Certain practices such as rising early and cleanliness are helpful in spiritual life. When worshipping deities it is important to create a good routine to make it enjoyable.
Remember Krsna at Every Moment
To gain purity of mind and prepare for worship it is advisable to immediately chant the name of the Lord on awakening. This helps to forget any bad dreams experienced during the night. The Hare Krsna maha-mantra (Hare Krsna, Hare Ksna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare) is recommended to clear away material consciousness and get on to the spiritual platform.
In the Srimad Bhagavatam 6.3.25 purport it is explained that Srila Gosvami says that although chanting Hare Krsna is sufficient, the worship of the Deity in the temple, must continue so that the devotees keep clean and pure.
Waking Early for Spiritual Endeavors
Founder of ISKCON, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada advises devotees to wake up one and a half hours before sunrise - known as brahma-muhurta. This is believed to be a peaceful and auspicious time to perform spiritual practices. Rising as early as possible is regarded as being helpful though regularity is just as important.
Morning Cleanliness Practices
Deity worship cannot be performed without taking bath. According to Vedic knowledge everything you touch before bathing becomes impure. In the purport of the Madhya 24.331 it is also said it is important to regularly evacuate in the morning and then take a bath. Brushing the teeth and gargling is also important to purify the mouth. If one is not able to bathe in water then chanting the Hare Krsna mantra can be regarded as a bath.
Do not bathe in unclean water or shake wet hair to dry it. Oil on the body is considered impure, and if required should be applied before taking a water bath. The cloth used for drying after a bath should be washed after every use.
What to Wear for Deity Worship
It is important to dress as a Vaisnava (devotee of Krsna) to develop the right frame of mind when worshipping. A devotee should not wear unclean cloth when worshiping the deity - the following clothes are deemed to be unsuitable:
- Soiled, torn or burnt clothes;
- Used clothes that have not been washed and stale clothes;
- Damp or ill-fitting clothes;
- Cloth worn while sleeping, passing urine or stool, or having sex;
- Clothes that touch anything impure, such as wine, meat, blood, a dead body, or a woman in her menstrual period;
- Clothes made from synthetic material
- Brightly-colored clothes (for men); or
- Stitched clothes (for men).
The Varaha Purana also says that red and blue colored clothing is not permitted when worshipping the deity. Silk and wool are considered to stay pure many times before washing, provided it has not contacted anything impure or been worn in impure places. Pure cotton and silk are the best fabrics to wear for spiritual activities.
Acamana - Sipping Water for Purification
Acamana is a purification activity for the mind and body. While looking into water cupped in your right hand, chant a mantra directed into that water and then sip the water. Acamana should be performed before spiritual activites such as applying tilaka, chanting japa, performing worship, taking prasadam (food offered to God) and reading the holy scriptures.
Acamana must not be performed with the head or throat covered. It should be carried out after washing the hands and feet, sitting down in a pure place without shoes on the feet. The water used should be fresh, without bubbles, cool in temperature and untouched by fingernails, hair, or any impure item.
Marking the Body With Tilaka
Applying tilaka is a spiritual activity and therefore tilaka should be applied in a sitting position after sipping acamana. Devotees of Lord Krsna also mark their bodies in twelve places with gopi-chandan or tilaka. Chant the below mantras and while meditating on the Lord, apply tilaka to the body with the right hand ring finger:
- om kesavaya namah – forehead;
- om narayanaya namah – navel;
- om madhavaya namah – chest;
- om govindaya namah – hollow of the neck;
- om visnave namah – right abdomen;
- om madhusudanaya namah – right arm;
- om trivikramaya namah – right shoulder;
- om vamanaya namah – left abdomen;
- om sridharaya namah – left arm;
- om hrsikesaya namah – left shoulder;
- om padmanabhaya namah – upper back; and
- om damodaraya namah – lower back.
Deity worship is a spiritual activity and must be performed with care, love and devotion. The above practices help to prepare the mind and body prior to beginning the worship.
Sources:
Deityworship.info. Waking and Preparing for Worship (Accessed August 5, 2011).
Vedabase.com. Madhya 24.331 (Accessed October 29, 2011).
Vedabase.com. SB 6.3.25 (Accessed October 29, 2011).
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