Deity worship of Baby Krishna & Radha Krishna – Which is good for home?
Actual Questions from two devotees:
(1)
Hare Krishna Prabhuji. Are all the procedures you described, applicable for worshipping Laddu Gopalji as well? I heard worshiping Laddu Gopal is easier compared to Radha Krishna deity worship. I have a desire of bringing Laddu Gopal at our home. I am not initiated but I regularly chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra. Also what is the procedure for installing Laddu Gopal deity at home? If me and my family members happen go out for some days should we engage someone in His worship or should put Him at rest? Thank you. Hare Krishna.
(2)
Hare Krishna. When doing Aarti, how many times must we turn the incense, 5 wick lamp, conch, handkerchief, flower, whisk, and fan? want to do it the correct way.
REPLY:
Which deity worship you can have depends on your bhava you have developed with Krishna. Those who are more interested in the lilas of Krishna with Radharani and Gopis can worship Radha Krishna deities. Others may worship Bal Gopal or Krishna Balaram deities. Those who like the Caitanya bhava can have the deities of Gaur Nitai.
(TOUCHNG & WORSHIPING THE DEITIES – RULES & BENEFITS! READ HERE!)
However, before choosing the deities, follow some other considerations also as explained below:
Follow deity worship at home if the deities are of the height of 3 inches or less if the devotee is initiated and is ready to follow all the recommended rules.
Having deity worship at home requires strict procedures and purity. Even if you go to the toilet, you have to take full bath. You should never miss offering of food to the deity form of Lord. You should follow all the purity measures including being away from the room where the deities are there, at the time of monthly periods.
Deity form of Krishna is the archa avatar of Krishna Himself. Therefore, we have to treat Him as if you treat your close family member.
(Offering & Smelling the Incense Sticks & Flowers to the Deities – Rules! READ HERE!)
Instead of following deity worship at home, it is good to have framed/ laminated pictures of Krishna and worship.
Even in the case of framed/ laminated pictures, you need not keep plenty of pictures. One Radha Krishna picture, One Krishna Balaram Picture, One Gaur Nitai Picture, One all in one guru parampara picture – thus, four pictures are enough in Puja room or Puja altar.
Too much of pictures will be difficult to manage and clean.
BE SIMPLE EXTERNALLY AND BE RICH IN PURITY & DEVOTION INTERNALLY. This is very important advice I always recommend for all. Externally, try to manage according to the circumstances. But, internally, be strong in your love and dedication to Krishna. Give importance for internal features much. This conviction is enough for every devotee.
Since you are not yet initiated by a guru, please follow picture worship instead of deity worship. You can have plastic or clay made fancy idols of Krishna in show-case. It is not a deity. But, you need not install deity for WORSHIPING PURPOSE at this stage.
(HONOURING THE DEITIES OF KRISHNA – PROPER WAY – PART-1! READ HERE!)
BABY KRISHNA OR RADHA KRISHNA?
For the concept-sake, the severity of the offences made in worshiping the Baby Krishna (Laddu Gopal) is less compared to Radha Krishna.
Why?
Because, the relation of Radha Krishna is in the topmost platform that requires serious attention and care to manage them.
Even in ISKCON, the new temples usually do not install Radha Krishna deities. They install either Gaur Nitai, or Jagannath-Baladev-Subhadra, or Krishna Balaram deities.
Because they may not have people to take care of the deities properly during the initial days of the temple. Once the temple is well established, they install Radha Krishna deities since they will have more devotees for deity service of Radha Krishna.
When even the temples hesitate to install Radha Krishna during initial days, what about our home?
(I AM UNABLE TO TREAT MY HOME DEITIES PROPERLY. WHAT TO DO? READ HERE!)
So, I do not support having Radha Krishna deity at home unless you have facilities to follow the rules. If not, please have their pictures.
No mere emotional approach will not help in devotion. It may lead to the guilt later when you become unable to take care of them.
Temples are the permanent structures. Even if One Pujari leaves, another one will take care of them. So, established temples can have deities, particularly Radha Krishna deities.
Please follow my advice and avoid offences.
In ISKCON way of devotional pratices, the Manthras are almost the same for all the deities except one or two manthras that are specific to Radha Krishna or Jagannatha or Narasimha, etc.
At home, you need not recite all the manthras recited in the temples. Simple Pancha Tatva, Hare Krishna, Jaya Radha madhava, etc. You can also sing the songs given in the book SONGS OF VAISHNAVA ACHARYAS.
However, I have given the arati songs in the following posts that you can follow:
For you and for the another devotee who had asked about offering arati to the deities, I recommend THIS POST and THIS ANOTHER POST posted by me already in this site.