The worship of a deity can be an external or internal action. In external worship, a deity or vigraha provides you with a semblance of comfort. It is an anchor to a superior force of protection. The external action of worship helps you to focus and tap into the power of comfort and protection.
When done often during the day, worship leads to discipline and vice versa. The energy gained permeates within you keeping you at peace. At the least, worship is usually done in the morning and evening.
An internal action of worship is when you contemplate a personal form of vigraha. Visualize the form in your mind.
The silence between thoughts is the anchor for the believers of an all-pervading universe. For them, the divine is without a name and form. An internal action is not constrained by place, time, or location. You can get into the mode on-demand.
Given the nature of external vs. internal worship, the effects of internal worship remain with us longer. Internal worship is a prescribed approach for a direct experience of cosmic divinity. You are a part of the universal person or cosmic entity (join the session on sadhana).
External worship has an influence and linkage from theism, tradition, and religious practices. Offerings are made during external worship.
Worship in a true sense leads you to a state of heightened consciousness. The daily mode of living transitions to equanimity in dealing with people. Sincere and ethical actions become your nature. The universe serves you the outcomes. External or internal worship leads you to this heightened state of consciousness.
Objects, names, and forms default to our thought process. It is much easier to perform external worship by adoring a deity etched out in stone, brass, silver, or an alloy.
How do you adore a deity and go all-in with your love and respect?
Traditional practices equated the worship of a vigraha or deity to that of a loving guest. The Hindu tradition gives a great deal of respect to a guest. Also called athithi, a guest is one who is welcome and brings auspiciousness. This characteristic of auspiciousness is independent of time or moment or thithi.
The spiritual text, katha upanishad, highlights the respect and treatment of a guest. (join the session on katha upanishad, !).
How can you provide the best experience to a loving guest or athithi
- Decorate the house with flowers of various colors. Give out a pleasing, bright, natural, and festive appearance.
- Spread a sweet and pleasant fragrance in the house by lighting incense sticks.
- As a responsible and hospitable host, offer water to quench the thirst of a guest who has come from far.
- The guest takes a nice bath. Pampered with sandalwood oil, butter, honey, milk, or yogurt-based liquids.
- Providing a clean cloth or towel for wiping.
- The guest is seated in a well-lit place illuminated by many lights.
- The guest is served with mouthwatering dishes cooked with love without any expectations. The best seasonal fruits are part of the serving.
- After food there is an interaction. The host highlights the wonderful desirable qualities and characteristics of the guest.
- Family members assemble to sing the riveting qualities of the guest.
- At the conclusion of festivities, the guest is then provided a room to sleep and take rest.
- Stories highlighting the many acts of compassion, valor, and love of the guest are told.
The Hindu tradition adopts the atithi practices during the worship of a deity. Let us look at the same eleven steps.
- Flowers and garlands of various colors and patterns are offered to the deity. This is called pushpam samarpayami (pushpam – flowers, samarpayami– offering).
- Incense sticks are lighted. The stick is circled three times to symbolize the deity having the powers of manifestation, sustenance, and dissolution of the cosmic universe. This is called dhoopam samarpayami (dhoopam – incense).
- Water is offered to the deity. This is called jalam samarpayami (jalam – water).
- The deity is bathed with water and sometimes with sandalwood paste, milk or yogurt, honey, clarified butter, and sugar. This is called gandham and snanam samarpayami (snanam – bath, gandham – sandalwood).
- A cloth is used to wipe the deity clean and also to dress it up. This is called vastram samarpayami (vastram – cloth).
- Many wicks dipped in oil or clarified butter are lighted and kept in front of the deity. This is called deepam samarpayami (deepam – lamp with light).
- Fruits and food offerings are made to the deity. This is called phalam and naivedyam samparpaymi (phalam – fruit, naivedyam – food offerings).
- The wonderful characteristics and energy of the deity are highlighted through the recitation of mantras.
- bhajans (devotional songs) are chanted with aarathi (wicks lighted in a plate and shown to the deity to highlight the illumination of the divine characteristics).
- The deity is put to bed in a cushioned swing accompanied by pleasing and melodious music. This is called laali (meaning a song to put a child to bed).
- Stories of philosophy, compassion, valor, and love are shared. This is called pravachana (meaning talk or usually a theistic speech).
An individual is expected to perform external worship with love and commitment. There must be a willingness. The emotional state is one of treating with love vs. indifference. Worship with love brings peace and bliss. Worship with indifference is a chore.
Do you have to go through this elaborate process to worship a deity? Not necessarily. It is the mindset that matters and not the quantity or count of items for worship. See what Krishna says in the Gita:
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति |
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मन:
patraṁ puṣhpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayachchhati
tadahaṁ bhaktyupahṛitam aśhnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
If one offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even water, I delightfully partake of that article offered with love by My devotee in pure consciousness.
Offering flowers, fruits, water is a recommended practice and falls in the category of upadhanam (preparation for worship) and ijya (engaging in the mode of worship)