Question: While worshiping the Deity, what is the proper etiquette, if at that time one’s spiritual master, or a sannyasi, or a respectable person comes into your presence?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
ON THE ONE HAND…
- Jiva Goswami’s commentary to Bhakti Rasamrita Sindu 1.2.119-120, translated by Bhanu Swami
First, avoidance of sevaparadhas (offenses in deity service) is discussed. The lists given in the Varaha and Padma Puranas should be added to the following list found in the agamas.
- Thanking others in front of the deity
- Praising others in front of the deity
- Addressing others in front of the deity
- Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 12.127, Srila Prabhupada’s purport
There are many offenses one can commit while serving the Lord, and these are described in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Hari-bhakti-vilasa and other books. According to the rules and regulations, no one should accept obeisances in the temple of the Lord before the Deity. Nor is it proper for a devotee to offer obeisances and touch the feet of the spiritual master before the Deity. This is considered an offense. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself was personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore it was not actually offensive to wash His lotus feet in the temple. However, because He was playing the part of an acarya, the Lord considered Himself an ordinary human being. He also wanted to give instructions to ordinary human beings. The point is that even though one plays the part of a spiritual master, he should not accept obeisances or permit a disciple to wash his feet before the Deity. This is a matter of etiquette.
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ON THE OTHER HAND…
- A Transcendental Diary, Travels with His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Volume 5, Hari Sauri Dasa
Prabhupāda lists these thirty-two offenses; number 26 states, “One should not offer obeisances to others before the Deity.”
This immediately brought a doubt to my mind. Every day, after greeting the Deities and before class, we worship Śrīla Prabhupāda in the temple room with the Deity doors open. We line up, offer him Flowers on the vyasāsana, and then offer him our prostrated obeisances on the Floor, directly in front of the Deities. So this morning I brought my doubt to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Śrīla Prabhupāda replied quite simply, “It is a technicality,” and that was it.
From this I have understood that whereas we should not offer our obeisances to any other person, including the Vaiṣnavas, directly in front of the Deities, the formal respect shown the spiritual master, who is the direct representative of Kṛṣṇa, by the offering of guru-pūjā is different and supersedes the ordinary technical considerations. Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased by seeing His pure devotee honored, and this is more important than observance of ritual.
“So anyone who is giving service to Kṛṣṇa, we should take care of them also. We should offer our respect in… You’ll find in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, it is stated somewhere that if…, if a devotee is coming, then another devotee who is engaged in worship of the Deity may stop Deity worship for the time being and should go immediately to receive the devotee.
So Kṛṣṇa also says, mad-bhakta-pūjā abhyadhika. Kṛṣṇa is satisfied more when a devotee worships His devotee. Kṛṣṇa says, “If one is worshiping Me and one is worshiping My devotee, then the person who is worshiping the devotee, he’s more important than the person who is worshiping Kṛṣṇa.”
- Prabhupada Remembrances, Jayapataka Swami
We were on a morning walk with Srila Prabhupada in north Calcutta. Srila Prabhupada said, “Oh, here is a Life Member’s home.” For some reason Prabhupada wanted to stop in at the house of a wealthy Life Member. He went in and told the servant, “Tell your master that Bhaktivedanta Swami is here.” After a while the servant came out and said, “The master is worshiping his Deity. He will be here after some time.” Prabhupada commented, “Krishna is more pleased when the devotee is served than when He is served. If this person was more advanced he would have appreciated, ‘A spiritual master has come,’ and left his Deity worship to receive the devotee of Krishna. But because he thinks that his Deity worship is more important than receiving the devotee of Krishna, that shows that he is a neophyte, or kanistha adhikari.”
- Pancaratra Pradipa, on Chanting Gayatri (section 1.11)
“You should know the meaning of the mantras you are chanting. You should concentrate on the mantras and not engage in other activities simultaneously, such as talking, looking here and there, or pacing back and forth. Avoid yawning, dozing, scratching yourself, or cleaning your nose while chanting. If an important person such as a senior Vaisnava comes while you are chanting Gayatri, you should interrupt your Gayatri japa, give a proper reception, and then with the senior Vaisnava’s permission resume your activities.
The following 2 references simply indicate the value Kṛṣṇa places upon respecting brāhmaṇas, which does not directly address the initial question.
Sri Bhakti Sandarbha – Brahmanas are worshipped even by Krishna (Anuccheda 293)
Sri Narada Muni praises Brahmanas in SB 7.14.42 as follows:
“My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, the brāhmaṇas, especially those engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord throughout the entire world, are recognized and worshiped by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the heart and soul of all creation. The brāhmaṇas, by their preaching, sanctify the three worlds with the dust of their lotus feet, and thus they are worshipable even for Kṛṣṇa.”
Kṛṣṇa is the soul of the universe (jagad-ātmaṇaḥ) because he acts as the monitor, spreading dharma within the universe for everyone’s benefit. The brāhmaṇa is shown to be worthy of worship (daivatam) by Kṛṣṇa. Nārada speaks to Yudhiṣṭhira.
SB 3.16.6 – Lord Visnu says that He will cut off His own arm if it is hostile to brāhmaṇas
Bhagavān Visnu to the Four Kumaras:
“Anyone in the entire world, even down to the caṇḍāla, who lives by cooking and eating the flesh of the dog, is immediately purified if he takes bath in hearing through the ear the glorification of My name, fame, etc. Now you have realized Me without doubt; therefore I will not hesitate to lop off My own arm if its conduct is found hostile to you.”
