Dear Devotees!
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
When worshipping the Spiritual Master or the Deity of the Lord with 16 items, we offer Them Arghya, Acamana and Madhuparka. I understand from various descriptions what these items technically are:
Arghya - water with auspicious ingredients sprinkled on the person's head;
Acamana - water for sipping;
Madhuparka - an auspicious mixture of yogurt and honey that a person sprinkles in various directions.
But I have never seen a reception of a living person with these items, so I find it really hard to meditate on offering them to the Spiritual Master or Lord during Manasa-puja.
Like the Padya or footwash means we seat the person on a nice seat and wash their feet, but how does offering Arghya, Acamana and Madhuparka look like?
Can somebody who has seen such Vedic ceremony of reception (perhaps worshipped their Spiritual Master on Vyas Puja) please explain some detail? Or maybe somebody even has a photo or video?...
Thank you dear Vaishnavas for your help.
Your humble servant,
Madhavi-lata d.d.
Replies
Madhuparak is not an offering that is sprinkled around. It is an elixir that is offered to the one who is worshipped to drink. It is given to create auspiciousness and good health etc. Normally done in vedic marriages where the groom is worshiped by the bride's father and offered this elixir to drink
Padya Generally means feet washing. Traditionally offered to respectable person who would come to ones home, includes elders, spiritual masters, sages and saints.
Argya is handwasing in the above situation
If you read Narada Pancaratra, you will be able to get more information about this. It is not something that is done superficially.