Hare Krishna to all matajis!!! pamho!!!
Please guide me regarding this?
Is it important to follow this rule of not worshiping the deity during menstrual cycles?
If it is so then please tell me why is it so as God is transcendental to these material activities?
And if i worship krishna during those times is it an offense(seva aparadh)?
If i don't worship then how would i offer food to krishna as i only eat prasadam?
Please matajis kindly enlighten this ignorant soul.
your servant of servant
Haribol!!!
Replies
Dear Mataji, This is very important questions. I will shed some light why we have regular rules for ladies in generl hindu tradition.
You see if one chants the Vedic Mantras which are NOT Maha Mantras, then one has to follow very strict rules. BUT with Mahamantra, there are NO hard and fast rules. Therefore one can even chant on beads even if one is unclean if there need be. More important is to chant than NOT chant. Moreover, chanting purifies all activities. And we know that one should read one chapter of B.Gita if one commits offences during deity worship - this is for the temple deities but at home we can have our own standard. It is a good way to engage our children and other family memebers in helping with the deity workship so they can help on the period days. Otherwise we can continue ourselves. Hope this helps.
Thank you
YS
Gitadidi aka Mother Gandharidasi
Dear Vaishnavis,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
As far as I know from several ISKCON Gurus' lectures, there are these 2 systems of rules and regulations: the Vedic system and the Pancaratra system. So in the Vedic system there are sooo many detailed rules for different aspects of life, including for women during menstruations. But for most people in this age, it is impossible to strictly follow the Vedic system. So in this age the Pancaratra system is more important, and in Pancaratra one of the main principles is that worship of the Lord must always continue. So even in some ISKCON temples due to lack of Pujaris, Matajis sometimes have to even serve installed Deities during that time. It is certainly not the best thing, but it is better than stop worshipping installed Deities. So we can surely worship at home, if needed.
However, if there is somebody else to take care, then it is better not to. We may remember that the reason why women have menstruations is because they agreed to take a part of the sinful reaction when King Indra killed his brahmana priest Vishvarupa (described in Srimad Bhagavatam 6.9.9.). So during menstruation we are suffering some sinful reaction from killing a brahmana, therefore many women feel bad both physically and mentally during this time. (HH Bhaktividya Purna Maharaja mentioned in one lecture that in former ages a pure brahmana could even be killed by the mere glance of a woman on the first day of her period, so much bad energy coming out!:-0). So it is also the Lord's kindness to us that He has given these rules that traditionally women would not do any cooking, cleaning etc., so they could simply take rest from their hard household work for a few days a month and restore their energy.
Certainly, these rules are more important, when we are more on bodily platform. If we have our Deities and we are the only person to take care of Them and we are really worried to feed and take care of the Lord and we are in anxiety that He will have to fast etc., this means we are already beginning to seriously develop our love for Him, and that is the purpose of all the rules. So there will not be offense.
My personal experience in 2 ISKCON temples where I was staying was that in the first temple it was very strict that we would not do any service connected to Deities for first 3 days, and until we washed our hair. We would come to programs, but we would not water Tulasi Devi, touch any aratik paraphernalia, would not offer flowers to Srila Prabhupada during his Puja, would not make garlands, ghee wicks etc. So although I like Deity service very much, it was still nice that during that time we could take rest, chant and read more, make up for some missed hours of sleep and then return to the service with renewed energy.
And in the second temple I was staying, there was a lack of Deity servants, so often we had to continue our service. So I can say that if I could focus on service and not be so much absorbed in my bodily situation and feeling bad, then there was no feeling of offense. But sometimes I would feel too bad and feel some grudge that why I have to do this service, I would rather take rest. So then it becomes like an offense. So I can really say that we should see our own position and the situation and decide what will help us to better develop our love for the Lord: continue our service despite difficulty or better take rest. Or maybe do a more simple service that day, so we finish quickly and can rest.
Your humble servant,
Madhavi-lata d.d.
P.S. And by the way, here is a very inspiring story of a Mataji, who was serving her Gaura-Nitai Deities. When her menstruation came, she was in total anxiety of how she would feed Them, and They came to her and told her to just take a bath and after this incident she never had her menstruations again! Of course, she was completely free of all material desire, she did not want children etc., Gaura Nitai were already her children!
http://www.vaisnava.cz/clanek_en.php3?no=193&hl=ANO#nazor
(I put the same link in Vaishnavi biography discussion)
Hare Krishna Matajis. Dandavat pranam.
The generally accepted rule,even in homes,is that women don't engage in worship directly during the time of month they are considered unclean.If no one is there at home to do puja and offer food or prepare food. you offer the food mentally. In that case , you are not doing any offense of not offering and also offense of offering when unclean.
Hare krishna
your humble servant
Ashwini
dear Matajis, please do not mislead people if You do not know how to act correctly in some situations. Once one mataji wrote to Prabhupada about Home Deity worship in those days. Srila Prabhupada replied that if there is no one to take care of Deities then one should continue cooking and offering. He told that Deities are like kids we should not keep them hungry.
Your servant,
http://audio.iskcondesiretree.info/02_-_ISKCON_Swamis/ISKCON_Swamis...
Hare Krishna Maral Mataji!!!
Thanx for simple & clear answer. its such a relief that i can always worship my Krishna. Its just that i don't want to do any offenses at his lotus feet.
Mataji are there any rules & regulations that we need to follow for home deities during these periods?
Servant of servant
Haribol!!!
maybe to try to avoid direct contact with Deities Body. or if it is necessary for example when we put Them into bed then to try to touch Them with some cloth. (i do not know about it from the books but i try to avoid direct touching)
but we can offer food, flowers, incenses, ...
also these days most girls become nervous, because of that one should try to chant attentively and to be calm. take at least 2 times shower...
Hope other Matajis also will share with what they know!
Your servant,
can we do chanting during menstruation?
oh, yes. Chanting we never stop! In any situation in life we have to chant our minimum 16 rounds in our Tulasi beads everyday.
Holy Names are above all these dualities : dirtiness-cleanliness..... Holy Names never get contaminated on the contrary They purify everything with which They become in contact.
Your servant,
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