Chanting Gayatri:
One also has to perform his sandhyadi-vandana – that is, one has to chant his Gayatri mantra three times daily – morning, noon and evening.
One may chant Gayatri at the three sandhyas, sunrise, noon and sunset. Also it is acceptable to chant Gayatri in the morning after applying tilaka.
Gathering Items for worship. In the previous section we described how to get yourself ready for worshiping the Lord, now in this section we will describe the utensils of worship and how to prepare the various items of worship that will be used, as well as the means of purifying various items.
Before starting the worship, gather all the required utensils and items.
If you want to offer more than the basic items of worship to your deities and want descriptions of how to prepare these items or what they represent, then please refer to the chapters on temple worship.
Utensils for Worship: Conch
The conch (sankha) embodies the qualities of power, purity, and beauty, and it also represents moksa. Being a constant companion of the Lord, the conch is worshipable. All tirthas in the world reside in the water within the conch. Just seeing or touching the conch destroys one’s sins. The Lord is generally bathed with water from a conch. The conch is normally placed on a three-legged stand.
Bell
The sound of a bell embodies all music. If a devotee lacks instruments and kirtana he can simply ring a bell, for that sound in itself is dear to the Lord. In elaborate worship the bell is worshiped before worshiping the Lord, as an item of His paraphernalia that is very dear to Him. Many functions of worship require that one ring a bell with a handle.
The scriptures (sastra) state that one who, while worshiping the Lord, rings a bell with a symbol of Garuda or the Lord’s cakra on it attains liberation from birth and death.
A bell with a handle is generally held in the left hand while being rung. When not being used, the bell should always sit on a plate; this is the bell’s seat (asana). When bathing the deity and offering food (bhoga), you should ring the bell. You may ring the bell also when offering other items when it is practical (i.e., when both hands are not required to offer the items, such as clothing and ornaments).
Vessels (patrani)
Containers for items such as sandalwood paste, flowers and tulasi leaves may be made of various substances and have various colors and shapes (a lotus, for example). One may use vessels made of copper, gold, silver, bell-metal, stainless steel, clay, stone, wood (such as coconut shells), or brass.
The Varaha Purana states that the best of all vessels are those made of copper: “[They] are the purest of the pure, the embodiment of all auspiciousness.” While vessels of gold and silver are certainly pure, a container made of copper is not only pure but also purifies the water it contains. As the Lord states in the Varaha Purana (quoted in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa):
I am more pleased by containers made of copper than by those made of gold, silver, or bell-metal.
However, sour substances such as yogurt and lemon should not be kept in copper containers.
The bathing tray should be copper, brass, or bell-metal. The best type of bathing tray (snana-patra or snana-vedi) has an opening on one side with a long lip, allowing the caranamrta to drain off into a separate receptacle. If the bathing tray has no such drain, you can empty the bathing tray into the caranamrta receptacle after bathing and drying the deity.
Holders for incense and lamps (dhupa and dipa) can be of brass, bell-metal, silver, copper, and sometimes clay.
The plate upon which food is offered, may be made of gold, silver, copper, bell-metal, earthenware, or a lotus leaf. Although sastra does not mention it, stainless steel may also be used. Do not use aluminum.
Ingredients for Worship: Oils
In some temples the pujaris offer different oils according to the season. For example, in Vrndavana pujaris commonly offer ruh khus during summer, kadamba and rose during the rainy season, jasmine during autumn, and hina (myrtle) during winter. Avoid offering synthetic oils, which contain impure chemicals such as alcohol.
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