Vaishnava Etiquette & Nectar of Devotion

1. Vaishnava Etiquette & Nectar of Devotion Part I Etiquette within templeCharacteristics of pure devotional service

2. Mangalacharan verse 1 oà ajïäna-timirändhasya jïänäïjana-çaläkayä cakñur unmélitaà yena tasmai çré-gurave namaù SYNONYMS oà—address; ajïäna-(of) ignorance; timira-(by) the darkness; andhasya—of one who was blinded; jïäna-aïjana—(by) the ointment of spiritual knowledge; çaläkayä—by a medical instrument called a çaläkä, which is used to apply medical ointment to eyes afflicted with cataracts; cakñuù—eyes; unmé1itam—were opened; yena—by whom; tasmai—unto him; çré-gurave—unto my spiritual master; namaù—obeisances. TRANSLATION I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.

3. Etiquette within temple • Being Humble :Give up the mentality of being Lord and Master regardless of whatever once qualification, abilities or social position may be. • Only identity is to be “Servant of the servant of Krsna”. • Meditate on this while entering the temple.

4. Etiquette within temple • Offering obeisances:upon entering temple offer pancanga pranam and chant the prayer,väïchä-kalpatarubhyaç ca kåpä-sindhubhya eva ca patitänäà pävanebhyo vaiñëavebhyo namo namaù I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiñëava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.

5. Etiquette within temple • Then one should offer pranam to Srila Prabhupada (full dandavat for men only) and chant Prabhupada Pranam mantra,nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale çrémate bhaktivedänta-svämin iti nämine namas te särasvate deve gaura-väëé-pracäriëe nirviçeña-çünyavädi-päçcätya-deça-täriëeI offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda, who is very dear to Lord Kåñëa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvaté Gosvämé. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism. • While chanting prayers meditate on meaning and be in mood of praying in this way.

6. Etiquette within temple • Then one should proceed to deities and offer obeisances in sequence, In New Vrindavan, that means first to Jagannath Baladeva Subadra and then to Gaura-Nitai, Radha-Vrindavan Chandra, Sri Gopal and finally to Prahlad-Narasimhadev. • One can chant deities pranam mantras while offering obeisances.

7. Deities Pranam Mantra For Jagannath Altar namo brahmaëya-deväya go-brähmaëa-hitäya ca jagad-dhitäya kåñëäya govindäya namo namaù "My Lord, You are the well-wisher of the cows and the brähmaëas, and You are the well-wisher of the entire human society and world." For Gaura-Nitai païca-tattvätmakaà kåñëaà bhakta-rüpa-svarüpakam bhaktävatäraà bhaktäkhyaà namämi bhakta-çaktikam I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional incarnation, devotional manifestation, pure devotee, and devotional energy.

8. Radha & Krsna Pranam Mantra tapta-käïcana-gauräìgi rädhe våndävaneçvari våñabhänu-sute devé praëamämi hari-priye I offer my respects to Rädhäräëé, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Våndävana. You are the daughter of King Våñabhänu, and You are very dear to Lord Kåñëa. he kåñëa karuëä-sindho déna-bandho jagat-pate gopeça gopikä-känta rädhä-känta namo 'stu te O my dear Kåñëa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopés, especially Rädhäräëé. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

9. Narasimha Deva Pranati Mantra ugro ’py anugra eväyaà sva-bhaktänäà nå-keçaré keçaréva sva-potänäm anyeñäà ugra-vikramaù “‘Although very ferocious, the lioness is very kind to her cubs. Similarly, although very ferocious to nondevotees like Hiraëyakaçipu, Lord Nåsiàhadeva is very, very soft and kind to devotees like Prahläda Mahäräja.’” If difficulty in remembering any of the mantras, just replace it with Hare Krsna Mahamanta.

10. Nectar of Devotion – Ch.1 • Characteristics of pure devotional service: "My dear mother, those who are My pure devotees, and who have no desire for material benefit or philosophical speculation, have their minds so much engaged in My service that they are never interested in asking Me for anything—except to be engaged in that service. They do not even beg to live in My abode with Me.“ [S.B.3.29.12-13]

11. Rejecting five kinds of liberation • There are five kinds of liberation, Sayujya or ekatvam - to become one with the Lord, sälokya - to live with the Supreme Lord on the same planet, särüpya - to have the same features as the Lord, särñöi - to enjoy the same opulences as the Lord sämépya - to live as a companion of the Lord. • A devotee, what to speak of rejecting material sense gratification, does not even want any of the five kinds of liberation. • He is satisfied simply by discharging loving service to the Lord. That is the characteristic of pure devotion.

12. Characteristics of pure devotional service Further characteristics of devotional service are described by Rüpa Gosvämé with evidences from different scriptures. (1) Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress. (2) Pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness. (3) Pure devotional service automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure.(4) Pure devotional service is rarely achieved.(5) Those in pure devotional service deride even the conception of liberation.(6) Pure devotional service is the only means to attract Kåñëa.

13. Pure Devotional service • Kåñëa is all-attractive, but pure devotional service attracts even Him. This means that pure devotional service is even transcendentally stronger than Kåñëa Himself, because it is Kåñëa's internal potency.