ca sayarh prdtah samdhitah madbhakto dhdrayen nityam urddhvapundra bhyapaham O brdhmana, while worshiping Me in the morning and evening, while performing a sacrifice, or simply for his own auspiciousness and protection, my devotee should mark his body with tilaka every day. Marking of the body with tilaka destroys all fear.

If one performs sacrifice, gives charity, undergoes austerity, studies the Vedas, or offers oblations to the forefathers without putting on tilaka—all of these activities are rendered useless.

A person who performs any activity, such as worshiping the Deities, without putting on tilaka achieves no tangible benefit. There is no doubt about this. Know for certain that a person who performs his sandhya rituals without wearing tilaka is actually demoniac and surely will traverse the path to hell.

A person who wears three-lined tilaka instead of Vaisnava tilaka is the lowest of men. Because of ignoring the rules governing putting tilaka on one's body, which is an abode of Lord Visnu, such a person certainly goes to reside in hell.

If a person does not decorate his body with tilaka, he is not to be seen because his body is as impure as a crematorium.

Brdhmanas who follow the Vedic principles should decorate their bodies with tilaka made of pure white clay. A sincere devotee should never put on tilaka in a crooked manner.

A person should not wear crooked tilaka even if he is about to die, nor should he chant any names other than the holy names of Narayana. A Vaisnava should honor the remnants of Lord Visnu's flower garlands,

insence, am! sandalwood paste. He should wear Vaisnava tilaka, using gopl-candana, if available.

One should not see a person whose forehead is not decorated with Vaisnava tilaka. If one happens to do so, he should immediately look at the sun. Lord Hari and Laksml-devi are said to reside within tilaka.

Learned persons should know that that sastra enjoins that brahmanas and devotees wear Vaisnava tilaka whereas others may wear three-lined tilaka. If one sees or touches a brdhmana wearing three-lined tilaka (rather than Vaisnava tilaka), he should immediately bathe with his clothes on. A Vaisnava should not wear three-lined tilaka because this does not please Lord Hari.

2g7 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

Marks of tilaka resembling a banyan leaf, a bamboo leaf, and the bud of a lotus flower are most enchanting.

skande kdrtikaprasange (In the Kartika-prasanga section of the Skanda Pur ana it is stated) mrda subhro lalate yasya drsyate cdndalo'pi visuddhdtmd ydti brahmd sandtanam urddhvapundre sthitd laksmlr urddhvapundre sthitarh yasah urddhvapundre sthitd muktir urddhvapundre sthito harih A person whose forehead is decorated with tilaka made from white clay is pure, even if he is born in a family of dog-eaters. Such a person will surely attain the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. LaksmI resides in tilaka, fame, and liberation, and Sri Hari also personally resides in tilaka.

There is no doubt that a person whose forehead is decorated with tilaka made from clay is a purified soul and worshipable, even if he is born in a family of dog-eaters.

Siva and ParvatI found in the Uttara-khanda of the same literature it is stated) urddhvapundrasya madhye tu visale laksmyd sarddharh samaslno deva devo janardanah tasmad yasya sarire tu urddhvapundrarh dhrtarh bhavet tasya deharh bhagavato vimalarh mandirarh smrtam The beautiful space between the two parallel lines of tilaka is the residence of Sri Laksmi and Sri Janardana, the Lord of lords. One should know for certain that the body marked with tilaka is a sanctified temple of the Supreme Lord.

A brahmana who wears tilaka becomes worshiped in Suryaloka. He rides in a celestial airplane and thereafter goes to the supreme abode of Lord Visnu.

just by seeing a brdhmana decorated with tilaka, one becomes liberated from all sinful reactions. Even by remembering the name of that person with devotion, one obtains the result of giving all kinds of charity. The forefathers of a person who at the time of performing the srdddha ceremony feeds a brdhmana decorated with tilaka becomes fully satisfied for millions of kalpas. There is no doubt about this. O n e who performs the srdddha ceremony after putting on tilaka later resides in Vaikuntha for thousands of kalpas. Any activity, including the performance of sacrifice, the giving of charity, the performance of austerities, or the chanting of mantras that is done after decorating the body with tilaka certainly yields unlimited piety as the result.

If a person who is impure, ill-behaved, and engaged in sinful activities within his mind decorates his body with tilaka, he certainly becomes forever pure.

Even if a person who decorates his body with tilaka was born in a family of dog-eaters, or leaves his material body without having resided in a holy place, he travels by a celestial airplane and enters My transcendental abode, where he enjoys an eternally blissful life.

I personally deliver from hellish conditions twenty generations of that person's family in whose house such a fortunate soul (as described in the previous verse) takes his meal.

sri brahmdndapurdne (In the Brahmdnda Pur ana it is stated) viksyddarse jale vdpi yo vidadhydt prayatnatah urddhvapundram mahdbhaga sa ydti paramam gatim One should decorate his forehead with tilaka while looking at his face in a mirror, or in water, but one should never touch the tilaka with his fingernails.

A mark of tilaka that is about five inches long is uttama. That which is about four-and-a-half inches long is madhyama, and that which is about four inches long is kanistha. One should put on tilaka according to the prescribed rules but one should be very careful not to use his nails while applying tilaka.

The most fortunate unalloyed devotees of Lord Hari should decorate their bodies with tilaka that resembles the lotus feet of of the Lord, keeping a space between the two lines.

According to learned opinion, black tilaka awards one peace of mind; red tilaka helps one to control others; yellow tilaka gives one wealth; and white tilaka is auspicious and awards liberation. Round tilaka, crooked tilaka, tilaka without a space between the two parallel lines, short tilaka, tilaka that is too long, thin tilaka, messy tilaka, tilaka with the upper ends joined, tilaka in the wrong place, old and dirty tilaka, tilaka having a bad odor, tilaka applied with the left hand, and tilaka applied by some means other than using the prescribed finger are all useless. One should begin applying tilaka from the tip of the nose and go up to the top of the forehead, using a suitable clay. The tip of the nose actually means three-quarters of the way down from the bridge of the nose. One should form two parallel lines, beginning from the middle of the eyebrows and moving upwards.

tatraiva (In the Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda, it is stated) nirantardlam yah kuryydd urddhvapundrarh dvijddhamah sa hi tatra sthitarh visnurh laksmlncaiva vydpohati A person from a twice-born family who has fallen from his high position and applies tilaka without leaving any space between the two parallel lines certainly abandons Sri Hari and Laksml-devI, who reside within that space.

noo SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

If a person who is twice-born but fallen applies tilaka by keeping no space between the two parallel lines, he is considered to maintain the feet of a dog on his forehead. Therefore, O beautiful one, brdhmanas and women should always mark their foreheads with tilaka consisting of two parallel lines and having a space between them.

Tilaka that begins from the nose and extends to the hair of the head with a beautiful space between the lines is considered to be a temple of Lord Hari. Lord Brahma resides on the left side, Sadasiva resides on the right side, and Lord Visnu resides in the middle of tilaka. One should not apply anything in the space in the middle of the tilaka.

The following people commit sevd-aparddha—those who engage in the worship of Sri Hari without first mafking their bodies with tilaka, those who apply crooked tilaka, those who use ashes for tilaka, those who put tilaka in an improper place, and those who fail to decorate their bodies with drawings of a conch, disc and other auspicious symbols.

branch of the Yajur-Veda it is stated) hareh paddkrdntim atmani dhdrayati yah sa parasya priyo bhavati sa punyavdn madhye chidram urddhvdpundrarhyo dhdrayati sa muktibhdg bhavati One who decorates his body with a drawing of Sri Hari's lotus feet is very dear to the Lord and is considered most pious. One who wears tilaka that has a space between the two parallel lines certainly achieves liberation.

smrtih (In the Smrti it is stated) andmika kdmadoktd madhya mdyuskarl bhavet artgusthah pustidah proktas tarjjanl moksasddhanl

2OQ SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA Applying tilaka with one's ring finger awards one his desired goal, using the middle finger gives one a long duration of life, using the little finger gives one good health, and applying tilaka with the first finger awards one liberation.

padmapurane tatraiva (In the Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda it is stated) parvatagre naditlre bilvamule jalasaye sindhutlre ca valmlke hariksetre visesatah visnoh snanodakarh yatra pravahayati nityasah pundranarh dharanarthaya grhniyat tatra mrttikam sri range venkatadrau ca srl kiirme dvarake subhe pray age narasirhhadau varahe tulasivane grhltva mrttikarh bhaktya visnupada jalaih saha dhrtva pundrani cangesu visnu sayujyam apnuyat yattu divyarh hariksetrarh tasyaiva mrdamaharet One can collect clay from the peak of a mountain, the banks of a river, the roots of a bilva tree, the bed of a reservoir of water, the seashore, an ant hill, or especially from a holy place related to Lord Hari, for use as tilaka. One can collect clay for tilaka beneath the flowing water that has bathed Lord Visnu. One should devotedly collect clay from Venkata Hill, Sri Rahgam, Kurma-ksetra, Dvaraka, Prayaga, Nrsimha-ksetra, Varaha-

FOURTH VILAS A 291 ksetra, or from Vrndavana and then mix it with water that has washed the lotus feet of Lord Visnu. By using this clay, one should decorate his body with tilaka and come before the Lord. One can also collect clay from the transcendental abode of Lord Hari.

uktanca pddme srl ndradena (Sri Narada has said in the Padma Pur ana) brahmadgno vdtha goghno vd haitukah sarvapapakrt goplcandana samparkdt puto bhavati tatksanat Anyone, even the killer of a brdhmana, the killer of a cow, a dry speculator, or one who has committed all kinds of sinful activities can at once be purified simply by touching tilaka made of gopl-candana.

A person who donates a piece of gopl-candana to a Vaisnava delivers one hundred generations of his family.

2Q2 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA grhe'pi yasya pancake tasya papa bhayarh kutah If you see a person decorated with tilaka drawings of a conch shell and cakra, who has tulasi manjarls on his head, and whose limbs are smeared with gopl-candana—why should you have any fear of sinful reactions? One who has five things in his house—gopl-candana, tulasi, a conch shell, a dvaraka-slla, and a sdlagrdma-slld—need not fear sinful reactions.

The fragrance of gopl-candana cannot be found even in the flowers of the Nandana-kanana forest. Its color, texture, and purity cannot be found in anything, anywhere.

uktanca garudapurdne ndradena (Srl Narada Muni has said in the Garuda Pur ana) yo mrttikarh dvaravatl samudbhavarh kare samadaya laldta pattake karoti nityarh tvatha corddhva pundram kriydphalarh kotigunarh sada bhavet One who decorates his forehead with tilaka from Dvaraka every day receives millions of times more results for whatever actions he performs.

A person who engages in various pious activities after decorating his forehead with gopl-candana tilaka achieves inexhaustible results, even if he performs these activities with faults, does not recite the proper mantras while performing them, has no faith in the activities he performs, or performs them at improper times.

O Garuda! The piety a brdhmana achieves by visiting Prayaga during the full moon day in the month of Magha, or by visiting Kuruksetra during s solar eclipse can be achieved if he simply decorates his forehead every day with beautiful tilaka using gopl-candana. Such a person becomes eligible to reside in the abode of Lord Visnu. Sri Hari, the killer of Kamsa, resides in the houses of those who keep gopl-candana for putting on tilaka.

O n e who regularly decorates his forehead with tilaka from Dvaraka— which destroys the contamination of Kali, which is always pure, and which is combined with the holy name of Lord Hari—will never have to see Yamaraja, even if he is the most sinful person. One whose arms, forehead, chest, and head are decorated with gopl-candana tilaka at the time of death is transferred to the transcendental abode of Lord Vtsnu, even if he was the killer of a child, cow, or brdhmana.

O foremost of birds (Garuda), by the mercy of Sri Hari, a person who puts tilaka on his forehead with gopl-candana becomes relieved from distress caused by the positions of the planets, as well as by Raksasas, Yaksas, Pisacas, serpents, ghosts, or demons.

O-Ms ;eyouTseif frot jnsTtnst see a person whose forehead is decorated with tilaka made from gopl-candana.

0 messengers, you should avoid, at a great distance, as if they were a blazing fire, those persons whose foreheads are decorated with gopl- candana tilaka.

A Vaisnava should decorate his forehead with beautiful tilaka made of clay that was collected from the base of a tulasi plant.

applying tilaka made of clay from the base of a tulasi plant) tanmrdarh grhya yaih pundrarh laldte dhdritarh naraih pramdnakarh krtarh taistu moksaya gamanarh prati 1 shall now present evidence that devotees who put on tilaka made of clay that is found at the base of a tulasi plant attains liberation from material existence.

conversation between Brahma and Narada from the Kdrtika-mahatmya section of the Kdsl-khanda it is stated) tulasi mrttikdpundrarh laldte yasya drsate deharh na sprsati pdparh kriyamdnastu narada O Narada, one whose forhead is decorated with tilaka made of clay from the base of a tulasi plant cannot come under the influence of sinful reactions, even if he committs sin repeatedly by force of circumstances.

Simply by seeing a devotee who is accustomed to decorating his forehead with tilaka made of clay from the base of a tulasi plant, one's sinful reactions accumulated during the last year are destroyed.

One should decorate his forehead with tilaka made of gopl-candana and wear a flower garland that has been offered to the Lord. A devotee should decorate his forehead with one of the three kinds of tilaka. One should also decorate his body with drawings of the incarnations, such as Matsya and Kurma, as well as symbols representing the Lord's weapons, such as the cakra, in order to please Him.

smrtau (In the smrti literature it is stated) ,. ankitah iankhd cakrdbhydm ubhayor vdhu mulayoh samarccayed harih nityam nanyathd pujanam bhavet A devotee should worship Sri Hari after decorating his arms with drawings of a conch shell and a disc. If one fails to do this, his worship of the Supreme Lord is considered incomplete.

FOURTH VILAS A 797

If a fallen brahmana does not decorate his body with tilaka, as well as drawings of a conch shell and disc then the king should put him on the back of an donkey and drive him out of his kingdom.

Only those persons who are purified of sins are qualified to perform religious activities. One can become purified simply by decorating his body with drawings of My weapons, such as the disc.

If a brahmana fails to decorte his body with drawings of a conch shell and disc, which are very dear to Sri Hari, he falls down from his position and traverses the path to hell.

The great soul who, after applying tilaka, meditates on the Supreme Lord—who holds a cakra in His hand, who is the Supreme Absolute Truth, who is greater than the greatest, and who resides in the hearts of His devotees—certainly becomes purified.

The fortunate devotee who throughout his life decorates his body with tilaka and drawings, such as that of a cakra, certainly attains Lord Visnu's supreme abode, which is his ultimate goal.

One who fails to show respect to a devotee who has decorated his body with drawings of Lord Krsna's weapons loses whatever piety he may have accumulated during the past twelve years.

between Sanat-kumara and Markandeya found in the Skanda Purana it is stated)

yo visnubhakto viprendra sahkhacakradicihnitah sa yati visnulokarh vai daha pralaya-varjitam A devotee of Visnu whose body is decorated with drawings of a conch shell, disc and other auspicious symbols certainly attains the Lord's supreme abode, which is unaffected by the fire of devastation.

A person whose body is decorated with drawings of Lord Visnu's weapons does not have to fear the wrath of Yamaraja, even if he had committed millions of sinful activities. The result one obtains by distributing many millions of cows in charity in the holy place, Sankhodhvara, is awarded to a devotee who draws the symbol of a conch shell on his left arm.

SRI H A R I - B H A K T I - V I L A S A yaccdnandapure proktarh cakrasvdml-svamlpatah gadddholikhite cakre tat phalarh krsnadarsane The result one achieves by having the darsana of the lotus-eyed Sri Hari in the holy place of Puskara can be achieved simply by drawing a lotus flower above a conch shell using clay, thus decorating one's body. In this age of Kali, Lord Gadadhara awards the devotee who decorates his left arm with a drawing of a club the same piety that one receives by visiting the holy place, Gaya. The result one obtains by having the darsana of Krsna near CakrasvamI, in the holy place, Anandapura, can be achieved simply by drawing a disc below a club on one's body.

O foremost of demigods, know for certain that I enter within the hearts of those devotees who, in the age of Kali, decorate their bodies with drawings of My incarnations, such as Matsya and Kurma, using clay that was taken from My abode, Dvaraka. A person who actually desires auspiciousness should not differentiate between Me and such devotees. Those who wear the drawings of my incarnations on their bodies are not ordinary human beings—they exist on the same platform as My incarnations.

In the age of Kali, the sinful activities of a devotee whose body is decorated with drawings of My weapons are transformed into pious activities. Indeed, My spiritual potency is certainly invested in the body of a devotee who is decorated with drawings of My incarnations, such as Matsya and Kurma. A person who decorates his body with auspicious symbols—such as a conch shell, lotus flower, club, disc, fish or tortoise— accumulates piety for as long as these markings remain visible, and the sinful reactions that he had accumulated since one hundred lifetimes are deleted.

Brahma and Narada that is found in the same literature it is stated) krsnasastrdnka-kavacarh durbhedyarh devaddnavaih adrsyam sarvabhutdndm satrundm raksasdmapi No one, including the demigods and demons, can counteract the prowess of the symbols of Krsna's weapons. Indeed, ghosts, enemies, and demons are not even able to see a devotee who decorates his body with these symbols.

-,Q2 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

LaksmI, Sarasvatl, Durga, Savitrl, and Radhika, who is very dear to

himself with drawings of a conch shell.

Holy places, such a the Ganga, Gaya, Kuruksetra, Prayaga, and Puskara constantly remain present within the body of a devotee who habitually decorates himself with drawings of lotus flowers. Know for certain that the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Sarasvatl is present within a devotee's left arm that is decorated with the drawing of a club. If a devotee's left arm is decorated with a club, and a disc below the club, it is to be understood that Sri Krsna and the entire three worlds are present there. Within the body of a devotee who decorates himself with drawings of the Sudarsana cakra, the three sacrificial fires, the three controlling

deities of the three modes of material nature, and the three steps of Lord Visnu are always present.

A devotee whose arms are decorated with the ndrdydni-mudrd and drawings of Krsna's weapons is qualified to be elevated to the higher planets. Know for certain that such devotees is as good as Indra. Any religious activity, such as worshiping the demigods or forefathers, as well as all kinds of eternal and occasional duties, if performed after decorating one's body with a Sri Krsna-mudra awards inexhaustible benefit. Inauspicious positions of the stars and planets can cause no harm to a devotee whose arm is decorated with a mudra represented by a container made of metal that is engraved with the eight-syllable Narayana mantra.

-JQ4 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA yadd yasya prapasyeta deharh sankhddi cihnatam tadd tasya jagatsvdml tusto harati pdtakam bhavate yasya dehe tu aho rdtrarh dine dine sankha cakra gadd padmath likhitarh so'cyutah svayam W h a t is t h e use of visiting Prayaga for a devotee w h o has decorated his body with symbolic drawings of Lord Krsna's weapons, made with gopl-candana7. Sri Hari, t h e Lord of t h e universe, takes away all sinful reactions of a devotee w h o is decorated with drawings of His c o n c h shell a n d o t h e r symbolic representations. O n e whose body is decorated with drawings oi a c o n c h shell, disc, club, a n d lotus flower, day a n d night, is considered to be nondifferent from Lord Acyuta.

In this age of Kali, t h e results of t h e pious activities t h a t o n e performs after decorating his body with drawings of Lord Narayana's weapons are as great as M o u n t Sumeru. O brahmana, if o n e devotedly performs t h e irdddha ceremony after decorating his body w i t h t h e sybolic representations of t h e Lord, this activity is as glorious as performing t h e irdddha ceremony at Gaya, even though it may b e performed in a n incomplete or faulty m a n n e r .

As fire burns heaps of wood to ashes, being aided by the wind—simply by seeing the drawings of Sri Krsna's weapons decorating a devotee's body, all of one's sinful reactions become burnt to ashes.

Brahma and Narada found in the Brahma Purdna, it is stated) visnundma ankita mudrdm astdksra samanvitam sankhdudhddikair yuktarh svarna rupaya maylmapi dhatte bhagavato yastu kalikdle visesatah prahlddasya samo jfieyo ndnyathd kali vallabha O Narada, know for certain that, in the age of Kali, if a devotee of the Supreme Lord wears an amulet made of gold or silver that is imprinted with the lotus feet of Sri Hari, the eight-syllable mantra, or symbolic representations of a conch shell and other weapons of the Lord—he is to be considered on the level of Prahlada. Of this there is no doubt.

O Narada, the Supreme Lord, Kesava, as well as the forefathers, accept the food offered to them at the house of a brahmana whose body

•JQ, SRI H A R I - B H A K T I - V I L A S A is decorated with drawings of a conch shell. Even if a devotee whose body is marked with the symbolic representations of Krsna's weapons dies in a crematorium, he attains the result of dying at Prayaga.

In the age of Kali, demigods, headed by Indra, reside in the body of a person who always decorates himself with drawings of Sri Krsna's weapons. If such a person engages in the worship of Sri Hari while being decorated in this manner, the Lord certainly forgives thousands of his offenses.

A devotee who decorates his body with drawings of Krsna's weapons, using a wooden stamp, is certainly an exalted Vaisnava. Even if he converses with atheistic people, fallen souls, and those who do not follow the Vedic rules and regulations—he does not incur any sinful reactions.

Anyone, whether he be a demon or a demigod, who wears a metal amulet that is imprinted with a lotus and the eight-syllable mantra, must be considered as worshipable. In the Satya-yuga, Prahlada, and thereafter, Vibhisana, Bali, Dhruva, Sukadeva, and other great personalities wore this Narayanl-mudrd. By worshiping Lord Kesava after decorating their bodies with drawings of a conch shell and other weapons of Lord Krsna, exalted devotees, such as Mandhata, Ambarisa and Markanda attained their ultimate goal of life.

with drawings of the Lord's conch shell, lotus, disc, and club made by applying gopi-candana.

-5QO SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

A brdhmana whose body is decorated with the nardyani-mudrd and drawings of a conch shell and other symbolic representations of the Lord, as well as with dmlaki fruit, tulasi beads, and the twelve-syllable mantra is respected by me as my equal.

Sinful reactions cannot enter the body of a person who decorates his entire body with drawings of a conch shell, and other symbolic representations of the Lord's weapons, as well as with the nardyani- mudrd. The drawings of the Lord's weapons are as good as any Vaisnava kavaca for giving protection. In the age of Kali, brdhmanas who decorate their bodies with these auspicious markings become qualified to curse or bless others.

FOURTH VILAS A OQQ

gautamiye (In the Gautamiya-tantra it is stated) carkanca daksine bdhau sankham vdme'pi daksine gaddrh vame gadddhastdt punas cakrdnca dhdrayet sahkhopari tatha padmarh punah padmafica daksine vaksasi cdpahca sasaram sisni dhdrayet id pafica dyudhdnyadau dhdrayed vaisnavo janah matsyanca daksine haste kurmarh vdmakare tatha One should draw a cakra on his right hand, a conch shell on both hands, and a club on his left hand with a disc below it. Above the drawing of a conch, one should draw a lotus flower. One should draw a trident on his chest, and draw a bow and arrow on his head. A Vaisnava should first mark his body with these five weapons and then decorate his right hand with a drawing of Matsya and his left hand with a drawing of Kurma

A brdhmana should decorate his right arm with a drawing of the Sudarsana cakra, Lord Matsya, and a lotus flower. He should decorate his left arm with drawings of a conch shell, lotus flower, and club.

OIQ SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

According to the codes of proper conduct that are prescribed for one's sampraddya, and also according to one's taste, a devotee should decorate his entire body with drawings of a conch shell, disc, and other weapons of the Lord. One should decorate his body with the symbolic representations his worshipable Lord.

As far as possible, one should place the drawings of the conch shell and disc together, one above the other.

A learned devotee should decorate his body every day with drawings of Lord Krsna's weapons, using gopl-candana. However, on Sayana- dvadasl and Utthana-ekadasi, one should put on metal amulets after warming them over a fire.

A cakra consists of twelve spokes, six inner supports, and three outer circles. It is said that the conch shell carried by Sri Hari revolves in a clockwise manner. Learned persons accept the shape of the Lord's club and lotus as being just as they are seen in this world. Amulets can be made of metal and stamped with the holy names of Lord Rama and Krsna, or the eight-syllable or five-syllable mantra.

Thereafter, one should decorate himself by putting on a flower garland that was offered to Lord Krsna, as well as a garland made of tulasi leaves, lotus seeds, tulasi wood, or amalaki fruit. According to one's taste, a Vaisnavas can decorate his head, ears, arms, and wrists with ornaments made from tulasi wood.

skdnde (In the Skanda Purdna it is stated) sannivedyaiva haraye tulasi kdstha sambhavam

,12 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA malarh pascat svayarh dhatte sa vai bhdgavatottamah haraye ndrpayed yastu tulslkdstha sarhbhavdm malarh dhatte svayarh mudhah sa ydti narakarh dhruvam One who prepares a string of tulasi beads, offers it to Sri Hari and then puts it on his body is a topmost Vaisnava. However, if one wears beads without first offering them to the Lord, he will surely traverse the path to hell.

After preparing tulasi beads, one should purify them by washing them with panca-gavya, the five substances obtained from a cow. O n e should then chant the mula-mantra and the Gayatri mantra over the tulasi beads, eight times. After doing this, one should worship the beads while chanting the following mantra and offering incense: O you who are dear to Sri Krsna! O tulasi beads, I will put you on my neck. Please enable me to become dear to Sri Hari.

O you who are dear to Sri Hari! As you are dear to Sri Krsna, and as all the devotees of Krsna respect you—in the same way, kindly allow me to become an eternal favorite of the Lord.

The verbal root la is used to indicate charity. O you who are dear to Sri Krsna, because you have given me the opportunity to associate with Krsna's devotees, you are addressed as mala, or a strand of beads.

According to the codes of proper etiquette, a Vaisnava should first pray to the tulasl beads and then offer them to Sri Krsna before putting them around his neck. By doing so, he becomes qualified to enter the kingdom of Sri Visnu .

tatraiva kdrttika-prasange (In the Kdrtika-prasanga section of the Skanda Purdna it is stated) dhdtrl phala krtdrh mdlam kanthasthdm yo vahenna hi vaisnavo na sa vijneyo visnu pujd rato yadi A person who does not wear neckbeads made of dmalaki fruit cannot be called a Vaisnava, even though he engages in the worship of Lord Visnu.

People who do not wear neckbeads, and who are sinful and fond of dry arguments are burnt by the fire of Sri Hari's anger and thus go to reside in hell.

One should not fail to wear tulasl beads and especially, amalakl beads. This practice destroys all sinful reactions and awards one success in religiosity, economic development and sense gratification.

agastya samhitayam (In the Agastya-samhita it is stated) nirmalya tulasl mala yukto yasca arccayed harim yadyat karoti tatsarvam ananta phaladarh bhavet By engaging in the worship of the Supreme Lord and performing other ritualistic activities after putting on a garland of tulasl that was offered to the Lord, one achieves unlimited benefit.

I FOURTH VILASA 115 ye vahu raula paricihnita sankha cakraste vaisnavd bhuvanamasu pavitrayanti Vaisnavas—who wear a tulasl garland, or a garland of lotus seeds, that was offered to the Deity—whose foreheads are decorated with tilaka— and whose arms are decorated with drawings of a conch, disc, and other auspicious symbols can purify the entire world.

I aspire to become a servant of that person whose arms are decorated with drawings of Sri Hari's weapons; whose speech is dedicated to the glorification of the Supreme Lord, Sri Hari's, holy names, qualities and pastimes; whose forehead is decorated with beautiful tilaka; and who wears a garland of lotus seeds.

There is no doubt that a person who wears tulasl neckbeads—whether he is pious or sinful—will eventually attain My shelter.

-,., SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA tulasl dalajdrh mdldm kanthasthdm vahate tu yah visnuttlrndm visesena sa namasyo divaukasdm tulasl dalajd mala dhdtrl phalakrtapi ca daddti pdpindrh muktirh kim punar visnusevindm A devotee who is decorated with garlands of dhdtrl fruit and tulasl beads is a topmost Vaisnava. One who honors the remnants of Lord Visnu's tulasl leaves becomes woprshipable by the demigods, and so what can be said about those who serve Lord Visnu twenty-four hours a day? Garlands of tulasl leaves and dmalakl fruit can award salvation to even the most sinful people.

One who engages in the worship of Sri Janardana while wearing tulasl neckbeads acculumates piety equivalent to giving ten thousand cows in charity for each of his flower offerings.

neck with a bead made from an amalaki fruit. In the age of Kali, a person goes to reside in the abode of Lord Hari for as many thousands of years as the times his amalaki bead touches the hair of his body.

In the age of Kali, a person becomes qualified to reside in Vaikuntha for as many thousands of years as the number of days he keeps a bead made of amalaki fruit around his neck. A person who always wears beads made of dhatri fruit and tulasi on his neck becomes eligible to reside in the heavenly planets for millions of kalpas.

,18 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA sada prlta mandstasya krsna devakinandanah A person who wears a garland of tulasl leaves that had been offered to Sri Krsna attains the result of performing ten horse sacrifices for each of the leaves of that garland. A person who wears tulasl neckbeads all the time obtains the result of living in Dvaraka. By wearing tulasl garlands that were offered to the Deity, a person becomes free from the reactions to sinful activities. Sri Krsna becomes pleased with him, as well.

There is no need to perform atonement for a person who wears tulasl neckbeads. Factually, he does not become contaminated at any stage in his life. Sri Hari resides in the body of a person whose neck and arms are decorated with ornaments made of tulasl.

In the age of Kali, offering oblations to the forefathers, worshiping the demigods, and performing pious activities yield millions of times more results for a person who is decorated with neckbeads made of tulasl.

Just by seeing the tulasl beads on a person's neck, the Yamadutas flee to a distant place. A person who wanders here and there after putting on tulasl neckbeads has nothing to fear from an accident, bad dreams, or weapons.

After decorating oneself in the above-mentioned way (by wearing tulasl beads), a devotee should engage in chanting mantras and worshiping the Lord. He should offer to the demigods oblations of water that has washed the lotus feet of Sri Hari. Decorating one's head with a flower garland that was offered to the Lord and offering oblations to the forefathers and demigods with water that has washed the lotus feet of Lord Visnu are both considered equally meritorious by Vaisnavas.

,2Q SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA By performing the sandhyd rituals at home, one receives full benefit. By performing them in the field, one receives ten times the benefit; by performing them while standing in a river, one receives one hundred times the benefit; and by performing them in front of Sri Hari, one receives unlimited benefit.

Before commencing the worship of Sri Krsna, a devotee should greet his spiritual master, offer him obeisances, and then worship him with faith and devotion.

It is not proper for one to go to see the king, the spiritual master, or a doctor with an empty hand. Similarly, it is not proper for one to see his children, disciples, or servants with gifts in his hands.

First, one should worship his spiritual master and then he should worship Me. Only in this way can one attain perfection. If one violates this rule, he will not gain anything tangible by even his most strenuous endeavors.

A person who worships someone else in front of his spiritual master will face great difficulty in this life, and his worship will yield no tangible result.

Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.

[11.17.27] the Supreme Lord has said) dcdryarh mdrh vijndniydn ndvamanyeta karhicit na mattyavuddhaydsiiyet sarvadevamayo guruh One should know the dcdrya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods.

I, the Soul of all beings, am not as satisfied by ritual worship, brahminical initiation, penances or self-discipline as I am by faithful service rendered to one's spiritual master.

The spiritual master should be considered to be directly the Supreme Lord because he gives transcendental knowledge for enlightenment. Consequently, for one who maintains the material conception that the spiritual master is an ordinary human being, everything is frustrated. His enlightenment and his Vedic studies and knowledge are like the bathing of an elephant.

The demigods think that a disciple will attain unalloyed devotional service to Lord Visnu by serving his spiritual master with love and devotion, while at the same time ignoring them, and so they always try to disturb his endeavors.

An ignorant person is called a child, and a person who initiates one into the chanting of a mantra is considered to be a father. Leaned persons say that someone devoid of knowledge is as good as a child, and someone who enlightens others by imparting mantras to them is like a father. The spiritual master is Brahma, the spiritual master is Visnu, the spiritual master is Siva, and the spiritual master is a representative of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, one should faithfully worship the spiritual master with genuine devotion.

Mantras are nondifferent from the spiritual master, and the spiritual master is nondifferent from Sri Hari. The Supreme Lord, Sri Hari, becomes pleased with a disciple who satisfies his spiritual master. O n e should neither sit on the same level as his spiritual master, nor higher than him.

^24 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA abhedena arcayed yastu sa mukti phalamdpnuydt Therefore, by always worshiping the spiritual master with love and devotion, according to the prescribed rules and regulations, considering him to be nondifferent from the Supreme Lord, a devotee obtains the fruit of liberation.

Serving the spiritual master is the topmost religious principle. There is no dharma superior to this. By being fixed in devotional service unto the spiritual master, a disciple is able to conquer his enemies in the form of lust, anger, and greed.

O foremost of vaisyas, those who constantly worship the spiritual master, considering him to be superior than even their father, becomes an honorable guest in the abode of Brahma.

FOURTH VILAS A -575

If I have the same love and devotion for my spiritual master as I have for the Supreme Lord, Hari, then on the strength of that piety may the Lord kindly award me his darsana.

The spiritual master is certainly nondifferent from Lord janardana, whether he is learned or otherwise, according to worldy estimation. The spiritual master is the only goal of life for a sincere disciple, provided he is properly situated and not misguided.

If Lord Hari is displeased with someone, that person's spiritual master can still protect him, but if the spiritual master is displeased with someone then no one can protect him. Therefore, by all means, one should try to satisfy his spiritual master.

One must always offer respect to his spiritual master, worship him, and invite him to one's house, even if the spiritual master beats him, curses him, opposes him, or becomes angry with him. (The word guravah is plural, which means there can be many spiritual masters, as described in the Kurma Purana as follows: The teacher of Vedic literature, one's father, one's elder brother, the king, a maternal uncle, the father-in-law, one who recites the Puranas, a grandfather, one who is superior in terms of varna, and one's paternal uncle are all fit to be referred to as elderly, respectable spiritual masters.)

That birth is glorious, that day is praiseworthy, and that moment is sanctified when one worships his spiritual master with great respect.

Those who reject an authorized spiritual master who comes in disciplic succession are certainly most ungrateful. When such persons die, even carnivorous animals and birds refuse to eat thier flesh. One who is rejected by his spiritual master is automatically rejected by the Supreme Lord, Sri Hari. As a result, his inteligence becomes polluted and he begins to display great arrogance. Those who are the lowest among mankind, after formally accepting a spiritual master, reject him out of illusion. Such persons certainly rot in hellish conditions for millions of kalpas.

pancardtre (In the Ndrada-pancardtra it is stated) avaisnavopadistena mantrena nirayam vrajet punas ca vidhind samyag grdhayed vaisnavdd guroh One who is initiated into the chanting of a mantra by a non-Vaisnava must suffer in hell. Therefore, such a person should be initiated once more, according to the prescribed method, by a Vaisnava guru.

agastyasarhhitaydm (In the Agastya-sarhhita it is stated) ye gurvvdjndrh na kurvanti pdpisthdh purusddhamdh na tesdrh naraka klesa nistdro munisattama yaih iisyaih sasvad drddhyd guravo hyavamdnitdh putra mitra kalatrddi sampadbhayah pracyutd hi te O foremost of sages, those lowest among men and most sinful of people who disregard the orders of their spiritual master will not get respite from

•yyo SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA the painful conditions of hell. In this life, they will become bereft of their children, friends, wife, and wealth.

Those who, out of ignorance, consider the spiritual master to be an ordinary human being and thus dare to chastise him will have to accept the body of a pig for one hundred births.

All of the piety of a person who commits sinful activities while acting in a rebellious manner toward his spiritual master transforms into sin. Therefore, an intelligent person should first worship his spiritual master while treating him as nondifferent from Sri Krsna. Indeed, he should offer obeisances to him and worship him at least three times a day.

has stated in the Kurma Purdna) vyatyasta pdnind kdryym upasarhgrahanarh guroh savyena savyah sprastavyo daksinena tu daksinah

• i ^

One should offer obeisances to the spiritual master by falling flat onto the ground and catching hold of his left lotus foot with one's right hand, and right lotus foot with one's left hand.

Thereafter, a disciple should secure permission from his spiritual master and then take off his shoes before entering the sanctified temple of Sri Hari.

One must take off his shoes before entering a room where firewood for the performance of sacrifice is kept, a cowshed, or a room where a brahmana or a Deity is situated. One should also take off his shoes while chanting mantras, and while eating.

After arriving at the courtyard of a temple, one should wash his hands and feet, and then perform dcamana twice.

„~ SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA kurvita samyagacamya tadvadeva bhujikriydm One should perform acamdna at least twice before engaging in Deity worship, offering obeisances to the spiritual master, and honoring krsna- prasddam.