Ādhiṣṭhānikaḥ — The Foundations of Worship

I worship Srl Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by whose mercy even an ignorant person can surpass, by means of worshiping the Lord, the ocean of conclusive truth that is filled with formidable aquatic animals, such as crocodiles, in the form of unauthorised opinions.

Now, the process of Deity worship, accoding to the opinion of Krama- dlpikd, while following the prescribed rules while chanting the eighteen- syllable mantra of Srl Gopaladeva, is being described.

Brahmanas should always engage in Deity worship according to the rules and regulations prescribed in the tantras. In this book, the process of Deity worship will be described mostly according to the opinion of the tantras.

In the Satya-yuga, rules and regulations were based on the Vedas. In the Treta-yuga, they were based on the smrti literature. In the Dvapara- yuga, they were based on the Puranas and in the Kali-yuga, they are based on the agamas.

Brdhmanas born in Kali-yuga are impure, just like sudras. They should become purified by following the rules and regulations that are prescribed in the agamas because they cannot achieve the same result by following the Vedic rules and regulations.

After completing the worship of the spiritual master, one should worship the demigods, who are present in the entrance of Sri Krsna's temple, by offering pddya, sandalwood paste, flowers, and other items.

First, one should worship Krsna's associates in the space in front of the entrance to the temple. Then, one should worship Garuda as being situated in front of the Lord's associates. Next, one should worship LaksmI, who presides over the entrance.

O n the two sides of the eastern gate, one should worship Canda and Pracanda. O n the two sides of the southern gate, one should worship Dhata and Vidhata. O n the two sides of the northern gate, one should worship Bala and Prabala, and on the two sides of the western gate, one should worship Jaya and Vijaya. After finishing this worship, one should worship the deity who is the protector of the temple, in front of the main entrance. Inside the doorway, one should worship Gariga and Yamuna. Then, by their sides, one should worship sankha-nidhi and padma-nidhi.

Thereafter, one should worship Ganesa in the southeast corner of the temple, Durga in the sourthwest corner, SarasvatI in the northwest corner, and Siva in the southeast corner. After doing so, one should lightly touch the ground near the entrance and then slowly enter the temple without touching the door, placing his right foot inside first.

The spiritual master should gently touch the left side of the door, bend a little so as not to touch the frame of the door above his head, and then enter the temple by placing his right foot first.

tanmdhdtmyanca haribhaktisudhodaye (These glories are described in the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya) pravinndlayarh visnor arcandrtharh subhaktimdn na bhuyah pravisen mdtuh kuksi kardgrham sudhlh A learned person who has the good fortune of entering the temple of Sri Visnu, for the purpose of worshiping the Lord with devotion, will not again have to enter a prison in the form of a mother's womb.

Within the temple, one should worship the protecting deity and Lord Brahma in the southwest corner. One should then sit down a little distance from the Deity and worship the Lord's intimate associates.

The mantra to be chanted while worshiping the Lord's associates begins with orh, followed by the name of the associate, ending in the fourth dative case. The mantra should conclude with the word namah.

Thereafter, one should sit in front of Sri Krsna and seal the four directions while chanting a mantra from the tantras, such as: orh irangaya sasaraya hum phat namah. While doing so, one should throw flowers and rice paddy towards the directions.

Before sitting, one should purify the asana while chanting orh ddhara saktaye namah. One should then sit either in the padmasana or svastikdsana.

A worshiper of Sri Krsna should sit firmly, facing east during the day, or facing north during the night, and if he is in the temple, he should face the Deity.

The devotee should sit facing either east or north but if he is in the temple then he should sit facing the Deity.

The predominating sage of the asana mantra is Meruprstha. It should be chanted in the sutala meter. Lord Kurma is the objective of this mantra that glorifies the asana. O earth, you are the sustainter of all living entities. O Goddess, Lord Visnu had lifted you from the depths of the ocean. Kindly sustain me and sanctify my sitting place.

ndrada pancaratre (In the Ndrada-pahcardtra it is stated) vamsdsmaddru dharani- trna pallavarnirmitam

varjayed dsanam vidvdn ddridrya vyddhi duhkhadam krsndjinam kambalarh vd nanyad dsanam isyate Bamboo, stone, wood, or clay are not proper materials for making an dsana. An asana made of kusa grass is auspicious. However, an asana made of other kinds of grass or leaves will only award one distress, poverty, and disease. A learned person should not use such an dsana. The skin of a spotted deer or a blanket can also be used as an dsana.

One should prepare a soft dsana with the skin of a spotted deer or tiger, or else with silk, cane, a blanket, or a black deerskin.

ndradapancardtre (In the Narada-pancardtra it is stated) varhsdd dhur daridratvarh pasdne vyddhi sambhavam dharanydrh duhkha sambhutim daurbhdgyam ddravdsane trndsane yasohdnim pallave citta vibhramam darbhdsane vyddhindsam kamvalam duhkha mocanam Learned personalities have ascertained that an dsana made of bamboo awards poverty, an dsana made of stone causes disease, an dsana ot clay gives distress, an dsana made of wood awards misfortune, an dsana made of grass diminishes one's prestige, an dsana made of leaves causes

o^o SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA disturbance within the mind, an asana made of kusa grass removes illness, and an asana made of a blanket takes away miseries.

To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kusa grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place.

One should sit on the asana according to rules and regulations that are prescribed by his sampradaya, and arrange for all the ingredients that are required for his worship to be put in their respective places.

One should keep the conch shell on a stand on his left side. One should never place the conch shell on the floor. Next to the conch shell,

one should keep plates of pddya, arghya, madhuparka, and dcamanlam. O n his right side, one should keep tulasi leaves, sandalwood paste, and flowers. A pitcher of water should also be kept on one's left side.

An oil lamp should be placed on one's left side, and a ghee lamp should be kept to one's right. All the other ingredients should be placed in front of one in suitable places so that they can be easily seen. One should keep a pot behind his back for washing his hands.

devlpurdne (In the Devi Pur ana it is stated) ndndvicitra rupdni pundarlkd krtlni ca sankha nllotpaldbhdni pdtrdni parikalpayet ratnddi racitanyeva kdncl mula yutdni ca yathdsobharh yathdldbharh tathd pdtrdni kdrayet haimapdtrena sarvdni cepsitdni labhenmune arghyarh dattvd tathd raupyena dyurdjyarh subharh bhavet tamrapatrena saubhdgyarh dharmarh mrnmaya sambhavam

•5 40 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA Containers can be of various shapes, colors and designs. They can be in the shape of a lotus. They can be white like a conch shell, blue like a blue lotus flower, or any other pleasing color. They can be made of jewels or other valuable materials. The main consideration is that containers should look good and be easily available. By offering arghya in a gold container, one achieves his desired benediction. When it is offered in a silver container, one's duration of life increases and one achieves auspiciousness. When it is offered in a copper container, one achieves good fortune, and when it is offered in a clay pot, one achieves piety.

Although devotees may offer Me gold, silver, or bell metal pots, pots made of copper are My favorite. Copper is the most pure among all pure objects, the most auspicious among all auspicious things, and the most purifying because it destroys one's material bondage. My devotees, being always inclined to worship Me, should not fail to use pots made of copper.

Some people say that if copper pots come in contact with milk products then they become contaminated. Therefore, they recommend the use of pots made of a metal other than copper for keeping madhuparka.

Some people like to use a conch shell for offering arghya. It is stated in the Skanda Purdna that one should offer arghya—consisting of pure water, flowers, sesame seeds, and rice paddy—to Sri Krsna.

For achieving benefit, one should place a pitcher filled with water that is decorated with fruit and twigs in front of Sri Krsna.

One should install a pitcher of water scented with camphor that is decorated with fruit in front of Sri Krsna before commencing one's worship. This is very pleasing to the Lord.

•342 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

The forefathers nullify the sinful reactions accumulated since time immemorial of a person who installs a pitcher filled with water mixed with camphor for Sri Krsna's pleasure.

A devotee should prepare arghya by placing sandalwood paste, flowers, rice paddy, barley, the tips of kusa grass, sesame seeds, durvd grass, and white mustard seeds in a container. Some authorities have prescribed the use of eight items, including water.

Water, milk, kusa grass, yogurt, uncooked white rice, sesame seeds, barley and white mustard seeds—these eight ingredients are combined to make arghya. To make pddya, four ingredients are used—a lotus, durvd grass, black rice paddy, and tulasl. Learned personalities have stated that nutmeg, cloves, kakkola, and water are the ingredients of dcamaniya. Madhuparka consists of the following five ingredients—yogurt, milk, ghee, honey, and sugar.

Some saintly persons recommend the following three ingredients for preparing madhuparka:

Ghee, yogurt, and honey combined together makes madhuparka.

OAA SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA tatha dadhno'pyalabhe tu ksirena saha misrayet One should offer Me madhuparka, which consists of yogurt, ghee and honey, placing it on a copper plate. If honey is not available, one is advised to use molasses. O thin waisted lady, in the absence of ghee, one can use puffed rice, and if yogurt is not available, one can use milk as a substitute.

If none of these ingredients are available then the worshiper should simply meditate on them while throwing flowers in the container for bathing the Lord. According to Sri Narada, only fresh water can be used as a substitute for any or all of the above-mentioned items.

O n e should chant the mula-mantra eight times, placing it on top of each container, and one should protect them by displaying the cakra- mudrd. After sitting on the asana before starting the Lord's worship, a devotee should recite various auspicious mantras to create a spiritually surcharged atmosphere, as recommended by great saintly persons.

O demigods, may we always hear auspicious narrations. O performers of sacrifice, may we always see auspicious objects. May our bodies remain healthy and may we enjoy a long duration of life. O Vrddhasrava Indra, kindly bestow auspiciousness upon us. O Visvaveda Pusa, kindly bestow auspiciousness upon us. O Aristanemi Tarksya, please bestow auspiciousness upon us. O Brhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods, please bestow auspiciousness upon us. After chanting this, one should chant the mantra beginning with orh sdntih and ending with sdntirbhavatu.

To remove all inpediments, one should chant the mantra beginning with apsarapantu and ending with sivdjnayd: May all the ghosts who reside on earth be vanquished. May all the evil spirits who create obstacles on the path of auspicious activitives be destroyed by the order of their master, Lord Siva. Threafter, one should remove the obstacles arising from the earth by kicking the ground three times with his left foot while chanting, astraya phat. One should also chant this mantra to drive away obstacles in the sky. Next, one should chant the mula-mantra and meditate on the transcendental reality. With the help of that vision, he should eliminate all metaphysical obstacles.

Thereafter, facing to the left, one should fold his hands and offer obeisances to his spiritual master, grand-spiritual master, great-grand spiritual master, and the entire guru parampard. Facing to his right, he should then offer obeisances to Ganesa, and then Durga in front, and Ksetrapala Siva at his back. Thereafter, he should offer his obeisances to his worshipable Lord. One should thus chant, orh gurubhyo namah, gam ganesaya namah, and so on. One should then wash his hands while chanting the astra mantra and then clap his hands three times over his

FIFTH VILAS A ^A-J head, to guard all directions while thinking that his body is surrounded by fire.

The five gross material elements, which are included in the twenty- five elements born from material nature, are all related to the Supreme Lord. For this reason, it must be concluded that the living entities are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the cause and the living entities are the effect. Thinking in this way is called bhuta- suddhi, or purifying one's existence.

Unless a person performs the bhuta-suddhi ritual, none of his pious activities will yield any result, even it they are performed according to the prescribed rules and regulations.

After performing the karakacchapikd mudrd, one should mentally transfer the spirit soul, which resembles a mild flame, from the lotus-

^ SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA like heart to the thousand-petal lotus wherein the Supersoul resides. O n e should then surrender the soul at the lotus feet of the Supersoul, thinking o( how the gross material elements are merged within Him.

The karakacchapikd mudrd required for the bhuta-suddhi ritual should be performed as follows. Keep the left palm wide open in front of one, and place the right palm on top of it. The back of the left palm should face the floor while the back of the right palm should face the ceiling.

One should then mentally dry up the sinful material body made of five gross elements by burning it in fire. After doing this, one should shower nectar upon the body to revive it, thus bringing it back to life.

After purifying the body in this way, and thus enabling one to become qualified to worship Sri Krsna, the devotee should worship the Supreme Lord by seating Him upon the lotus seat within his heart. Out of affection for His devotees, the Lord agrees to be present within the heart.

A practicing devotee should dry up his sinful material body with the air present in his navel and the fire present in his heart. Then, one should meditate on a full nectarean moon as if it is situated on a thousand-petal lotus flower situated in the forehead. From that moon, a flow of nectar emanates and floods the burnt body. As a result, the body becomes purified and assumes a divine quality. This is how the devotee should meditate.

The devotee who is conversant with the science of chanting mantras should attract the light of self-realization from the thousand-petal lotus to the heart with the help of the sacred syllable om, while fixing his mind on the all-pervading Supreme Lord. If one is unable to execute the above-mentioned procedure then he should simply purify his body by meditating on the Supreme Lord. Then, according to his sampradaya, he should perform the prescribed prandydma breathing exercises.

OCQ SRI H A R I - B H A K T I - VILASA

O n e should practice sixteen mdtrds of recaka, thirty-two mdtrds of puraka and sixty-four mdtrds of kumbhoka. By following this process, one can regulate the life air. (One matra is equal to the time one requires to place his hands around his knees. To exhale air is called recaka, to breath in is called puraka, and to retain air within the lungs is called kumbhoka.)

According to the prescribed rules, one should exhale all the air from his lungs and then fill them while sealing his anus. After filling his lungs, one should retain the air as long as possible.

To properly chant the kama-bija mantra or the bija mantra, one has to carefully engage in meditation on the predominating sage of the mantra. (Prajapati is the predominating sage of the mantra, om. Gayatri is the meter in which it should be chanted, and the Supersoul is the objective. A refers to the bija, u refers to the energy, and ma refers to the shelter. Aum should be chanted while performing prdndydma.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord—who is decorated with a brightly shining crown, armlets, bracelets, and necklaces—whose abdomen, lotus feet, and waist are nicely decorated— whose cheeks are illuminated by the kaustubha gem and fish-shaped earrings—whose hands are decorated with a conch shell, disc, club, and lotus—who is dressed in fine silk garments—whose body is illuminated by His effulgence—whose appearance is just like the rising sun—and who is situated within the lotus flower of my heart.

While practicing recaka, one should remember Rudra. While practicing puraka, one should remember Brahma, and while practicing kumbhoka, one should remember Visnu. To ascertain the proper place of meditation, one should inquire from his spiritual master. While practicing puraka, the devotee should meditate on four-headed Brahma, who is seated on a lotus, and whose complexion is reddish although white around the navel. While practicing kumbhoka, one should meditate on Sri Visnu within his heart. He appears to be the color of a blue lotus flower. While practicing recaka, one should meditate on Rudra as he is situated in one's forehead. Rudra destroys all sinful reactions and appears to be pure, like crystal.

However, those who are fixed in unalloyed devotional service at the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, who is the fountainhead of all incarnations, should simply meditate on Him, along with His dear associates, such as the cowherd men and cowherd women, in the course of all their activities.

Devaduta and Vikundala that is recorded in the Padma Purana, it is stated) yamalokdm na pasyanti prdndyd maratd nardh

api duskrta karmanas taireva hatakilvisah divase divase vaisya prdndydmastu sodasa api bhriina hanarh mdsdt punanti aharah krtvdh Those who practice prdndydma daily will not have to go to the abode of Yamaraja, even if they are inclined toward sinful activities, because all t h e i r sinful r e a c t i o n s a r e nullified by this p e r f o r m a n c e . O vaisya, if one practices prdndydma sixteen times a day for one month, he will not be affected by sin, even if he kills an embryo within the womb.

Prdndydma is equal to ail kinds of austerities, vows, methods of regulating the mind and senses, and the giving of one thousand cows in charity. The result one obtains by maintaining himself on only a few drops of water for one hundred years can be achieved by practicing prdndydma. O best among the vaisyas, all types of sinful reactions—be they grave, medium, or mild—can at once be vanquished by practicing prdndydma.

„, SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

Learned authorities have declared that chanting mantras without first performing nyasa is demoniac. Therefore, according to the rules and regulations of one's sampraddya, one should perform the nydsa-kriyd.

First, one should contemplate the predominating sage, rhythm and objective of the mdtrka-nydsa. Then, one should perform the nyasa on his head, face, and chest. Brahma is the predominating sage of the mdtrka- nydsa, gayatri is the meter, and Goddess Sarasvati is the objective.

Fifty letters have been joined to represent the face, arms, feet, waist, and chest of the goddess Sarasvati. Her head is decorated with a moon. Her breasts are high and her waist is thin. Her lotus hands are decorated with a mudra, thread, a pitcher full of nectar, and wisdom. Her complexion is very fair and she has three eyes. I take shelter of her.

Without adding the anusvdra, a devotee should perform the nydsa of the letters, beginning with a, up to ksa, on each bodily limb, including the forehead.

The forehead, face, eyes, ears, nostrils, cheeks, lips, teeth, head, mouth, arms, thighs, palms, toes, the two sides, back, navel, abdomen, chest, the left shoulder, the right shoulder, from the chest to the palm of each hand, and the soles of the feet. One should perform the nydsa to all these places, one by one.

The devotee should then perform the nydsa with all the letters upon those limbs by adding visarga. This should be done four times.

.r, SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

There is a sixteen-petal, a twelve-petal, a ten-petal, a six-petal, a four- petal, and a two-petal lotus flower situated in the throat, chest, navel, genitals, anus, and between the eyebrows. One should perform the nyasa on the tip of each of the petals with a letter along with visarga. In this way, there will be a total of fifty letters. With each letter, one should perform the nyasa by adding visarga.

After remembering the predominating sage, the meter, and the objective of the mantra, one should perform the nyasa as mentioned above, along with the predominating Deities, headed by Kesava, and the Lord's energies, headed by Kirti. The names of these Deities and energies should end in the fourth dative case and they are completed by the word namah. For example—dm kesavaya klrtyai namah. am nardyanaya kdntyai namah.

To perform the nydsa, from the letter ya to the letter ksa, one should use each letter with the proper ending, in terms of the conjugation of verbs, and then add the names of the seven bodily elements—skin, flesh, bone, marrow, blood, semen and fat, as well as the life air, the living force, and anger. For example—yarn tvdgatmane purusottamdya vasudhdye namah. ram mdrhsdtmane baline pardyai namah.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose effulgence is like that of hundreds of rising suns, whose complexion is like molten gold, who is served on both the sides by Kamala and Bhumi, who is dressed in yellow garments, who is decorated with many brightly shining jeweled ornaments, and who holds a conch shell, club, disc, and lotus in His four hands.

The fifty-one forms of the Supreme Lord, according to the mdtrkd varnas, are—Kesava, Narayana, Madhava, Govinda, Visnu, Madhusudana, Trivikrama, Vamana, Srldhara, Hrsikesa, Padmanabha, Damodara, Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Cakri, Gadl, SarngI, Khadgl, Sankhi, Hall, Musala, Sull, Pasi, AnkusI, Mukunda, Nandaja, Nandl, Nara, Narakajit, Hari, Sri Krsna, Satya, Satvata, Saurl, Sura, Janardana, Bhudhara, Visvamurti,Vaikuntha, Purusottama, Bali, Balanuja, Bala, Vrsaghna, Vrsa, Harhsa, Varaha, Vimala, and Narasirhha.

The fifty-one names of the energies of the Lord, according to the matrka varnas, are—Kirtti, Kanti, Tusti, Pusti, Dhrti, Santi, Kriya, Daya, Medha, Harsa, Sraddha, Lajja, LaksmI, Sarasvati, Prlti, Rati, Jaya, Durga, Prabha, Satya, Candika, Kali, Yuddha-vilasinI, Vijaya, Viraja, Visva, Vinada, Sunanda, Smrti, Vrddhi, Samrddhi, Suddhi, Buddhi, Mukti, Nati, Ksama, Rama, Uma, Kledini, Klinna, Vasuda, Vasudha, Para, Parayana, Suksma, Sandhya, Prajfia, Prabha, Nisa, Amogha, and Vidyuta. One who properly performs this Kesavddi-nydsa achieves all opulence in this world, and obtains the same features as the Lord in the next.

keiavddiyuktaih

,,-Q SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA medhayuh smrti-dhrti-klrtti-kdnti-lakstnl-, saubhdgyaisciram upavrrhhito bhavet sah O n e who daily performs the nydsa with the holy names, such as Kesava, along with the appropriate letters, while meditating on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as mentioned above, undoubtedly attains knowledge, a long duration of life, good memory, patience, glories, influence, wealth, and good fortune.

As soon as one performs the Kesavddi-nydsa, he becomes qualified to achieve the same bodily features as the Supreme Lord. Of this there is no doubt.

One who performs the Kesavddi-nydsa while chanting the laksml-blja first, attains devotional service, liberation, material enjoyment, and the lotus feet of Sri Krsna. A learned devotee who follows this procedure and chants the laksml-blja achieves fame in this life and the same bodily features as the Lord in his next life.

First, one should chant namah paraya, and then dtmane namah, while adding visarga at the end of the each letter, beginning with ma up to ka. For example—mam namah paraya jivatmane namah. bharh namah paraya prdndtmane namah. In this way, one should perform the jlva-tattva-nydsa. Only after performing this nyasa does a person become qualified to engage in the worship of the Supreme Lord.

After completing the jlva-tattva and prdna-tattva nydsas on the entire body, one should perform the nyasa of the mind, false ego, and state of consciousness within the heart. Then, one should perform the nyasa of sound, touch, form, taste and smell, on the head, face, heart, anus and legs, respectively. Then, one should perform the nyasa of the ears, nose, skin, eyes, tongue, and life air, in their respective places.

One should then perform the nyasa of the sky, air, fire, water, and earth—on the head, mouth, chest, genitals, and legs. Then, one should perform the nyasa of the heart, the sun with twelve kalds, the moon with sixteen kalds, and fire with ten kalds. For example—sarh namah paraya pundarikatmane namah, ham namoh paraya dvadasa kald vydpla suryamandalatmane namah, sarh namah paraya sodasa kald vydpta candra mandaldtmane namah, and ram namah paraya dasa kald vydpta bahni mandaldtmane namah.

Then, one should perform the nyasa of Lord Vasudeva, along with the words paramesthi and yakdra. One should perform the nyasa of Lord Sankarsana by adding the letter ya to the word purh. For example—yah namah paraya vdsudevdya paramesthydtmane namah, and yam namah paraya sankarsana pumdtmane namah.

One should perform the nydsa of Pradyumna on the chest with the word visva and the letter la. O n e should perform the nydsa of Aniruddha on the anus with the letter ba and the word nivrtta. One should perform the nydsa of Narayana on the legs with the letter la. For example—lah namah pardya pradyumnaya visvatmane namah.

One should perform the nydsa of Lord Nrsimhadeva on one's entire body with the word kopa and the letter ksa. For example—lam namah pardya pradyumnaya visvatmane namah, bam namah pardya aniruddhaya nivrttdtmane namah, and lam namah pardya ndrdyandya sarvdtmane namah and ksraurh namah pardya nrsimhdya kopatmane namah. The above-mentioned tattva-nyasa quickly brings one to the lotus feet of Sri Krsna.

Those learned personalities who are acquainted with the science of nyasa-kriyd refer to this process as tattva-nyasa. By following this procedure, even ordinary activities bestow tangible results.

A person who performs the tattva-nydsa certainly becomes purified. The Supreme Lord enters within his body as a nyasa because He is the source of all entities and everything is present in Him.

Thereafter, one should practice prandyama while mentally chanting the mula-mantra (the eighteen-syllable mantra) either twice, four times, or six times while inhaling, retaining the breath, and exhaling.

If one is unable to follow this procedure then he should mentally chant the kama-blja mantra sixteen, thirty-two, or sixty-four times while inhaling, retaining the breath, and exhaling.

One should exhale through his right nostril, inhale through his left nostril and retain the air within the lungs for as long as possible. These three acts are called recaka, puraka, and kumbhoka. These should be practiced sixteen, thirty-two and sixty-four times.

tatraiva (In the same literature it is stated) purato japasya paratopi vihitamatha tattrayam vudhaih sodasa ya ihdcareddinasah paripuyate sa khalu mdsatom'hasah Expert devotees practice pranayama before and after chanting their mantra. Each time, one should complete all three procedures. A person who practices pranayama sixteen times every day for one month becomes freed of all sinful reactions.

O n e should then consider his body as a place of worship and thus perform the nydsa of the Lord's energies on each and every limb while chanting his mantra beginning with orh.

Within one's heart, one should perform the nydsa on adhdra, sakti, prakrti, Kurma, Ananta, the earth, the ocean of milk, the effulgent Svetadvipa, the jeweled altar, and the wish-fulfilling tree.

In the same manner, one should perform the nyasa of knowledge and renunciation on his two thighs, the nyasa of irreligion on his mouth, the nyasa of ignorance on his waist, the nyasa of attachment and poverty on his two sides, and the nyasa of Ananta and Padma on his chest. One should then perform the nydsas of the sun-god, moon-god, and fire-god on his heart while chanting his mantras, beginning with om. For example—om am surya mandalaya namah, orh urh soma soma mandalaya namah, and orh mam bahni mandalaya namah. In the same manner, one should perform the nydsas of sattva, rajas, tamas, dtmd, antardtmd, and paramatma. For example—orh sarh sattvaya namah, and orh ram rajase namah.

Then, with the bhuvanesvari-blja, hrlrh, one should perform the nydsa of the enlightened spirit soul and the nine energies of the Lord on the eight petals in the eight directions of the lotus that is situated within one's heart. The names of the nine energies are—Vimala, Utkarsini, Jnana, Kriya,Yoga, Prahvl, Satya, Isana and Anugraha. After that, one should perform the nydsa of the pitha-mantra while meditating on the predominating sage, meter, and objective of the eighteen-syllable mantra.

Those who engage in the worship of Sri Krsna with undivided attention know perfectly well that the previously mentioned entities, such as the ocean of milk, actually refer to Mathura, Vrndavana, the groves of Vrndavana, and the kadamba tree.

I worship that transcendental seat, known as Svetadvlpa, where numberless milk cows always emit transcendental oceans of milk; where

o™ SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA there is eternal existence of transcendental time, who is ever present and without past or future and hence is not subject to the quality of passing away even for the space of half a moment. That realm is known as Goloka only to a very few self-realized souls in this world.

kramadipikdydm (It is described in the Krama-dlpika) tdro hrdayam bhagavan visnuh sarvvdnvitasca bhutdtmd ne'ntdh savdsudevdh sarvdtmayutanca samyogam ca padmam pithdtmd neyuto natiscdnte pitha mahdmanur uktah paryyapto'yam saparyyasu The pitha mantra begins with orh, followed by namah, bhagavan in the fourth dative case, visnu, sarvabhutdtmd, vdsudeva, sarvabhutatma- samyoga padma pithatmane, and ending with namah. This is the great pitha-mantra. The canting of this mantra is required for worshiping the Deity. The mantra is—orh namo bhagavate visnave sarvabhutatmane vasudevaya sarvabhtatmane samyoga padma pithatmane namah.

Sri Narada is the superintending sage of the eighteen-syllable mantra, gdyatri is the meter in which it is to be chanted, and the bestower of auspiciousness to the devotees, Sri Krsna, is the objective. Svaha is the

energy. Krsna, Prakrti and Durga are the controlling deities, and this mantra is chanted for the purpose of gaining power.

Uma and Siva found in the Sammohana-tantra it is stated) rsirndrada ityukto gdyattrlccanda ucyate gopavesadharah krsno devatd pariklrtitah vljarh manmatha-samjfiantu priya saktir havirbhujah tvameva paramesani asyadhisthdtrdevatd caturvvarga phalavaptyai viniyogah praklrttitah Narada is the superintending sage of this mantra, gayatrl is the meter, Krsna, the cowherd boy, is the objective, kama-bija is the seed, svaha is the energy, You and Durga are the predominating deities and the mantra is to be chanted to attain the four objectives of life.

The nydsa consists of four limbs having four letters each, as well as two more limbs called astra. It is thus recommended that the mantra should be divided into four parts.

,7(, SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA tdnyangullsu paficatha kecidvarndn svaranapi First, one should perform the nydsa consisting of five parts within one's palms, outside the palms, on both sides, and then on each of the fingers. Some authorities have recommended that one should vibrate orh while performing the nydsa. Others have advised that one should perform the vdna-pancaka-nydsa and the ananga-pancaka-nydsa along with the anga-nydsa performed on the fingers.

The panca-vdnas are drdvana, ksobhana, akarsana, vasikarana and srdvana and the panca-anangas are sosana, mohana, sandlpana, tapana and mddana.

While employing the panca-anga-nydsa, one should add namah and hrdaya in the fourth dative case in the first part—svdhd and sirah in the second part—vasat and sikhd in the third part—hum and kavaca in the fourth part—and astra and phat in the fifth part. For example—klirh krsndya hrdaydya namah, govinddya sirase svdhd, gopijana sikhdyai vasat, vallabhdya kavacdya hum, and svdhd astrdya phat.

Thereafter, one should perform the nydsa consisting of these five parts on one's thumb, first finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger, in that order. Once again, one should perform the nydsa consisting of these five parts on the fingers and the heart. For example—klim krsndya ahgusthdbhdm namah, govinddya tarjjanibhydrh svdhd, gopljandya madhyamdbhydrh namah, vallabhdya andmikabhydm hum, and svdhd astrdya kanisthdbhydm phat. For example—klim krsndya hrdaydya namah angusthdbhdrh namah, and govinddya sirase svdhd tarjjanibhydm svdhd.

Some authorities also perform the sadahga-nydsa while chanting this mantra. These six limbs are the chest, head, sikhd, kavaca, eyes, and the four directions. For astra and kavaca, one should perform the nydsa on all the limbs of the body.

~72 SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA The heart with one letter, the head with three letters, the sikhd with four letters, the kavaca with four letters, the eyes with four letters, and astra with two letters.

One should then fold his hands and perform the nyasa of the eighteen- syllable mantra three times around the entire body, from the legs up to the head.

After completing the anga-nydsa, one should perform the nyasa on each of the eighteen syllables. O n the teeth, forehead, between the eyebrows, on the ears, eyes, in the nostrils, on the mouth, in the throat, on the chest, on the navel, on the hips, on the anus, and on the knees, one should perform the nyasa with one syllable each, except on the ears, nostrils, and hips, where one should chant two syllables each.

Saintly persons vibrate orh at the beginning of each of the syllables, and namah at the end. For example—orh kllrh namah, karh namah. Some authorities recommend chanting the Srl-blja, Kama-bija, or Sakti-bija, and they perform the nyasa in the manner of the srsti, sthiti and sarhhara nyasas. While performing the srsti-nyasa, they touch the head, while performing the sthiti-nyasa, they touch the chest, and while performing the samhara-nyasa, they touch the legs.

After performing the nyasa on one's head, while chanting orh, the devotee should perform the nyasa of five syllables of the eighteen-syllable mantra on the eyes, mouth, anus and legs. Then, he should perform the nyasa of those five syllables around his entire body. Some authorities have recommended that one perform this by adding namah at the end of each syllable. For example—kllrh klirh namah, kllrh krsnaya namah, gorh govinddya namah, gorh gopljana vallabhaya namah, svarh svaha namah.

There are others who chant svaha at the end of each syllable, combining the former and latter to form three separate mantras when they perform the nyasa on their anus, cheeks, and entire body, from the

O-M SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA head to the legs. For example—kllrh krsnaya svdhd, kllrh krsndya govinddya svdhd, kllrh krsndya govinddya gopljanavallabhdya svdhd.

In this procedure of nyasa, only those devotees who are attached to jnana should touch the nyasa to areas such as the anus and legs. For such devotees, it is alright to perform the nyasa of Aniruddha on the anus but pure devotees of Lord Visnu first purify their bodies by performing the bhuta-suddhi ritual, thus making their body spiritualized. After doing so, they have no hesitation to perform the nyasa of Aniruddha on the anus, or the nyasa of Mukunda on the legs.

One should then perform the nyasa of the predominating sage, the meter, the objective, the blja, the energy, the prakrti, and the predominating deity of the eighteen-syllable mantra on one's head, face, chest, nipples, and twice again on the chest. For example—astddasaksara srl gopdla mantrasya naradaya rsaye namah, gdyatrai chandase namah, sakala loka mahgala srlman nandatanaydya devatdyai namah.

The devotee should then display five enchanting mudrds. These are venu, vanamdld, srlvatsa, kaustubha and vilva. After doing so, he should secure all the directions by chanting orh namo sudarsandya astrdya phat. Thereafter, he should display the karakacchapikd-mudrd and meditate on the Supreme Lord.

First, one should meditate on the land of Vrndavana with a pure heart. Because the abode of Vrndavana is full of auspicious trees, it is most enchanting and soothing to the heart and mind. The branches of these trees are permeated by a sweet aroma, they are filled with blooming flowers that shower nectar, and they bend down due to the burden of newly grown twigs and leaves. The transcendental trees are embraced by creepers with their freshly grown buds and flowers.

Bumblebees hover around the flowers, relishing their honey. T h e entire Vrndavana forest is permeated with the sweet sound of humming bees. The male and female piegons, parrots, and cuckoos always sing very sweetly. The peacocks dance while spreading their wings.

,76 SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA pradlpita manobhava-vrajavilasinl-vdsasarh vilolana vihdribhih satata sevitarh mdrutaih In Vrndavana, cool breezes always blow, carrying particles of water from the waves of the Yamuna river. The breeze has become grey due to being mixed with the polen of lotus flowers. It flutters the garments of the gopls, who are agitated by lusty desires to satisfy Krsna.

One should then meditate on the desire trees of Vrndavana. The fresh twigs of the desire trees can be compared to coral, the leaves can be compared to the blue sapphire, the buds can be compared to diamonds and pearls, and the fruit can be compared to rubies. These desire trees are tall and strong and they fulfill the desires of everyone. All of the seasons are eternally present in Vrndavana and that is why all kinds of seasonal flowers are continually available.

A sober devotee should give up all lethargy and begin to meditate on the transcendental land of Vrndavana which is made of cintamani stone. The land of Vrndavana is as brilliant as the rising sun and it decorated with golden columns, jewels, and raised platforms. The entire scene sparkles because of the pollen that has fallen from the trees. There is no place in Vrndavana for the six waves of the material ocean—hunger, thirst, lamentation, illusion, old age, and death.

O n e should then meditate on an excellent throne that is placed upon a raised platform bedecked with jewels. O n that throne is a red lotus flower having eight petals. Next, one should meditate on how Sri Krsna joyfully sits in the middle of that lotus, appearing like the rising sun.

His complexion is like the color of a blue sapphire. He is anointed with black ointment so that He appears like a dark monsoon cloud or a fresh blue lotus flower. His curly hair is black and glossy. His crown is adorned with peacock feathers. He is decorated with a garland of forest flowers, around which bumblebees constantly hover. His earrings are made of newly grown leaves. His forehead, which is beautified by His restless curly hair, is decorated with marks of tilaka made of gorocand. His eyebrows are like two dancing creepers.

His lotus face is spotless like the full moon in autumn and it is very pleasing. His eyes are expanded, like lotus leaves. His cheeks shine due to the reflection of the jewels in His fish-shaped earrings. His nose is raised and charming.

•jnr> S R I H A R I - B H A K T I - V I L A S A

His lower lip is more beautiful than sindura, or vermilion. His entire body appears white, like moonlight, kunda flowers, or manddra flowers. His face is decorated with His enchanting smile. His conch-like throat is decorated with ornaments made of freshly-grown twigs and flowers.

His shoulders are restless. He is decorated with a flower garland that hangs down to His knees and which is surrounded by intoxicated bumblebees. He wears necklaces that resemble shining stars. His sky- like chest is beautified by the effulgence of the sun, in the form of the charming Kaustubha gem.

He looks most attractive because of the marks of Srivatsa on His chest. His shoulders are high and His strong and beautiful arms reach to His knees. His abdomen is broad and His navel is deep. The hair on His body resembles rows of bumblebees. The golden thread with which his armlets, bangles, rings, necklaces, anklets and waistband are made is

bedecked with jewels. His body is decorated with colorful paint. His hips are covered with fine yellow garments.

His thighs and knees are most attractive and His hips are broad and beautiful. His toes are raised and their effulgence defeats the beauty of Kurmadeva. His toenails shine more brightly than diamonds and pearls. His lotus-like feet are beautified by tender leaves in the form of toenails adorned with jewels.

Idvanya sdra samuddya-vinirmitdnga, -saundaryya nirjjita-manobhava dehakdntim There are many auspicious marks on the soles of His lotus feet and lotus palms. These are—a fish, anchor, disc, conch, flag, barley, lotus, and thunderbolt. Because of these symbols, His beauty has increased dramatically. The beauty of His body, which is the embodiment of transcendental bliss, defeats the beauty of Kamadeva.

Sri Krsna is an ocean of unlimited pleasure. He plays His flute while moving His fingers over the holes. The enchanting melodies created by His flute attracts the hearts of all living entities, including the animals

™~ SR! HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA and their offspring. He is surrounded by the cows who walk slowly due to the burden of their udders. Because the attention and vision of the cows are fixed on the lotus face of Sri Krsna, the grass that they were chewing remains stationary within their mouths.

The newborn calves have surrounded Sri Krsna. They are standing still because they have forgotten to drink their mothers' milk. As a result, their mouths remain filled with foam and milk. This has created a wonderful sight. These calves relish the sweet and enchanting sound of Krsna's flute with unidivided attention.

Healthy grown up male and female calves have also gathered around Sri Krsna. Their tails are raised and their throats look very beautiful. They have started growing small horns. As they approach Krsna, they playfully nudge one another. As a result, they have become restless and are running here and there.

Behind them, there are many large bulls that are burdened by their massive humps. They are lowing loudly in all directions as they gather around Sri Krsna. Because their ears are filled with the nectarean sound of Krsna's flute, their nostrils appear opened and raised.

The cowherd boyfriends of Sri Krsna are slowly coming closer to Him from all sides. Their dress, behavior, and qualities are similar to that of Krsna. They play their flutes and other musical instruments softly, sweetly, and melodiously. They sing together melodiously with full attention and they dance in an attractive manner while placing their arms on each other's shoulders.

He is surrounded by younger cowherd boys who speak indistinctly yet sweetly. A sweet sound is created by the tinkling of the bells on their waistbands. All of them are decorated with ornaments and necklaces made with tiger nails.

The enchanting damsels of Vraja are engaged in His service with full attention. They walk slowly because of the heavy burden of their large hips and are bent forward due to the burden of their heavey breasts. Hair around the three lines on their abdomen enhance their beauty.

™? SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA The tree of the gopls' transcendental lust has fully grown due to being watered by the nectarean sound of Krsna's enchanting flute. Their creeper-like bodies appear extremely attractive because of the soft bodily hair, which is compared to the tender buds of those creepers.

The attachment of the gopls has swallon like the ocean because of moonlight in the form of the enchanting smile of the son of Nanda. T h e drops of perspiration on their bodies due to hard labor appear exactly like drops of water from the waves of the ocean of attachment.

The hearts of the young gopls have been pierced by sharp arrows in the form of Krsna's sidelong glances, shot from the bow of His beautiful face. As a result, the gopls have practically lost consciousness, feeling an unbearable longing throughout their bodies.

The restless eyes of the gopls of Vraja are very eager to drink the nectar of Krsna's beauty, which they cherish as the most coveted of all His wonderful possessions. Their eyes are filled with tears of ecstatic love for Sri Krsna.

Their braided hair has become loosened. Flowers that were used to decorate their hair have fallen to the ground and bees are surounding those flowers, hoping to drink thier honey. The waistbands and golden threads around the waists of the gopis have become loosened, thereby exposing their beautiful hips.

The lotus feet of the gopis are adorned with jeweled anklets. When they wander about Vrndavana with their dancing feet, a sweet sound emanates from their tinkling bells. Their lips tremble, their eyes are half closed, and their faces resemble lotus flowers. The ears of the gopis are decorated with brightly shining earrings.

The tender leaf-like lips of the gopis appear dry and pale due to the hot breath emanating from their nostrils. The gopis have gathered around Krsna with various gifts in their lotus hands. Their lotus petal eyes have increased the beauty of their beloved Lord because they are a source of great pleasure to Sri Krsna. The bumblebee-like eyes of Sri Krsna have become intoxicated by ecstatic love because they constantly relish the nectar from the enchanting lotus-like faces of the gopis. Sri Govinda

on, SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA looks glorious as He puts on a garland of lotus flowers, in the form of the eyes of the all-attractive gopls.

Beyond the circles of gopls, gopas and cows are the hosts of demigods, headed by Brahma, Siva, and Indra, who desire material opulence. They stand before Sri Krsna and offer Him select prayers.

To Sri Krsna's right are those sages who faithfully follow religious principles and are engaged in studying the Vedas. To the back of Sri Krsna are the foremost of yogis, such as Sanaka, who absorb themselves in samddhi to achieve liberation from material bondage. To Krsna's left are Yaksas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyadharas, Caranas, and Kinnaras, along with their wives. These celestial beings dance, sing, and play musical instruments to please Krsna in the hopes of obtaining the fulfillmelnt of their desires.

Thereafter, one should meditate on Narada Muni, the son of Brahma, as he stands at some distance from Sri Krsna. His complexion is white,

like a conch shell, the moon, or a kunda flower. He is well-versed in all aspects of the Vedic literature. The color of his matted hair is golden, like lightning. He is fully detached from thoughts of material enjoyment and he always prays for unalloyed devotional service at the lotus feet of Sri Krsna.

Narada Muni has a stringed instrument called the vlnd. He plays it very melodically and thereby never fails to please Sri Krsna.

Now I shall describe the process of meditation that relieves one of all sinful reactions. Sri Krsna's complexion is blackish and He is dressed in yellow garments. His eyes are reddish, like a pink lotus flower. His palms, lotus feet, lips, and nails are also reddish. His form is the personification of all auspiciousness. His chest is illuminated by the effulgence emanating from the pearl necklace hanging around His neck, as well as the jewels of His ornaments, especially the Kaustubha gem. His crown is bedecked with numerous jewels that also radiate a transcendental effulgence. He is decorated with a necklace, armlets, bangles and earrings. The mark of Srlvatsa on His chest, and the beautiful anklets on His lotus feet enhance His beauty. He wears jeweled ornaments, a gorgeous waistband, and many rings. His head is bedecked with a peacock feather and He is decorated with a garland of forest flowers and a garland of kadamba flowers. All in all, He appears like the blue sky decorated with a full moon and a host of stars.

Sri Krsna holds His flute with His two lotus hands and by playing it, He produces most enchanting melodies while tending the cows in the pastures.

Sri Krsna is surrounded by hundreds of exquisitely beautiful cowherd girls, who have descended from the heavenly planets. He is full of auspicious attributes and His beauty is most enchanting. He always engages in increasing the happiness of the cowherd men and women of Vraja. The cows and calves surround Him, licking His transcendental body. The Siddhas, Gandharvas, Yaksas, Apsaras, birds, demigods, demons, all kinds of moving and non-moving living entities, Pannagas, beasts, and Vidyadharas gaze at Him with feelings of awe and reverence. The most intelligent Narada Muni, Vasistha, Visvamitra, Parasara, Vyasadeva, Bhrgu, Angira, Daksa, Saunaka, Atri, Kapila, and indeed, all of the best of sages who reside in Brahmaloka, as well as countless other great personalities, have come and surrounded Him on all sides. One

should meditate on Sri Krsna in this manner, throughout the day and night.

O Son of Devaki, please protect us. Sri Krsna's complexion is balckish, like a fully blossomed kdla flower. His hair is decorated with a peacock feather. The gopis offer Him adoration with their lotus-like eyes. He is surrounded by the cows and cowherd boys. His smiling face appears just like the full moon. He is dressed in yellow garments. It is very difficult for all kinds of living entities to remain calm after hearing the sweet sound of His flute.

After meditating on Sri Hari in this way, one should, according to one's own inclination, worship Him within the mind, after offering Him prayers.

The ingridients for bdhya-pujd, or worshping the Lord with formality, will be described later. These ingridients are also used in mdnasa-puja, or worshiping the Lord within the mind, according to one's inclination.

srl ndradapancardtre (In the ~Ndrada-par\cardtra it is stated) svdgatam devadeveia sannidhau bhava kesava grhdna mdnaslm piijarh yathdrtha paribhdvitdm O Kesava! O Lord of lords, kindly appear, according to Your sweet will. I am prepared to worship You without duplicity. Please accept my mdnasl-pujd.

According to the procedure followed by his authorized sampraddya, one should prepare to worship Sri Krsna mentally with the paraphernalia of external worship. First, one should place the conch shell in its proper place.

The learned devotee should keep the conch shell on a three-legged stand, to his left. He should chant astraya phat to cleanse the stand, orh ddhara iaktaye namah to place the stand, and astraya phat&i while putting the conch shell on the stand.

Thereafter, one should put sandalwood paste, flowers, durbd grass, and rice paddy inside the conch shell while chanting hrdayaya namah. He should then fill the conch shell with water while chanting mula-mantras along with each of the matrhd-varnas, ending with sirase svdhd.

Then, while chanting mam, one should worship Agnideva as being present in the stand. While chanting am, he should worship Suryadeva

as being present in the conch shell, and while chanting urn, he should worship Candradeva as being present in the water. After this, one should invoke the holy rivers by chanting the mantra beginning with gange ca yamune. O n e should display the ankusa-mudrd while invoking the holy rivers from the sun, into the water. Next, one should invite Sri Govinda to appear from his lotus-like heart, while displaying the gdlini-mudrd and chanting sikhdyai vasat. After that, one should look into the water while chanting netrabhya vausat and then cover the water with both hands while chanting kavacaya hum. Then, the nydsa should be performed on the water while chanting the mula-mantra. The water should be transformed into nectar by purifying all directions while chanting the astra-mantra and displaying the dhenu-mudrd. One should mix sandalwood paste into the water and chant the amrta-blja mantra twelve times, followed by once again chanting the mantra, soma mandalaya sodasa kaldtmane namah. Afterwards, one should protect the water with a display of the cakra- mudrd and cover it with the matsya-mudrd. Finally, one should hold the conch shell, touch the water with a bunch of kusa grass, and chant the miila-mantra eight time over the water.

O n e should save a portion of the water in a separate pot for washing his hands while with the rest should be sprinkled on the ingridients for worship and on one's body, three times.

One should display a mudrd by placing the little fingers and thumbs of both hands together while combining the other fingers of both hands and bending them a little so that the tips of the fingers of both hands are joined. One should exhibit this mudrd over the conch shell. Then, one should discard the rest of the water from the conch shell, fill it with fresh water, and place it before Sri Hari. This is the procedure that is followed by devotees.

Thereafter, one should worship his spiritual master as he is situated in his head, and Ganesa as he is situated in the mulddhdra-cakra- One should worship various personalities at various parts of one's body with water, sandalwood paste, incense and other articles.

Then, while chanting the bija-mantra, klirh, one should merge the brightly shining effulgence of the mulddhdra-cakra and heart between the eyebrows.

After meditating in this way, one should perform the pancanga-nyasa with this mantra while considering that his worshipable Lord is situated within the effulgence, in His personal form. One should then perform the pancanga-nyasa of the eighteen-syllable mantra on his body, knowing that Sri Krsna and His mantra are nondifferent.

The proof that Lord Krsna and His holy names, or mantras, are nondifferent, is that the Vaisnavas peform the nyasa to the form of Supreme Lord that has appeared within their hearts because of their meditation upon His mantra.

Some devotees perform the nyasa on the ornaments of the Supreme Lord while invoking the material elements by chanting mantras that begin with a vowel and contain words like hamsa.

After meditating on how Sri Krsna has seated Himself on the altar of his heart, the devotee should worship Him according to the prescribed rules and regulations by offering Him an dsana, greetings, pddya, arghya, dcamanlya, snanlya, vastra, punardcamanlya, ornaments, water, sandalwood paste, and flowers.

One should then worship the flute that the Lord has placed to His mouth, the flower garland on His chest, the mark of Snvatsa above His right nipple, and the Kaustubha gem above His left nipple.

A Vaisnava should next apply sandalwood powder mixed with water to the transcendental body of the Lord and then decorate His entire body with tilaka, using his ring finger.

According to the prescribed method, the devotee should then take a handful of five kinds of flowers, as well as some green and blackish tulasl leaves and offer them at the lotus feet of the Lord while chanting the mula-mantra. He should also offer a handful of white and red flowers to the Lord's chest, some white and red lotus flowers to His head, some tulasl leaves should then be placed on His head, and finally, the flowers and tulasl leaves should be offered to His entire body. One should then

offer the Lord incense, a ghee lamp, food, and a mouth freshener, such as betel nuts.

While worshiping Sri Krsna, it is also appropriate to please Him with singing and playing musical instruments. If one is unable to perform external worship of the Lord then he should offer everything in his mind while chanting the appropriate mantras.

vaisnavatantre (In the Vaisnava-tantra it is stated) asvamedha sahastrdni vdjapeya sdtdni ca ekasya dhydnayogasya kaldrh ndrhanti sodaslm Thousands of horse sacrifices and hundreds of Vajapeya sacrifices are not equal to even one-sixteenth part of mdnasa-pujd (worship of the Lord in meditation).

What is the need of explaining the benefit one obtains by offering prayers to the Supreme Lord, worshiping Him, and meditating on

•jg, SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA Him when simply by uttering His holy names, all of one's miseries are mitigated?

between the Supreme Lord and Narada Muni that is found in the Ndrada- pancardtra it is stated) ayarh yo mdnaso ydgo jardvyddhi bhaydpahah sarvva pdpaugha samano bhdvdbhdva karodvija satatdbhydsa yogena dehavandhdd vimocayet yascaivarh parayd bhakttyd sakrt kuryydn mahdmate kramoditena vidhind tasya tusydmyaham mune smarana-dhydnayoh purvvam mdhdtmyarh likhitanca yat jneyarh tadadhikarh catrdntar ydgdngatayd tayoh evarh yathd sampraddyarh sakttyd ydvan manah sukham antah pujdm vidhdydda avdrabheta vahistatah O brahmana, mdnasa-pujd destroys one's fear of old age, disease, and death. It removes all of one's sinful reactions and anxieities. By adopting this process of mdnasa-pujd, one can become liberated from the material bodily conception of life. O great sage, I become very pleased with anyone who even begins to practice mdnasa-pujd with devotion, according to the prescribed rules and regulations. The merit attained by performing mdnasa-pujd is superior than that obtained by the processes of meditation described earlier because it is included in the practice of mdnasa-pujd.

According to the rules and regulations laid down by the various sampraddyas, and according to one's propensity, one should practice mdnasa-pujd to best of his ability before engaging in external pujd.

While performing mdnasa-pujd, one should offer sixteen ingredients to the Lord within one's mind and then begin to worship the Lord by offering these ingredients externally.

O Supreme Lord! O my master, please give me permission to engage in Your external worship. After praying like this, one should begin worshiping the Lord. There are many forms of the Lord, such as the salagrdma-sild and the Deity, so that the devotee can worship the Lord externally.

sammohanatantre (In the Sammohana-tantra it is stated)

•ygr, S R I H A R I - B H A K T I - V I L A S A sdlagrdme mdnau yantre sthandile pratimddisu hareh pujd tu karttvavyd kevale bhutale na tu One should worship Sri Hari in His form as the sdlagrdma-sild, as a mantra, as a yantra, as the sanctified altar, and as the Deity but one must never worship the Lord on the ground.

O saintly Uddhava, please know that you may worship Me in the sun, fire, brdhmanas, cows, Vaisnavas, sky, wind, water, earth, individual soul and all living entities.

FIFTH VILAS A ,QQ My dear Uddhava, one should worship Me within the sun by chanting selected Vedic mantras and by performing worship and offering obeisances. One may worship Me within fire by offering oblations of ghee, and one may worship Me among the brdhmanas by respectfully receiving them as guests, even when uninvited. I can be worshiped within the cows by offerings of grass and other suitable grains and paraphernalia for the pleasure and health of the cows, and one may worship Me within the Vaisnavas by offering loving friendship to them and honoring them in all respects. Through steady meditation I am worshiped within the inner space of the heart, and within the air I can be worshiped by knowledge that prdna, the life air, is the chief among elements. I am worshiped within water by offerings of water itself, along with other elements such as flowers and tulasi leaves, and one may worship Me within the earth by proper application of confidential seed mantras. One may worship Me within the individual living entity by offering food and other enjoyable substances, and one may worship Me within all living entities by seeing the Supersoul within all of them, thus maintaining equal vision. Thus, in the previously mentioned places of worship and according to the processes I have described, one should meditate on My peaceful, transcendental form with four arms holding a conchshell, Sudarsana disc, club and lotus flower. In this way, one should worship Me with fixed attention.

Bhagavatam 111.27.12-14 it is stated) tatreiva (It is also stated) saill ddru-mayl lauhl lepyd lekhya ca saikati mano-mayl mani-mayl pratimdsta-vidhd smrtd caldcaleti dvi-vidhd pratisthd jlva-mandiram udvdsavdhane na stah sthirdydm uddhavarcane

AQQ SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA asthirdydm vikalpah sydt sthandile tu bhaved dvayam. snapanarh tv avilepydydm anyatra parimdrjanam The Deity form of the Lord is said to appear in eight varieties—stone, wood, metal, earth, paint, sand, the mind or jewels. The Deity form of the Lord, who is the shelter of all living entities, can be established in two ways: temporarily or permanently. But a permanent Deity, having been called, can never be sent away, My dear Uddhava. The Deity that is temporarily established can optionally be called forth and sent away, but these two rituals should always be performed when the Deity is traced upon the ground. Bathing should be done with water except if the Deity is made of clay, paint or wood, in which cases a thorough cleansing without water is enjoined.

Whatever has been described can be applied to the chanting of the gopala-mantra. For the satisfaction of the Vaisnavas, all of the various forms of the Lord are going to described, one after another.

Lord and Hayasirsa that is found in the Hayasirsa-pancardtra) ddimurttir vdsudevah sankarsanam athdsrjat caturmurttih pararh proktam ekalko bhidhate tridhd kesavddiprabhedena murtti dvddasakarh smrtam

The original form of the Supreme Lord is Vasudeva. From Him, Sankarasana became manifested. It should always be considered that all the four forms are equally potent. Each of these forms has three expansions, so that there are twelve forms in all. An example is Kesava, who is an expansion of Vasudeva.

The form of the Supreme Lord who holds a lotus flower in His lower right hand, a conch shell in His upper right hand, a club in His upper left hand, and a disc in His lower left hand is known as Kesava.

What Kesava holds in His lower hands, Narayana holds in His upper hands and what Kesava holds in His upper hands, Narayana holds in His lower hands. By installing this form, one achieves material enjoyment, as well as liberation. Narayana is an expansion of Vasudeva.

The form of the Lord who holds a lotus flower in His lower left hand, a conch shell in His upper left hand, a club in His upper right hand,

402 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA and a disc in His lower right hand is known as Madhava and is also an expansion of Vasudeva.

The form of the Lord who holds a cakra in His lower right hand, a club in His upper right hand, a lotus flower in His upper left hand, and a conch shell in His lower left hand is known as Govinda and is an expansion of Sankarsana.

Sri Visnu holds a lotus flower in His upper right hand, a club in His lower right hand, a conch shell in His lower left hand, and a cakra in His upper left hand. He is also an expansion of Sankarsana.

Sri Madhusudana is another expansion of Sankarsana. He carries a conch shell in His upper right hand, a cakra in His lower right hand, a lotus flower in His upper left hand, and a club in His lower left hand.

Lord Trivikrama holds a cakra in His upper left hand and a conch shell in His lower left hand. His left leg extends into space while His right leg rests on the back of Anantadeva. He is an expansion of Pradyumna.

Lord Vamanadeva, who deceived Bali Maharaja, resides below the earth. He holds a club in His upper left hand, a lotus flower in His lower left hand, a cakra in His upper right hand, and the Pancajanya conch shell in His lower right hand. The Deity of Lord Vamanadeva should be about twelve inches tall. He is an expansion of Pradyumna.

The form of the Lord who holds a cakra in His upper right hand, a lotus flower in His lower right hand, a club in His upper left hand, and a conch shell in His lower left hand is the delightful personality, Sridhara. Goddess Laksmi, with a lotus in her hand, should be placed on His left side, either standing or sitting. He is an expansion of Pradyumna.

4 0 4 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

The form of the Lord who holds a cakra in His upper right hand, a club in His lower right hand, a lotus flower in His upper left hand, and a conch shell in His lower left hand in known as Hrslkesa. If installed, He fulfills all of one's desires. He is an expansion of Aniruddha.

The Lord who carries a lotus flower in His upper right hand, a conch shell in His lower right hand, a cakra in His upper left hand, and a club in His lower left hand is known as Padmanabha. If installed, He awards liberation. He is an expansion of Aniruddha.

Another expansion of Aniruddha is Damodara, who holds a conch shell in His upper right hand, a lotus flower in His lower right hand, a club in His upper left hand, and a cakra in His lower left hand.

Two consorts attend each of these twelve transcendental forms of the Supreme Lord. They hold a lotus flower in one hand and a stringed instrument in the other. (These twelve Personalities of Godhead, headed by Kesava, are the predominating Deities of the twelve months of the year.)

sidvdrtharhsarhhitdydm (In the Siddhartha-sarhhitd it is stated) vdsudevo gadd-sahkha- cakra-padma dharo matah padmarh sankharh tathd cakrarh gaddrh vahati kesavah Vasudeva holds a club, conch shell, disc, and lotus flower. Kesava holds a lotus flower, conch shell, disc, and club.

Narayana holds a conch shell, lotus flower, club, and disc. Madhava holds a club, disc, conch shell, and lotus flower.

Purusottama holds a disc, lotus flower, conch shell, and a club. Adhoksaja holds a lotus flower, club, conch shell, and disc.

ten* SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

Sankarsana holds a club, conch shell, lotus flower, and a disc. Govinda holds a disc, club, lotus flower, and conch shell.

Visnu holds a club, lotus flower, conch shell, and disc. Madhusudana holds a disc, conch shell, lotus flower, and club.

Acyuta holds a club, lotus flower, disc, and conch shell. Upendra holds a conch shell, club, disc, and a lotus flower.

Pradyumna holds a disc, conch shell, club, and lotus flower. Trivikrama holds a lotus flower, club, disc, and conch shell.

Vamana always holds a conch shell, disc, club, and lotus flower. Srldhara holds a lotus flower, disc, club, and conch shell.

Narasimha holds a disc, lotus flower, club, and conch shell. Janardana holds a lotus flower, disc, conch shell, and club.

Aniruddha holds a disc, club, conch shell, and lotus flower. Hrslkrsa holds a club, disc, lotus flower, and conch shell.

Padmanabha holds a conch shell, lotus flower, disc, and a club. Damodara holds a lotus flower, disc, club, and a conch shell.

Hari holds a conch shell, disc, lotus flower, and club. Visnu holds a conch shell, club, lotus flower, and disc.

4QO SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA The descriptions given here of these forms of the Lord, holding the conch, disc, lotus and club in Their four hands, start from the lower right hand. For example—Vasudeva holds a club in His lower right hand, a conch shell in His upper right hand, a disc in His upper left hand, and a lotus flower in His lower left hand.

The characteristics of the forms of the Supreme Lord have been described just to emphasize the varieties of the Lord's maifestations. O brdhmanas, even the spiritual master of the demigods is not capable of completely describing these forms- The Vaisnavas who serve Sri Harl by following the pdncardtrlka system display great regard for all the Lord's forms because they are nondifferent from the original Supreme Personality of Godhead.

There is no hard and fast rule with regards to offering service to one's worshipable Lord, as manifested in the sdlagrdma-slld, with the mantra he has received from his spiritual master. The devotee should worship the

two-armed, three-fold bending form of Sri Krsna, whose complexion is blackish like a monsoon cloud, just as He is perceived in meditation.

There are many other forms of the Supreme Lord, including the incarnations, that will be described later on. Because it is not suitable to describe all of these forms here, we shall do so later on while discussing the the Lord's appearance and other related topics.

goutamiyatantre (In the Gautamiya-tantra it is stated) gandakydscaiva dese ca salagrdmasthalam mahat pdsdnam tadbhavarh yattat sdlagrdma miti smrtam There is a large area of the Gandakl river known as sdlagrdma-sthala. Stones found there are called sdlagrdma-sild.

41Q SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA vrhanmukhl vrhacakrd lagna cakrdthavd punah baddhcakrdthavd kdcid bhagna cakrd tvadhomukhi There are various kinds of Sdlagrdma-sild, such as smooth, black, yellow, blue, rough, red, large, without any marks, brown, in the shape of a frog, broken, having many cakras, having only one cakra, having a big mouth, having large cakras, having parallel cakras, having overlapping cakras, having broken cakras, and having a mouth towards the bottom.

A smooth sdlagrdma-sild awards perfection in the chanting of mantras, a black sdlagrdma-sild awards fame, a pale sdlagrdma-sild destroys all of one's sinful reactions, and a yellow sdlagrdma-sild blesses one with a good son.

A blue sdlagrdma-sild increases one's wealth, a red sdlagrdma-sild causes illness, a rough sdlagrdma-sild creates anxiety, and a crooked sdlagrdma-sild makes one poor.

A large sdlagrdma-sild takes away one's duration of life, and worshiping a sdlagrdma-sild without a cakra is useless. A brown sdlagrdma-sild mixed with other colors, a broken sdlagrdma-sild, as well as one with many cakras, one with only one cakra, one that has a large mouth, one with big cakras, one with overlapping cakras, one with parallel cakras, one with a broken cakra, and one that has its mouth towards the bottom, certainly gives distress to the worshiper.

By worshiping a sdlagrdma-sild that has a mouth like a snake, a broken sdlagrdma-sild, a sdlagrdma-sild whose cakras are not of equal size, or whose cakras are covered, or whose middle portion has raised cakras, and by worshiping a nrsimha-sild, a brown sdlagrdma-sild, a sdlagrdma- sild that creates a doubt about its roundness, and a sdlagrdma-sild that has encircling cakras, one receives only distress.

412 SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA suksmamurttir amurttisca sammukhd siddhiddyikd dhdtrlphala pramdnd yd kareno bhaya-samputd pujaniyd prayatnena sild caitddrsl subhd These sdlagrdma-silds award perfection and auspiciousness to the devotee if they are worshiped with unalloyed devotion— those that are smooth, black, round like a pearl, genuine, having equal cakras, in the shape of Varaha, having a deep navel, very small, having the form of Vasudeva, having a proper mouth, the size of an amalakl fruit, and raised like the back of one's hand.

One should faithfully worship the form of the Lord that one feels a natural attraction for. This will award him ultimate benefit, both in this life and the next.

those who worship the Lord with material desires) yata uktarh sri bhagavatd brahme (This is confirmed by the Lord Himself in the Brahma Purdna) khanditarh sphutitarh bhagnarh pdsrva bhinnarh vibheditam sdldgrdma samudbhiitam sailarh dosdvaham na hi Even if they are broken, have holes, are cracked, are split in half, or have an odd appearance, there is no fault in worshiping any of the sdlagrdma-silds that have manifested at sdlagrdma-sthall.

There is no harm in worshiping a broken, cracked, or otherwise defective sdlagrdma-sild. The devotee should worship that form of the Lord to which he is naturally attracted.

bears a mark of a lotus or a garland of flowers. In the opinion of some learned authorities, sdlagrdma-silds that are smooth, and display other fine characteristics, are to be considered primary, and the sdlagrdma-silds that are red, or that display other discrepancies, are to be considered as secondary. If a primary sdlagrdma-sild is not available then one should worship a secondary sdlagrdma-sild.

the Supreme Lord and Brahma that is found in the Brahma Purdna, it is stated) nivasdmi sadd brahman sdlagrdmdkhya vesmani

414 SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA tatraiva ratha cakranka bhedandmdni me srnu dvdradese same cakre drsyate ndntarlyake vdsudevah sa vijneyah sukld bhascdti sobhanah O brdhmana, I always reside in the temple of a sdlagrdma-sild. Now, hear from Me about their names, according to their characteristics and the cakras they possess. The sdlagrdma-sild that has two cakras in front, and is white and very beautiful, is called Vasudeva.

The sdlagrdma-sild that has two cakras joined together on the right side, and which is slightly reddish and is very beautiful, is known as Sankarsana.

The pradyumna-sild has a fine cakra and is yellowish. The hole of His mouth is deep and sometimes, there are many other holes.

The aniruddha-sild is blue in complexion, round in shape, very attractive, has three lines near the mouth, and is decorated with a mark of a lotus on His back.

The somewhat square-shaped kesava-sila bestows good fortune upon the worshiper. The salagrama-sila that is black and has a cakra at the navel is called Narayana. The salagrdma-sild that has a long line, and whose mouth is wide and high, is known as Hari. He awards the fulfillment of desires, liberation, and wealth. The salagrdma-sild that is reddish and possesses the marks of a lotus and cakra is known as Paramesthi. The shape of Paramesthi is like a bilva fruit and has the clear sign of a mouth on His back. The visnu-sild is black and very beautiful, and has two large cakras. One should worship Him while observing celibacy otherwise, there is a chance of facing obstacles.

416 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA brahmacaryyadhikdrl syan ndnyatha pujarh bhavet narasirhhastrivinduh sydt kapilah pancavindukah brahmacaryyena pujyah sydd anyathd sarvvavidhnadah Kapila and Narasimha silds have large cakras. Only a strictly celibate devotee should worship Them. Narasimha has three dots and Kapila has five dots. If anyone other than a celibate devotee worships Them, he will face terrible difficulty.

Narasimha has two cakras inside His mouth. His complexion is like that of molasses. O n top, there is a beautiful line that looks like a lotus. He has numerous cakras, and they are uneven. By worshiping the narasirhha- sild and kapila-sild, one achieves liberation from material bondange and victory in battle.

The narasimha-sila's mouth is wide and deep and has a few lines that resemble the hair on the mane of a lion.

The varaha-sila has two signs of sakti and two odd lines, a complexion like the color of a blue sapphire, and three heavy lines. He is very attractive.

The sdlagrama-sila that looks like Varaha and has cakras and lines is known as the varaha-sila. If worshiped with devotion, He bestows material enjoyment, as well as liberation, upon the devotee.

The sdlagrama-sila that is oblong, is golden, and has three dots is known as Matsya. Matsya awards material enjoyment, as well as liberation, to His worshipers.

The sdlagrdma-sild that is oblong, possesses three dots, is the color of bell metal, and looks very charming is known as Matsya.

The sdlagrdma-sild whose back is raised, and who is round, green in complexion, and possesses the mark of the Kaustubha gem, is known as Kurma.

The sdlagrdma-sild whose shape is just like a tortoise and who bears the mark of a cakra is known as Kurmadeva.

The sdlagrdma-sild whose shape is like an anchor, who possesses many lines and cakras, and whose back is bluish, like a cloud, is known as Hayagriva.

Lord Hayagriva's shape is like that of an anchor. He has five lines and many dots, looks very attractive, and is bluish.

The sdlagrdma-sild whose shape is like that of a horse's neck, and who has lines, is known as Hayagrlva. If He is worshiped with devotion, He awards the devotee transcendental knowledge.

The salagrdma-sila shaped like the head of a horse, and whose upper portion bears the mark of a string of beads, is known as Hayagrlva. Sometimes, the hayagrlva-sild is in the shape of a lotus flower.

The sdlagrdma-sild whose complexion is like that of a jewel, who has only one cakra, who bears the mark of a flag, and whose upper part of the mouth is adorned with lines like a lotus, is known as Vaikuntha.

.jr, SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

Sridhara is the sdlagrdma-sild who is decorated with marks of a flower garland, whose shape is like a kadamba flower, and who has five lines.

The vamana-sila is very small and round. His color resembles that of a linseed plant and He has many dots.

The sdlagrdma-sild who is very small and shiny, who has cakras on the top and botton is known as the vamana-sila. When the vamana-sila is worshiped, He fulfills all of one's desires.

The sdlagrdma-sild that is black, shiny, adorned with marks of a club and cakra on the left side, and has two lines on the right side, is known as Sudarsana.

He whose lines are like a cakra is known as Sudarsana. If the sudarsana- sild is worshiped, He awards one the fulfillment of his cherished desire.

The damodara-sila is large and the color of diirba grass. It possesses cakras and has a few fine yellow lines near His mouth.

The sdlagrdma-sild that has two cakras—one on the top and one on the bottom—whose mouth is not so wide, and has a long line in the middle, is known as Damodara.

4 27 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA Damodara is large, His mouth is narrow, and He has two cakras in the middle. If He is worshiped with devotion, He bestows happiness upon the devotee.

The ananta-sild is of many different colors. He is sometimes in the shape of a snake but at other times, He has other forms. He awards the worshiper the fulfillment of his cherished desire.

He who possesses many cakras and is of various colors is known as Ananta. He fulfills all the desires of His worshipers.

The sdlagrdma-sild that is decorated with a cakra on top is known as Yogesvara. He destroys all sins, even the killing of a brdhmana.

Padmanabha's complexion is slightly reddish and He is decorated with marks of a lotus and an umbrella. If even a poor person worships Him every day with tulasl leaves, he will achieve vast wealth. The hiranyagarbha-sild appears like the moon and has many golden lines. He is transparent and as clear as crystal.

The sdlagrdma-sild that shaped like a half moon is known as Hrslkesa. By worshiping Him, a devotee can ascend to heaven and possess all objects of enjoyment.

The sdlagrdma-sild that has two identical cakras on the left side, which is black, and which is decorated with dots, is known as Laksml-Nrsirhha. When worshiped, He blesses the devotee with material enjoyment and ultimately, liberation.

The sdlagrdma-sild that is dark and effulgent, and has two cakras on His left side and one cakra on His right side, is known as Trivikrama.

474 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

The sdlagrdma-sild that is marked, on His right side, with a garland of forest flowers that sways back and forth, is known as Sri Krsna. He awards His worshiper wealth, food grains, and happiness.

Only after many births can one obtain a krsna-sila that is adorned with the hoof print of a calf. Such a person will not again be born in this material world.

The sdlagrdma-sild that is decorated with four lines, side by side, and has two cakras in the middle, is known as Caturmukha.

The sdlagrdma-sild that bears a row of lines that appear etched within the stone is known as Visnu Panjara.

The salagrdma-sila that has lines resembling the coil of a serpent is known as Sesa. The salagrdma-sila having two lines that resemble a lotus flower, as well as a long line and four other lines is known as Janardana.

The salagrdma-sila having four cakras, whose mouth is narrow, and whose middle is decorated with the mark of a flower garland, is known as Laksml-Narayana. This salagrdma-sila awards one material enjoyment and ultimately, liberation.

All salagrama-silds that bear the above-mentioned marks are considered very auspicious. Among them, those that are very small are considered most auspicious.

between the Supreme Lord and Brahma that is found in the Padma Purdna, it is stated) yathd yathd sild suksmd mahat punyam tathd tathd

476 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA tasmattdrh pujayennityarh dharma kdmdrtha siddhaye The smaller the sdlagrdma-sild, the more auspicious it is considered to be. To achieve religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation, one should worship the Supreme Lord in the form of the sdlagrdma-sild.

O Brahma, 1 reside, along with My beloved consort, Laksmi, within those sdlagrdma-silds that are small, like dmalakl fruit.

Simply by touching the sdlagrdma-sild, all one's sinful reactions accumulated since millions of lifetimes are destroyed. What then can be said of those who worship the sdlagrdma-sild7. They certainly attain Lord Hari's association.

O Brahma, one who worships Sri Hari every day in His favorite form as the sdlagrdma-sild, daily obtains the result of performing one thousand Rajasuya sacrifices.

The same Supreme Lord who is addressed in the Vedanta as the infallible Absolute Truth, devoid of material qualities, bestows mercy on those who worship Him as the sdlagrdma-sild.

As fire hidden within two sticks becomes manifest when they are rubbed together, Sri Hari manifests Himself in the sdlagrdma-sild.

O vaisya, if even unqualified people who are fond of sinful activities worship the sdlagrdma-sild, they can be spared from traversing the path to the abode of Yamaraja.

Lord Narayana does not feel as satisfied in the association of Laksmi, or in His own abode, as He feels when He is manifest as the sdlagrdma- sild. One who worships Sri Hari as the sdlagrdma-sild obtains the result of performing an agnihotra sacrifice and giving away the entire earth in charity.

If anyone, even he may be the lowest among mankind who is fully under the control of lust, anger, and greed, dedicates himself to worshiping the sdlagrdma-sild, he attains the supreme abode of Sri Hari. A person who always worships Sri Govinda as the sdlagrdma-sild becomes qualified to reside in the planets of the demigods until the final dissolution of the universe.

O vaisya, even without visiting holy places, giving charity, performing austerities, and accumulating knowledge, human beings can become eligible for liberation simply by worshiping the salagrama-sila with love and devotion. If the most sinful people worship Lord Acyuta in His form as the salagrama-sila then they can be relieved from being born among the animals or insects, or in other hellish conditions, as well as from suffering within the womb. I assure you that if a person who has been initiated and thus has received a bona-fide mantra worships Me with offerings in My form as the salagrama-sila, he will be transferred to My supreme abode.

In this age of Kali, anyone who worships the salagrama-sila with devotion while offering various foods, incense, ghee lamps, flowers, sandalwood paste, and prayers accompanied by singing and the playing of musical instruments, resides with the Lord in great happiness. By simply worshiping the salagrama-sila, one can obtain the result of worshiping ten million siva-lingas.

4-iQ SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

Demigods, asuras, Yaksas, and the entire fourteen worlds are present where Lord Kesava, in the form of the sdlagrdma-sild, is worshiped.

A person who performs the srdddha ceremony to his forefathers by worshiping the sdlagrdma-sild ensures that his forefathers joyfully live in the planets of the demigods for one hundred kalpas.

An area of twenty-four miles around the place where the sdlagrdma- sild is worshiped becomes transformed into a holy tirtha. As such, all pious activities, including the giving of charity, chanting of mantras, and performance of fire sacrifices that are executed in this area yield ten million times greater results.

If a fallen person who was born in Klkata-desa gives up his material body within two miles of a place where the sdlagrdma-sild is being worshiped, he attains Vaikuntha-loka in the spiritual sky.

Anyone who donates an auspicious sdlagrdma-sild, bearing marks of a cakra, obtains the result of giving in charity the entire earth, along with its mountains, forests, and gardens.

between Lord Siva and Karttikeya found in the Kdrttika-mdhdtmya section of Skanda Purdna, it is stated) sdlagrdma iildyantu trailokyarh sacaracaram mayd saha mahdsena llnam tisthati sarvvadd O Kartikeya, I always reside, along with the three worlds of moving and non-moving living entities, in the sdlagrdma-sild.

Anyone who sees, offers obeisances to, bathes, or worships the sdlagrdma-sild attains the result of performing ten million fire sacrifices and giving away ten million cows in charity.

A-ij SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA O brahmana, even if a person who has no devotion or love for the Lord and is full of material desires worships the sdlagrdma-sild, he attains the liberation of having the same bodily features as Lord Visnu.

Simply by offering obeisances to, remembering, glorifying, or worshiping the sdlagrdma-sild, one becomes relieved of all sinful reactions, even if he had killed ten million living entities.

As animals, such as deer, living in the forest run away out of fear as soon as they see a lion, so ail of one's sinful reactions flee as soon as one sees the sdlagrdma-sild. By offering obeisances to the sdlagrdma-sild after worshiping Him with devotion, all of one's sinful reactions are destroyed, just as darkness is dissipated by the rising of the sun.

If a person who is under the spell of either lust or anger worships the salagrdma-sild, either with or without devotion, he attains liberation from material bondage. Anyone who discusses topics in relation to Lord Hari in front of the salagrdma-sild will not be disturbed by fear of Yamaraja, or repeated birth and death. In the age of Kali, one who worships the salagrdma-sild with faith and devotion while singing, offering prayers, and playing musical instruments, will go to reside eternally in the abode of Lord Visnu.

Lord Siva said: If my devotees in this world offer obeisances to the salagrdma-sild, even without devotion, they will no longer have to fear material existence.

Those who do not offer their obeisances to Lord Vasudeva, being puffed up with the mentality that they are my (Lord Siva's) devotees, are most sinful. You should know for certain that they are not really my devotees

4 ,4 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

My dear son, I always reside in the sdlagrama-sila. Being pleased by my devotional service, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has awarded me His residence.

The result one achieves by worshiping me with thousands of millions of lotus flowers is multiplied ten million times when he worships the sdlagrama-sila. I feel embarrassed to accept the adoration offered to me by those who worship the sdlagrama-sila.

A person who worships me in front of the sdlagrama-sila gets the benefit of worshiping me continuously for seventy-one yugas.

O child, those who do not worship the sdlagrama-sild are devoid of devotional service to Lord Visnu. As such, they receive no benefit, even after worshiping one hundred siva-lingas.

Things that have been contaminated, such as food, water, flowers, leaves and fruit, and are thus unfit for offering to me can be sanctified simply by the touch of the sdlagrama-sild.

If a devotee of Lord Siva displays envy or hatred towards the Deity of Sri Hari, he will have to reside in hell for a period equal to the rule of fourteen Indras.

There is no doubt that even those have no knowledge of the Absolute Truth—if they worship the sdlagrama-sild even once, they become eligible for liberation.

The result one achieves by having the darsana of, and worshiping, ten million siva-lingas can be achieved simply by worshiping the sdlagrdma- sild.

My son! Therefore, for my pleasure, my devotees should regularly worship the sdlagrdma-sild with love and devotion.

Demigods, asuras, and Yaksas, as well as the entire fourteen worlds, are present where Lord Kesava, in the form of the sdlagrdma-sild, is worshiped.

It is impossible to estimate how much happiness the forefathers experience when they are offered oblations, even once, in front of the sdlagrdma-sild. All kinds of piety have a limit but, my dear son, no one can estimate the fruit of worshiping the sdlagrdma-sild.

FIFTH VILAS A AYI

One who gives a sdlagrdma-sild in charity to a qualified brdhmana who is engaged in the devotional service of Lord Visnu attains the result of performing many sacrifices.

Sdlagrdma-silds are very rarely seen in this world. Unless one is very fortunate or pious, he cannot possess a sdlagrdma-sild, especially in this age of Kali.

In this world, that person is certainly glorious and his life is surely successful in whose house the sdlagrdma-sild is being worshiped.

By worshiping the sdlagrdma-sild with offerings of flowers, a devotee with a controlled mind attains the result of performing a horse sacrifice with each of his flower offerings.

43g SRi HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

Whether at a proper time or at an improper time—whether with devotion or without devotion—if a person simply worships the sdlagrdma- sild, he achieves piety.

Simply by having darsana of the sdlagrdma-sild, even if out of greed, envy, pride, duplicity, or any other such motive, a person becomes freed from all sinful reactions.

Whether one is pure or sinful, whether one is truthful or ill-behaved— simply by touching the sdlagrdma-sild, he at once becomes purified.

The result one obtains by devotedly giving a fixed quantity of sesame seeds in charity every day can be achieved simply by worshiping the sdlagrdma-sild. My dear son, even a small quantity of leaves, flowers, fruit, water, roots, durbd grass, or rice paddy offered to the sdlagrdma-sild is accepted as being as big as Mount Sumeru. By worshiping the sdlagrdma-sild, even those who are unfamiliar with the prescribed rules and regulations, and who know nothing of the prescribed rituals or mantras, achieve the benefit as stated in the revealed scriptures.

One who travels, carrying a sdlagrdma-sild on his shoulder, is considered to be carrying the entire three worlds, along with all moving and non-moving living entities. If those who are guilty of killing a brdhmana, or comitting other grave sins, worship the sdlagrdma-sild, they will quickly become relieved of all sinful reactions. One should not be overly concerned about the process of worship, the chanting of mantras,

meditation, the offering of prayers, or the ingredients for worship while worshiping the sdlagrdma-iild.

An area of twenty-four miles around the place where the salagrdma- sila is worshiped becomes transformed into a holy tirtha. As such, all pious activities, including the giving of charity, chanting of mantras, and performance of fire sacrifices that are executed in this area yield ten million times greater results. A person who performs the srdddha ceremony to his forefathers by worshiping the salagrdma-sila ensures that his forefathers joyfully live in the planets of the demigods for one hundred kalpas. If a fallen person who was born in Klkata-desa gives up his material body within two miles of a place where the salagrdma-sila is being worshiped, he attains Vaikuntha-loka in the spiritual sky.

A person who donates an auspicious sdlagrdma-sild bearing the markings of a cakra obtains the result of giving in charity the entire earth, along with its mountains, forests and gardens.

The forefathers; human beings; all holy places, such as the Gariga and Puskara; as well as the horse sacrifice reside in the house where a sdlagrdma-sild adorned with auspicious markings of a cakra is present.

conversation between Yama and Dhumrakesa found in the Kdrttika- mdhatmya section of the Padma Purana, it is stated) sdlagrdma sildydntu yairnaraih pujito harih sarhsodhya tesdrh pdpdni muktaye buddhito bhavet Those who worship Sri Hari in His form as the sdlagrdma-sild are blessed by the Lord with the pure intelligence by which they can easily go back to Godhead. The Lord also destroys all their sinful reactions.

in His form as the sdlagrdma-sild during the month of Karttika. If one worships the sdlagrdma-sild with a desire to benefit his forefathers, the Lord delivers them, carrying them to His eternal abode.

447 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

Demons, ghosts, evil spirits, and other such creatures cannot create disturbances where Lord Kesava is present in His form as the sdlagrdma- sild. Indeed, such a place is sanctified and as good as an asrama because Lord Madhusudana is present.

If one worships twelve, or even one hundred sdlagrdma-silds, with love and devotion, he achieves greater benefit.

between Devaduta and Vikundala that is found in the Mdgha-mdhdtmya section of the Padma Purdna, it is stated) sila dvddasa bho vaisya sdlagrdm samudbhavah vidhivit pujitd yena tasya punyarh vaddmi te

O vaisya, kindly listen as I describe to you the benefit one achieves by worshiping more than one sdlagrdma-sild, according to the prescribed rules and regulations.

The benefit one receives by worshiping twelve million siva-lingas with offerings of golden lotus flowers for twelve kalpas can be attained by worshiping twelve salagrama-silas for a single day. The devotee who worships one hundred salagrama-silas with faith and devotion is born in this world as an emperor after residing in the abode of Lord Visnu.

between Lord Siva and Karttikeya that is found in the Karttika-mdhdtmya section of the Skanda Purdna, it is stated) dvadasaiva sild yo vai sdlagrdm samudbhavah arccayed vaisnavo nityam tasya punyarh vadami te kotilinga sahasraistu pujitair jdhnavlr tate kdsivase yugdnyastau dine naikena tadbhavet klm punarbahavo yastu pujayed vaisnavo narah na hi brahmddayo devah samkhyarh kurvanti punyatah

Let me describe to you the good fortune of a Vaisnava who worships twelve sdlagrdma-silds. The result one obtains by worshiping twelve million siva-lingas on the banks of the Ganges, or by residing in the holy city of KasI for eight yugas, can be achieved by worshiping twelve sdlagrdma-silds, according to the prescribed rules and regulations, for only one day. What then can be said of those Vaisnavas who worship more than twelve sdlagrdma-silds'! The fact is—even great personalities such as Lord Brahma cannot begin to estimate their position.

tatraiva (Elsewhere in the Skanda Pur ana it is stated) sdlagrdm sildydm yo mulyam udghdtayennarah vikretd cdnumantd ca yah pariksdmudlrayet sarve te narakam ydnti ydvadahut samplavam atah samvarjjayed vipra cakrasya krayavikrayam One who estimates the value of a sdlagrama-sild, one who sells a sdlagrama-sild, one who approves of estimating the value of a salagrdma- sild, and one who analyzes the faults and qualities of a sdlagrama-sild (for the purpose of a sale) reside in hell until the total dissolution of the material creation. Therefore, O brdhmana, one should never sell or purchase a sdlagrama-sild.

tatraiva (In the same Purdna it is stated) sdlagrdm sildyantu pratisthd naiva vidyate mahdpujdntu krtvddau pujayettam tato budhah

It is prohibited to install a sdlagrdma-sild. A learned devotee should first conduct very grand worship of the idlagrdma-sild and then continue worshiping every day, according to his ability.

It is concluded by learned transcendentalists that among all places where the Lord is said to reside, such as the sun, as well as all forms of the Supreme Lord, the sdlagrdma-sild is the best.

pddme tatraiva (In the Padma Pur ana it is stated) hrdi suryye jale vd'tha pratimd sthandilesu ca sambhyarcca harim ydnti nardste vaisnavam padam athavd sarvadd pujyo vdsudevo mumuksubhih sdlagrdm sildcakre vajraklta vinirmate adhisthdnam hi tadvisnoh sarva papa prandsanam sarvapunya pradam vaisya sarvesdmapi muktidam By worshiping Sri Hari within the heart, within water, as the Deity, as He resides in the sun, or on a sanctified altar, devotees become qualified to return to the abode of the Lord. If those who desire liberation are not satisfied by worshiping the Lord in any of these forms, they should worship Lord Vasudeva as the sdlagrdma-sild adorned with markings of cakras.

446 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA O vaisya, the sdlagrdma-sild form of Lord Visnu frees one from sinful reactions, awards one the results of piety, and ultimately liberates the worshiper from material bondage.

conversation between Yama and Dhumrakesa found in the Karttika- mahatmya section of the Padma Purdna, it is said) pujd ca vihitd tasya pratimdydrh nrpdtmaja saill ddrumayl lauhl lepyd lekhyd ca saikatd manomayl manimayl srl murttirastadhd smrtd O prince, it is recommended that one worship Lord Visnu in His form as the Deity. The Deity is said to be of eight varieties—stone, wood, metal, earth, paint, sand, the mind, and jewels.

When the sdlagrdma-sild is worshiped, it should be understood that Lord Srl Krsna is being directly worshiped. Vasudeva, the original spiritual master of the universe, eternally resides in the sdlagrdma-sild.

between Lord Siva and Karttikeya that is found in the Karttika-mahatmya section of the Skanda Purdna, it is stated) suvarndrccd na ratndrccd na silarccd surottam sdlagrdma sildydntu sarvvadd vasate harih

Lord Hari does not always reside in a Deity made of gold, jewels, or stone but He always resides in the sdlagrdma-sild.

The extraordinary glories of the nrsimha-sild can be understood as follows—a tulasl leaf offered to His lotus feet destroys the sin of killing a brdhmana, water that has washed His lotus feet nullifies the sin of stealing, and His remnants of food destroy the sins of drinking wine and having intimate relations with the wife of one's spiritual master. By remembering Him, and associating with His devotees, one becomes delivered from the fault of associating with the above-mentioned sinners.

Even if one supposedly knows everything, he cannot estimate the waves of the ocean of the sdlagrdma-sild's glories.

pddme (In the Padma Purana it is stated) sdlagrdma sildpujdm vind yo'srdti jdyate kincana sa canddlddi-visthdydm kalparh jdyate krmih A person who eats before worshiping the sdlagrdma-sild will live as a worm in the stool of degraded people, such as dog-eaters.

44g SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

The body of a person who has no interest in worshiping the Sdlagrdma- sild will be pierced by the sharp peaks of mountains.

Therefore, everyone—whether a brdhmana, woman, or sudra—should engage in worshiping the Supreme Lord in His form as the sdlagrdma-sild, after being duly initiated.

sdlagrdmasildrccd-prasange (In a conversation between Lord Brahma and Narada Muni regarding the worship of the sdlagrdma-sild in connection with the vow of caturmdsya that is found in the Skanda Purdna, it is stated) brahmana-ksatriya-visdm sat sudrdndm athdpi vd sdlagrdme'dhikdro'sti na cdnyesdm kaddcana Brdhmanas, ksatriyas, and vaisyas are qualified to worship the sdlagrdma-sild. If a sudra is a devotee of Lord Hari then he is also qualified. Otherwise, he is not. (A brahmana who is not a devotee of Lord Visnu is not qualified to worship the sdlagrdma-sild but a sudra who is attached to the devotional service of Lord Hari is qualified to worship the Sdlagrdma- sild. The word sat sudra in this verse refers to a sudra who is inclined to the devotional service of Lord Hari.)

It does not matter whether one is a woman, sudra, brdhmana, or ksatriya—anyone who worships the sdlagrdma-sild attains the eternal abode of the Supreme Lord.

According to those who are knowers of the truth, the statements prohibiting the worship of the sdlagrdma-sild by sudras and women that are found in the scriptures are applicable only to those who are not devotees of Lord Visnu. An example of such a prohibitory injunction is: Whether pure or impure, only brdhmanas are qualified to worship Me. I feel the touch of a sudra or a woman to be more painful than a thunderbolt. If a sudra utters the sacred syllable om, worships the sdlagrdma-sild, or enjoys sex with a brahmana woman, he surely becomes a dog-eater.

Vaisnavas should treat the sdlagrdma-sild as being more dear than their own lives. While worshiping the sdlagrdma-sild, one should worship a Dvdrakd-sild as well.

brdhme tatraiva (In the Brahma Purdna it is stated) sdlagrdmodbhavo devo devo dvdravatlbhavah ubhayoh sangamo yatra muktistatra na sarhsayah There is no doubt that wherever there is worship of the sdlagrdma- sild and Dvdrakd-sild, liberation stands nearby.

O great sage, all kinds of prosperity increase where the Dvaraka-sila and sdlagrdma-sild are being worshiped together.

A devotee who worships the Dvaraka-sila, along with twelve sdlagrdma-silds, will be worshiped in Vaikuntha.

srl prahlddasarhhitdydm (In the Prahldda-sarhhitd it is stated) ekah sudarsano dvdbhydrh laksmlndrayanah smrtah tribhistrivikramo ndma caturbhisca jandrddanah pancabhir vdsudevastu sadbhih pradyumna ucyate saptabhir baladevastu astabhih purusottamah navabhisca navavyiiho daiabhir dasamurttikah ekadatois ca aniruddho dvadasair dvddasdtmakah anyesu bahucakresu anantah pariklrttitah A Dvdrakd-sild with one cakra is known as Sudarsana, with two cakras is known as Laksml-Narayana, with three cakras is known as Trivikrama, with four cakras is known as Janardana, with five cakras is known as Vasudeva, with six cakras is known as Pradyumna, with seven cakras is known as Baladeva, with eight cakras is known as Purusottama, with nine cakras is known as Nava-vyuha, with ten cakras is known as Dasa-murti, with eleven cakras is known as Aniruddha, and with twelve cakras is known as Dvadas'atmaka. Dvaraka-silas with more than twelve cakras are known as Ananta.

452 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA varahe (In the Varaha Pur ana it is stated) ye keciccaiva pasdnd visnucakrena mudritdh tesarh sparsanamdtrena mucyate sarvvapatakaih Any salagrama-sila that is marked with Lord Visnu's cakra is sanctified. Simply by touching Him, one becomes freed from all sinful reactions.

All of one's desires become fulfilled simply by worshiping a salagrama- sila, such as the sudarsana-sila.

If a devotee worships a salagrama-sila marked with cakras, whether with pure devotion or without pure devotion, he will be liberated from material entanglement, even if he was the most sinful person. Of this there is no doubt.

A salagrama-sila with marks of cakras is known as Cakratlrtha. If such a salagrama-sila is worshiped, even in the countries of the Mlecchas, the sinful people residing there can be delivered.

{Salagrama-silas with different cakras award different results) kapilapancardtre (In the Kapila-pancaratra it is stated) ekacakrasya pdsdno dvdravatydh susobhanah sudarsandbhidho yo'sau moksai ka phaladdyakah laksmlndrayano dvdbhydrh bhukti mukti phalapradah ebhiscdcyutarupo'sau phalamaindrarh prayaccati caturbhujas caturcakra caturvarga phalapradah pancabhir vdsudevasca janma mrtyu bhayapahah sadbhih pradyumna evdsau laksmlrh kdnti daddti sah saptabhir balabhadro'sau gotra klrtti vivarddhanah daddti vdncitam sarvvam astabhih pirisottama navacakro nrsirhhastu phalarh yaccatyanuttamam s rdjyaprado dasabhistu dasdvatarakah smrtah ekddasa bhiraisvaryam aniruddhah prayaccati nirvvdnarh dvddasdtmdsau saukhyadasca supujitah A Dvaraka-sila with only one cakra is known as Sudarsana. He bestows liberation upon His worshiper. A Dvaraka-sila with two cakras is

,CA SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA known as Laksml-Narayana. He awards the worshiper material enjoyment and liberation. A Dvaraka-sila with three cakras is known as Acyuta. He awards His worshiper the position of Indra. A Dvaraka-sila with four cakras is known as Caturbhuja. He bestows the four objectives of life. A Dvaraka-sila with five cakras is known as Vasudeva. He removes the fear of birth and death. A Dvaraka-sila with six cakras is known as Pradyumna. He bestows opulence and beauty upon the worshiper. A Dvaraka-sila with seven cakras is known as Baladeva. He bestows upon His worshiper fame and good progeny. A Dvaraka-sila with eight cakras is known as Purusottama. He fulfills all of His worshiper's desires. A Dvaraka-sila with nine cakras is known as Nrsimha. He gives excellent rewards to His worshipers. A Dvaraka-sila with ten cakras is known as Dasavatara. He awards His worshiper a kingdom. A Dvaraka-sila with eleven cakras is known as Aniruddha. He blesses one with wealth, and a Dvaraka-sila with twelve cakras is known as Dvadasatmaka. He awards the worshiper happiness and liberation.

tatraiva (In the same literature it is elsewhere stated) krsno mrtyuprado nityarh dhumrascaiva bhayavahah asvastyarh karvuro dadyan nilastu dhanahanidah cidro daridrayaduhkhani dadyat sarhpujito dhruvam pandarastu mahadduhkham bhagno bharyyaviyogadah putra pautra dhanaisvaryya sukham atyantamuttamam dadati suklavarnasca tasmadenarh samarccayet

A black Dvaraka-sila can be the cause of death, a grey Dvaraka-sila creates fear within the mind, a multi-colored Dvaraka-sila causes illness, and a bluish Dvaraka-sila destroys one's wealth. The worship of a Dvaraka-sila with a hole will cause one to become distressed, a yellow Dvaraka-sila causes great misery, and a broken Dvaraka-sila causes one to lose his wife. Worship of a white Dvaraka-sila awards one good children and grand- children, wealth, other assets, and material happiness. For this reason, one should worship a white Dvaraka-sila.

A black Dvaraka-sila brings death, a brown Dvdrakd-sild gives constant fear, a multi-colored Dvdrakd-sild brings disease, a yellow Dvdrakd-sild destroys one's wealth, a grey Dvdrakd-sild also exhausts one's wealth, and a broken Dvdrakd-sild separates one from his wife. One should never worship Dvarakd-silas that have uneven cakras or holes, nor should one worship those that are tringular or have the shape of a half moon.

A Dvdrakd-sila with equal cakras gives one pleasure. A Dvdrakd- sila with twelve cakras is very auspicious. Completely round and square Dvdraka-silas award the worshiper happiness. One should never worship Dvdraka-silas that are tringular, having odd-looking cakras, having holes, that are broken, or having a shape like a half moon. There is no possibility of receiving any benefit by worshiping such Dvdraka-silas.