20 HYGIENE TIPS FOR DEVOTEES IN USING TOILET & BATHROOM!

20 HYGIENE TIPS FOR DEVOTEES IN USING TOILET & BATHROOM!

A GIRL DEVOTEE (NAME HIDDEN) ASKED:

“prabhu i am trying to change my habits of OCD. U r information help me to do it more easy.. That’s why i need ur help.U say that there is no need to change cloth after passing urine or stool pls tell me in clear word can i tough deity or go to tample n doing some seva like coking in that cloth??? And if i don’t change bed cover after mating or period can i rest in that bed and after resting can i touch deity in that cloth or go to tample in that cloth?? We hv small house in our room there is no space in floor so should read gita or bhagvatam on bed so if i don’t change bed cover after mating or period can i read on bed?? Pls don’t be disturbed by thinking that i am a helpless person though i know u hv so many seva but if u don’t help me think who will want to help me no one do that for me in before i try it from many prabhu n matajis the also tell me that they will not help in single they will do it for many people. What will happen with me n my devotion??”

REPLY:

I advised you to hand over the deities to the temples and use the Pic.s of Krishna instead. Since you are not ready to hand over the deities, follow these tips based on your many questions from my memory:

(ISKCON ARATI SONGS – MANGAL & SANDHYA ARATIS WITH MEANING! READ HERE!)

If you have deities, you should take extra care in being clean physically and mentally. Let me give 20 HYGIENE TIPS FOR DEVOTEES to be followed are:

(1) The deity should be touched only after bathing –  whatever case it may be.

(2) If it is the temple, the pujari will bath every time he uses the toilet.Same can not be recommended for home deities. However, you should follow utmost cleanliness in home too. If it is the home, you can bath only when you pass stool. Bath means even pouring some mugs of water on head. No need for using soaps every time. Hands alone should be washed with soap. If you pass only urine, clean the genitals, hands and feet well and then touch the deities. While washing the hands, use a soap.

(3) In India, only fixed toilet is used by us. Commodes are used by elders who find it difficult to move or sit. You said that you use commode type of toilet. It may be the custom in your country. Commode means a portable chair to pass stool or urine. So, you may have to touch the commode every time you use the toilet. So, if you touch the commode, it is necessary to clean the hands using soap.

(4) After passing stool, change the dress only if the dress touched the commode. Try your best to prevent the clothes from touching the commode (or) toilet seat. Fix the clothes tightly above the waist and use the toilet.  In case, the clothes touch the commode, then, take bath and change the dress – in both cases of passing urine or stool.  So, the thumb rule is that the clothes should not touch the commode or toilet seat. If touches, take bath.

(5) In case the stool or urine touches the clothes, you should compulsorily bath and change the clothes. If there is no touch of stool or urine on clothes and if the clothes did not touch the commode or toilet seat, just wash the genitals, hands and feet and go for devotional practices like cooking, going to temples, deity service, etc..

(6)  If a bed is used during monthly periods or for mating, the bed covers should be washed compulsorily after the end of periods or mating after waking up in the morning. After washing that bed cover, you should take bath.  If you use the same bed cover, you should neither touch the deities, nor cook for deities, nor read Bhagavad Gita or Bhagavatham sitting on that bed.

(7) Though it is a washed bed or not, in any case, you should never keep the books on Krishna on bed. Instead, you can keep a news paper or polythene sheet or wooden plate on bed and place the book on that news paper. However, you can read books sitting on a bed if the bed cover had been changed after periods or mating.

(Why Deity Worship is not recommended at Home For all? READ HERE!)

(8) The books on Krishna should not be kept on the floor also. Instead, you can keep a news paper or polythene sheet or wooden plate on the floor and place the book on that news paper.

(9) After using the toilet or commode for urination or stool, hands should be washed using a soap.

(10) It is better to take bath twice a day, morning and evening if you have deities. Bathing will be necessary in between at any time if the dress touches the toilet seat or commode (or) the stool or urine touches the clothes.

(11) If you rest on the bed during periods, you should never use that bed without washing the bed cover. If you use that bed without changing the bed cover, you should not touch the deities or should not cook for them.

(12) If the dress touches the toilet seat or commode (or) the stool or urine touches the clothes, you should not chant without taking bath using chanting bag/ mala. However, there is no barrier to chant without the mala. Still, it is a good practice to chant with clean body and mind.

(13) Whenever you go to temple, go after bathing or atleast pouring a few mugs of water on head and body without soap and wear a washed cloth.

(QUALIFICATIONS TO FOLLOW DEITY WORSHIP AT HOME! READ HERE!)

(14) Better to avoid going to the temples during the periods even after bathing because periods are non stop and beyond your control. Never go to the temple after mating without bath.

(15) Always cook after bath. Whenever you are sick, you can wash the hands with soap and then cook. In case there was mating the previous night, do not cook without bath.

(16) Do not chant without brushing the teeth in the morning. Atleast flush the mouth and face well with water and then chant. You can chant without taking bath, buut just with flushing the teeth and cleaning face and feet (if in periods or mating in the previous day, bathing is compulsory before chanting)

(17) In another message, you had asked whether you should take bath if you touch the potty or stool  of the child of your neightbour or if he passes urine on you.  All are stools and urines – whether it is a child’s stool or your stool. You must take bath and change dress if urine or stool touches your clothes.

(Deity worship of Baby Krishna and Radha Krishna – Which is recommended for home and what is the procedure? READ HERE!)

(18) In another message, you had asked about public toilet. If you use a public toilet while travelling, you can not take bath immediately. So, just wash hands and feet well and continue the travel. After reaching the home, take bath and continue the spiritual practices. You also asked what to do if there is no water in that public toilet.  Even in such case, just use the toilet and come back to home and then take bath and continue devotional practices.  You can not be physically pure during travel. You are sitting with some woman who may be in her periods. Can you identify whether a woman is in periods or not.  So, no need to be too much of sensitive during travel.

(19) You asked plenty of questions about physical cleanliness. You can not remain 100% clean physically. Everywhere there are contaminations. So, I always emphacize mental cleanliness also.  Try your best to be pure physically. If you miss any HYGIENE TIPS FOR DEVOTEES, do not develop tension. You will not be punished. Only our efforts are important. We can not be flawless.

(20) These strict HYGIENE TIPS FOR DEVOTEES are necessary if you have deities at home. I always advise to take brahmana diksha before installing deities at home.  If you have deities at home, you should also follow Brahmana rules in having matings also. You can not be liberal in the day time, auspicious days, etc. The rules for deity service in the temples are stricter than the above.  They should bath even after returning from outside after travel.

So, if possible, think of using pictures of Krishna. If not, follow these HYGIENE TIPS FOR DEVOTEES strictly.  Ask questions every 2 months so that others may also ask.

Hope these 20 HYGIENE TIPS FOR DEVOTEES have helped you.

All the best.

(COMPLETE PROCEDURE TO BATHE & CARE THE DEITIES OF KRISHNA / BABY KRISHNA/ BAL GOPAL AT HOME! READ HERE!)

Author: RAJAN

RAJAN from Tamil Nadu, India, a Life Patron and an Initiated Devotee being in ISKCON for nearly three decades, serves anonymously to avoid Prominence and crowd as an insignificant, Humble and Neutral Servant for all the devotees of Krishna! He promotes Social media forums and this blog-website as e-satsangha (e-forums) blessed with Lakhs of followers, to give Spiritual Solutions for all the Material Problems of the devotees since 2011! He writes friendly and practical tips to practice devotion (i) without hurting the followers of other paths, (ii) without affecting the personal and career life, and (iii) without the blind, superstitious and ritualistic approach! He dedicates all the glories and credits to his Guru and Krishna.

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