śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
And now, Chapter 14: Offenses in Serving the Deity.
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
All glories to Lord Gaura and Śrī Gadādhara, and to the life of Jāhnavā, Lord Nityānanda.
All glories to Sītā's husband, Śrī Advaita, to Śrī Śrīvāsa and all the devotees of Lord
Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare
Hare
Mahāprabhu said: "Listen, Haridāsa, you have revealed the truth about offenses to the name.
By this the jīvas of Kali-yuga will become fortunate. You are the ācārya of the holy
name. When I hear the description of the name from you, I feel great joy. You are the ācārya
in conduct and learned as a preacher, and your character is decorated by the jewel of
the name. Rāmānanda Rāya taught Me about rasa and now you have taught Me the glories of
the name. Now discuss the different offenses in serving the Deity (sevāparādha). Hearing
this, the darkness in the heart of the jīvas will be dissipated."
Haridāsa said: "Those who are serving the Deity know about this. I have simply taken
shelter of the name, so how can I know? However, not to violate Your order, I will elaborate.
Concerning service to the mūrti of the Lord, there are many offenses listed in the scriptures.
In one place thirty-two offenses are mentioned, and elsewhere, fifty. The learned have divided
these offenses into four types: offenses in directly serving the Deity, offenses in establishing
a Deity, offenses in taking darśana of the Deity, and general offenses committed against
the Deity. "The thirty-two offenses listed in the Bhāgavatam
are as follows: 1. Entering the temple with shoes on.
2. Entering on a palanquin. 3. Not observing festivals.
4. Not paying obeisances. 5. Reciting prayers in an unclean state.
6. Bowing on one hand. 7. Circumambulating in front of the Deity.
8. Spreading one's legs before the Deity. 9. Sleeping before the Deity.
10. Eating before the Deity. 11. Speaking lies before the Deity.
12. Talking loudly in the temple room. 13. Gossiping.
14. Cursing or using harsh words. 15. Thanking others in front of the Deity.
16. Fighting in the temple. 17. Crying in front of the Deity.
18. Criticizing others. 19. Covering oneself in a blanket before the
Deity. 20. Praising others before the Deity.
21. Using obscene language. 22. Belching or passing gas.
23. Not offering the best articles possible. 24. Eating food not offered to the Deity.
25. Not offering fruits in season. 26. Offering already enjoyed food.
27. Sitting with one's back to the Deity. 28. Sitting directly in front of the Deity.
29. Paying respects to others before the Deity. 30. Not glorifying the guru.
31. Praising oneself. 32. Criticizing Deities or demigods.
"Other offenses are: 1. Eating the food of a materialist.
2. Touching the Deity in a dark room. 3. Approaching the Deity without proper etiquette,
as being unclean. 4. Opening the Deity doors without musical
instruments sounding. 5. Offering food seen by a dog.
6. Speaking unnecessarily during pūjā. 7. Going outside the Deity room during the
course of doing pūjā. 8. Offering incense without a fragrant flower.
9. Offering unsuitable flower during pūjā. 10. Commencing pūjā with unwashed mouth.
11. Having sex before pūjā. 12. Touching a woman during her period.
13. Touching a lamp. 14. Touching a dead body.
15. Wearing unsuitable cloth. 16. Seeing a dead body.
17. Passing air. 18. Becoming angry.
19. Coming directly from a cremation. 20. Doing pūjā with yet undigested food in
the stomach. 21. Eating onions, kusumbhasaka.
22. Chewing betel nuts. 23. Touching the Deity after massage with
oil and not bathing. 24. Offering flowers from an unclean pot.
25. Doing pūjā at an inauspicious time. 26. Sitting directly on the floor.
27. Touching the Deity with the left hand while bathing Him.
28. Offering old fruit. 29. Boasting during pūjā.
30. Spitting. 31. Wearing horizontal tilaka.
32. Not washing the feet. 33. Offering food cooked by non-Vaiṣṇavas.
34. Allowing non-Vaiṣṇavas to be present during pūjā.
35. Not worshiping Viṣṇu. 36. Talking to a Śiva or Durgā worshiper.
37. Bathing the Deity with water touched by the fingernails.
38. Worshiping while perspiring. 39. Making oaths before Kṛṣṇa.
40. Stepping over articles of the Deity.
"All these offenses in serving the Deity will obstruct one's bhakti. Anyone worshiping the
Deity should avoid these offenses. The devotees avoid both sevā and nama--aparadhas, and thus
taste the nectar of devotional service. When a devotee commits a sevā-aparādha, he should
rectify it immediately. With the nāma-aparādhas he must constantly be rectifying, improving
and avoiding. One who is on the level of bhava worships the Deity day and night in solitude.
He makes no offenses against the name or in service because his service is performed in
his mind."
On the order of Haridāsa, the devotees chant the touchstone of the holy name.