Hare Krishna,
We had a laddu gopal(made of marble) in out Pooja. Lat year on Janmashtami, looking at my desire to bring laddu gopal at home, my Mother-in-law asked me to take those Laddu gopal at my room & take care of him.
From that day I used to offer him water every day. In food I used to give ony dry fruits or Mishri or some times food cooked without onion. Used to give him bath on weekend as I'm working and in hurry during weekday.
Some days back Laddu Gopal ji fall from my hand & got broke.
We fixed them but did Visarjan as they got damaged.
Now I want bring new Laddu Gopal made of Metal. But not sure If I should bring or not. Mine is a joined family & mostly food is cooked in onion.
We have a relative who follow one Guruji. Their Guruji has asked all the follower to bring laddu gopal at home & take care of them like a child. They can offer any thing to him what ever they cook at their home. Including onions also. Can I also do the same.
Please advice if I should bring Laddu Gopal at home or not?
-Shilpi
Replies
Hare Krishna.
Pamho.
Regarding your quiery, whether to bring laddu gopal, please try to understand the yuga dharma is Chanting the holy name, chanting the holyname, chanting the holyname. In our gaudiya vaishnava parampara we are taught to worship the topmost form of sri Radha and Krishna, which has to be done with great care, love and respect . At present dont mess yourself with deity worship by not able to follow the scriptural injunctions. try to chant Hare Krishna mahamantr attentively without offences and later bring deity at home. This time you really satisfied with your seva.
your servant
ambika
Hare Krsna Mataji,
PAMHO.
Ideally, there should be only one puja altar in a house - joint family or nuclear family. It is said that a family that prays together stays together. It is also said that a family where everyone has their own puja separately in their rooms disintegrates and as long as they are together, it is not happy. Therefore, the first thing to do is to have one altar where everyone can go and pray at their convenient time and manner.
Now regarding bringing Laddu Gopal ji home, it is a very good thought and its always auspicious to serve Gopal ji like one's own child. You should get an astha dhaatu deity - made of 8 metals. They say that ashta dhaatu can be mixed only during an eclipse. So please try to buy from an authentic source.
When you bring your bal Gopal ji home, sincerely pray to Him that I want to serve You, I dont know how to, please teach me. I will serve to the best of my capacity, at the same time, I will not go against my family to pray to You. So please make my family environment conducive to your service. See, things will work out.
Regarding serving the deity - its not necessary to give bath/ do abhishek everyday or every week. Its ok if you do abhishek every ekadasi also. Whatever standard of worship you set in your house, you have to follow, thats the idea. So if you set a standard of every weekend, then you have to follow that. I do every alternate weekend for my Radha Krishna deities. I am also working - so cannot manage on every ekadasi.
For bhog, it is NOT OK to offer onion/ garlic/ hidden egg in cakes or pastries. Again, the offering can be as simple as water, milk, tulsi leaf, misri every day or it could be the ideal situation of whatever is cooked in the kitchen, everything. BUT the whole cooking should be without onion and garlic and non-veg. it can be anything in between also - meaning on a daily basis the barest minimum, but on occassions like ekadasi, any birthday or anniversary of family member, full meal or sweet and on important vaishnava days, full meal including sweet. Set the standard of service in your house and follow that.
We have to follow scriptures when we do deity service, not any guru who preaches convenience rathar than shastra.
If you keep the deity in the common puja altar, then the seva can continue even when you cannot touch. Ideally, if there is someone else to take care, then you should not touch the deity or do any direct deity service those days. Only chanting, reading, hearing lectures and taking prasadam is allowed those days, deity service is not permitted in any direct form.
For arati, it would be very nice if you could do mangal arti, but since yours is bal Gopal, you may do arati later in the day - at 8.00 am or around also, like how it is done for Shri Shri Banke Bihari ji in Vrindavan. Sandhya arati is also recommended.
Please ask if you have any further query.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi
Hare Krishna
Thanks for your reply. Its very helpful & aspiring.
My only doubt is, if it is ok that we have full meal every day & give only milk, water, mishri etc to Laddu Gopal, as our food contains onions.
We give our child everything we eat but indifferent to laddugopal. Wont it be a bit difficult to connect with him.
Hare Krishna
Shilpi
Hare Krsna Mataji,
Its like this - if you know some food is forbidden to your child for any reason, would you still feed your child that food simply because you want to have? No na. Same way, the lord has said in details what He accepts and what He doesnt. Onion and garlic is not acceptable to the lord. We are offering food to please the lord or to please our tongues? How can we offer something that the lord has categorically said He will not accept.
You can start with milk, water, misri and gradually increase the level of service, as and when your family and you are comfortable. If you start with a very high standard, such that maintaining it becomes a burden, then you will not enjoy or welcome with your heart the lord in your house. Therefore, do what is possible with a sincere heart and increase the service naturally and gradually. He will see the sincerity of your heart and inspire you to do more.
Be dependent on His mercy at all times. That way, the loving exchanges between the lord and His devotee will increase, which will be pleasing to both of you.
Haribol to you,
Best of luck,
Rashmi
Hare Krishna,
Thanks a tons. You have helped me in coming out of deep confusion.
I'll bring bal gopal & try to serve him in best possible manner.
Do you know any good shop in Vrindavan where I can get an astha dhaatu deity?
Thanks,
Shilpi