ARCANA

I. INTRODUCTION
On the level of vaidhi sadhana bhakti, the first stage of devotional service, Srila Rupa
Goswami has enumerated sixty four varieties of activities by which the aspirant can engage all of
his senses in the service of the Lord. Among these he has selected five as principal activities:
1. hearing Srimad Bhagavatam
2. association with advanced devotees.
3. living in a sacred place such as Mathura.
4. chanting the name of the Lord (nama kirtana).
5. serving the Deity form of the Lord (murti seva) with great faith.
By practice of these five items one is assured quick advancement in devotional service.
The fifth item, murti seva, will be described in the following pages.
Definition of Arcana:
Serving the Deity takes different forms, according to ones level of advancement. Srila
Rupa Goswami defines arcana in Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu as follows:
suddhi nyasadi purvangakarma nirvaha purvakam
arcanam tupacaranam syan mantrenopapadanam
Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu
Arcana is defined as offering of upacaras (articles of worship) with mantra after having
performed preliminary activities (purvanga karmani) such as bhuta suddhi and nyasas (matrika
nyasa etc.).
Srila Rupa Goswami is speaking of the process of worshipping the Deity as part of ones
sadhana, when one is at the stage of vaidhi bhakti. When ones sadhana has reached the stage of
raganuga bhakti the mode of worshipping the Deity changes.
tani carcana bhaktav ahamgrahopasana mudra nyasa dvaraka
puranani agama sastra vihitanyapi
naiva karyani

dhyana

rukminyadi

Though identifying oneself qualitatively with the Deity, mudras and nyasa, worship of
Rukmini and meditation on Dvaraka are recommended in agama sastra (pancaratra) and the
puranas, these are part of vaidhi bhakti, and are not performed in raganuga bhakti, as they are
contradictory to the mood.
(Note: ahamgrahopasana is defined as follows:
Thinking oneself one with the Supreme is called ahamgrahopasana. Through
ahamgrahopasana one does not become God, but he thinks of himself as qualitatively one with
the Supreme.
SB 6.8.12)

The worship of the Lord is an eternal activity of the devotee, but the manner in which that
activity of worship is executed differs with the qualification of the devotee. A devotee qualified
for vaidhi bhakti, ie who depends on observance of rules for his advancement in devotional
service, must serve the Lord in the murti form according to the rules of pancaratra. His activity is
called arcana, as defined above. The devotee qualified for raganuga bhakti, ie. one who has
become freed from anarthas and has developed a natural taste (ruci) for serving the Lord, will
serve the Lord only according to those rules which do not obstruct, but rather intensify his mood
of service to the Deity. The devotee who has transcended the stage of sadhana bhakti and is
qualified by bhava or prema bhakti will serve the Lord without dependence on any external rules,
and only according to his natural impulse of love.
Necessity of Vidhi Marga:
The majority of devotees must, however, start their devotional service by strict adherence to the
principles of sadhana bhakti and worship the Deity according to vidhi marga:
Lord Narayana is worshippable by the pancaratrika vidhi or regulative principles, whereas
Lord Krishna is worshippable by the bhagavata vidhi.... No one can worship the Lord in the
bhagavata vidhi without going through the regulations of the pancaratrika vidhi. Although there
may be a Radha Krsna vigraha, the worship of the neophyte devotees is acceptable as Laksmi
Narayana worship. Worship according to the pancaratrika vidhi is called vidhi marga, and
worship according to the bhagavata vidhi is called raga marga.... If we do not follow the
regulative principles on the vidhi marga platform and keep our eyes trained to spot offenses, we
will not make progress.
SB 4.24.44, purport
Predominance of the Holy Name:
Srila Rupa Goswami has selected the process of Deity worship as a potent method of
developing devotion, but also has stressed the predominating position of sravana and kirtana, the
hearing and chanting of the Lord's name and glories. The sincere devotee therefore will serve the
Deity, but will never neglect his principal means of sadhana, service to the holy name. No limb
or aspect (anga) of bhakti is complete without chanting of the Lord's name, as no limb of the
body has worth without presence of soul. Nama kirtana is the very life of all forms of devotional
service. For this reason any one who claims to perform worship of the Lord must strictly chant
the Lord's name a fixed number of times in japa daily, as instructed by his spiritual master. Anyone
who is lax in his sadhana of chanting will also be lax in his attention to worshiping the Lord.

Necessity of Arcana:
However, though one can come to perfection simply by taking shelter of the holy name,
authorities have advised that worship of the Deity should be performed as an assistant sadhana to
kirtana, for arcana helps to reduce the undevotional tendencies ingrained in a person due to
association with a material body and it brings steadiness to the materially agitated mind, for it
engages many of the senses in directly serving the attractive form of the Lord.
Sometimes neophyte devotees think that they can continue the sravana kirtana process
without worshipping the Deity, but the execution of sravana kirtana is meant for highly developed
devotees like Haridasa Thakura who engaged in the sravana kirtana process without worshipping

the Deity. However, one should not falsely imitate Haridasa Thakura and abandon Deity worship
just to try to engage in sravana kirtana.
CC Madhya v.7.p.334
Deity worship should be continued along with hearing and chanting. In all the mantras
there are specific potencies, of which the grhastha devotees must take advantage. .. But if one
chants the holy name of the Lord he receives the result of chanting namah (ie Deity mantras)
many times. By chanting the holy name of the Lord one can reach the platform of love of
Godhead.
One might therefore ask what then is the necessity of being intitiated (by which one
receives Deity mantras)? The answer is that even thought the chanting of the holy name is
sufficient to enable one to progrees in spiritual life to the standard of love of Godhead, one is
nonetheless susceptible to contamination because of possessing a material body. Consequently,
special stress is given to the arcana vidhi. One should therefore regularly take advantage of both
the bhagavata process and pancaratriki process.
Especially for householder devotees who are opulent in material possessions, the path of
Deity worship is strongly recommended. An opulent householder devotee who does not engage
his hard-earned money in the service of the Lord is called a miser. One should not engage paid
brahmanas to worship the Deity....Deity worship in the temple should be performed especially by
the householders...Grhastha devotees are generally engaged in material activities and therefore if
they do not take to Deity worship, their fall-down is positively assured... Any householder
devotee circumstantially unable to worship the Deity must at least see the Deity worship, and in
this way he may achieve success also. The special purpose of Deity worship is to keep oneself
always pure and clean. Grhastha devotees should be actual examples of cleanliness.
Sb7.5.28

Qualifications for Arcana:

Pancaratra sastra is very clear in defining the person who is qualified for arcana. There is
no consideration of family origins, but simply faith in Visnu or Krsna. By the authority of the
pancaratra scriptures, when a person (whatever sex or caste) has been judged as qualified with
sincere faith by the spiritual master, he or she takes diksa and receives vaisnava mantra from the
spiritual master. He is then qualified to perform arcana. Arcana is especially recommended for
the householder.
ayam svastyayanam pantha dvijater grhamedhinah
yac chraddhayapta vittena suklenejyeta purusah
All initiated householders should engage in Deity worship. It should be performed by
means of rightfully obtained wealth and with a pure heart.
SB 10.84.37
If one cannot maintain such worship, one should give materials for worship to one who is
executing such worship, and he will gain half of the results of that worship. If one cannot give
donations for worship, then one should take darsana of the Deity while aratrika is being
performed, and in that way one can accrue the benefits of Deity worship.
Variations in Arcana Procedures:

The qualified person therefore performs arcana as an anga of bhakti, unmotivated loving
service to Krsna. Because of his perseverance on the path of bhakti, he is not liable to the offense
of seeing the Deity as stone; rather he realizes the Deity to be non-different from Krsna.
Therefore many of the processes utilized in the pancaratrika system (the purvanga karmas
mentioned in the definition of arcana by Srila Rupa Gosvami) may be discarded as unnecessary,
their function being fulfilled due to the pure consciousness of the devotee.
There are also other factors which may cause variation in the arcana procedure. For
instance, one who worships a form of the Lord in his house will have a different standard from a
person who is worshipping a Deity in the temple. Daily worship by the householder is prescribed
in the scriptures, but this worship, though following the same general procedures, will be simpler
than temple worship as regards the number of articles offered, the quality of the articles, the
number of services per day, the number of assistants, and allotment of time. The grhastha will
worship according to his material means by himself, with whatever articles he can procure, in
whatever time he can afford. Temple worship will be strictly regulated as regards time and quality
of articles, with a high standard of opulence, to attract the minds of the public.
The standards in different temples may also vary, depending on manpower and financial
situation. Larger temples will have more pujaris and money available for more elaborate service,
whereas small temples will have minimum service to suit their needs. A general standard however
is indicated:
From four in the morning until ten at night there must be at least five or six brahmanas to
take care of the Deity. Six aratrikas are performed in the temple and food is frequently offered to
the Deity and the prasada distributed. This is the method of worshiping the Deity according to
the rules and regulations set by predecessors.
CC Madhya Ch.4.P.43
Standards in different temples may also vary according to locality. In order to gain
acceptance of the local population, the temple may adopt one form of worship over another (both
being scripturally acceptable of course). For instance, in Bengal temples perform aratrika in one
manner, while in Vrndavana or Jaipur the customs are slightly different; and an installation of a
Deity will be more elaborate in a community which is conscious of the rules for installation than
in a community which is not.
Standards may also vary according to the Deity being worshipped. Jagannatha in Puri
accepts worship which is not strictly in line with pancaratra rules, and accepts the service from
the sabaras. Gauranga accepts simple worship with no thought of offense. One who worships
Narayana forms however must execute his service strictly according to the rules of pancaratra.
One who is worshiping Vrndavana Krsna will execute his service in the direction of raganuga, for
Krsna is not so pleased with vaidhi sadhana as with the spontaneous devotion characteristic of
Vrndavana. Whereas Narayana requires strict observance of the rules of pancaratra, Krsna
requires the highest degree of pure, intense love. In both these two cases, however, offenses are
not taken lightly.
Standards may also vary with the individual worshipper. Even if two persons are
worshipping the same form of the Lord in the same locality, in the same temple, their worship
may differ according to their individual needs and abilities. An advanced person, who see the
murti as the direct form of the Lord at all times, will be able to disregard some of the pancaratrika
rules with no fear of offense, whereas a neophyte must strictly follow the rules for fear of offense
at every step. Even two devotees on the same level of advancement may have different modes of
worship, due to capacity or preference. One may be fluent at reciting sanskrit prayers, while
another, who has not mastered Sanskrit may simply recite prayers in his native language. Or one
may prefer to pay more attention to the manasa puja, while another may stress the exterior puja.

Thus within the system of arcana there may be different standards, which cannot be
judged as superior or inferior on the basis of simplicity or complexity. The standards vary
according to the situation. The criterion for excellence is the degree of pure devotion in the
service, which will manifest itself in the steady advancement that the devotees achieve and their
increasing attachment to the chanting of the holy name.

Pancaratra as Authority for Vaisnavas:

The Goswamis have stated that the authoritative scriptures regarding arcana or worship
on vidhi marga are the pancaratrika sastra or vaisnava tantra.
The pancaratrika system has the most authorised codes for transcendental devotional
service. The pancaratrika system is both practical and suitable for this age of quarrel. The
pancaratra is more important than the Vedanta for this modern age.
SB 1.5.38
krte srutyukta margah syat tretayam smrti bhavitah
dvapare tu puranoktah kalav agama sambhavah
asuddhah sudra kalpa hi brahmanah kalisambhavah
tesam agama margena suddhir na srauta vartmana
In Satya Yuga the spiritual path was based upon the veda; in Treta Yuga the path was
based on the smrti sastra; in Dvapara Yuga the path was based on the Puranas; and in Kali yuga
the path is based upon agama (pancaratra sastra).
In Kali Yuga even the brahmanas are sudra in quality. Thus following of the agama
(pancaratra) rules is more effective than the difficult path of the Vedas.
Visnu yamala
Authority of Hari Bhakti Vilasa:
There are 108 pancaratika texts which are accepted by the Vaisnavas as authorities in
matters regarding Vaisnava initiation, daily duties, Deity worship, conduct, character of devotees,
installation of Deities and construction of temples. Hari Bhakti Vilasa, written by Srila Sanatana
Gosvami and Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, under the order of Lord Caitanya, is accepted as the
authoritative text concerning these matters for the followers of Lord Caitanya. Hari Bhakti Vilasa
is a grhastha Vaisnava guide book which is in accordance with the standards found in Vaisnava
scriptures.
Devotees who actually engage in devotional service with faith and love are inspired by
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vaisnavas are never concerned with ritualistic smarta
brahmanas. Srila Sanatana Gosvami has therefore compiled Hari Bhakti Vilasa to guide the
Vaisnavas who never follow the smarta vidhhi.
SB 8.20.14

In the Hari Bhakti Vilasa there are so many quotations from the satvata scriptures that
sometimes it is inquired how the atheistic smartas can refuse to accept them and instead imagine
some other opinions. What is recorded in the Hari Bhakti Vilasa stricly follows the Vedic
scriptures and is certainly pure....
CC Antya V.2, p.107
Drawing statements from many pancaratrika, puranic, tantrika and smrti sources, it
indicates a standard of conduct and worship which is favorable for the Vaisnava, which is
authorized by scripture, and which is equal to the standard set by those following the Vedas,
Puranas, smrti and tantra.
As followers of the pancaratric system of worship, the followers of Lord Caitanya should
understand the basic system of worship: the procedures, the purpose of the procedures, and the
final goal. In this way rules will not be disregarded inappropriately or misapplied, offenses can be
avoided, and one can go back home to Godhead in the quickest manner.
The Format of this Manual:
With that goal in mind, the following manual has been compiled using Hari Bhakti Vilasa
as the main source. Since, in some cases it indicates general principles, without giving detailed
methods of execution, other texts have been consulted for the details.
There are two sections: informative and practical. The informative section deals with
explanations of the various components of the worship, in the order that they appear during the
worship, with particular regard to function. The second section, is in three parts: three alternative
practical procedures, based upon the main text, in increasing order of complexity of the
procedures, and the final goal. In this way rules will not be disregarded inappropriately or
misapplied, offe