HOW TO DEEPLY PERFORM ĀRATĪ Badger, California: 1997
Oṁ viṣṇupāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja
You will have to add something in your sādhana-bhajana. Try to follow the instructions given in the book Hari bhakti-vilāsa, for all rules and regulations can be found there. Also, for arcana (formal deity worship), there is a book coming from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu through Śrī Vakreśvara Paṇḍita and Śrī Gopāla-guru Gosvāmī, and after that through Gopāla-guru Gosvāmī’s disciple Śrī Dhyānacandra Gosvāmī. This book is called Arcana Paddhati.
There are two processes of deity worship. One is called bhava-mārga (the path of spontaneous devotion or ragānuga-bhakti) and the other is called arcana-mārga (the path of formal scriptural rules and regulations, or vaidhī-bhakti). Arcana-mārga has existed since ancient times. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came especially to give bhava-mārga, but He taught those who are not yet qualified to follow vaidhī-bhakti – and in vaidhī-bhakti arcana is also to be done.
Arcana is not performed by mental speculation or imagining:
"This is good and this is bad."
You will have to follow the injunctions in Hari-bhakti vilāsa and other authorised books. If you are performing āratī, you must sing the kīrtana of āratī. If you are performing the āratī of Gurudeva, you have to sing the āratī song of Gurudeva. If you are performing the worship and āratī of Mahāprabhu, you should sing Śrī Gaura-Āratī:
" jaya jaya gorācāndera āratiko śobhā”
If you are doing the āratī of Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, you will have to sing the kīrtana of Rādhā Kṛṣṇa – Śrī Yugala Āratī:
"Jaya jaya rādhā-kṛṣṇa yugala milana"
If you are not chanting these songs, there will be a lack in your worship.
This is required; it does not take a very long time, and I see that you used to spend over an hour in doing āratī. You can adjust, if you like, and those who follow me should certainly do so.
Do you remember the kīrtana:
"Jaya jaya rādhā-kṛṣṇa yugala milana"?
Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are the divine couple there.
"āratī karaye lalitādi sakhī-gaṇa"
You should see who is doing āratī – it is Śrīmatī Lalitā-devī. Lalitā-devī is performing the āratī; Śrīmatī Viśakhā-devī is behind her, waving a cāmara and also performing kīrtana along with all the sakhīs. Tungavidyā is playing mṛdańga, Citrā or someone else is playing karat alas, someone is playing a vinā, and thousands of very beautiful sakhīs are standing there.
Tungavidyā, Citrā, and all the other sakhīs are expert in their singing and playing the many instruments.
What are they singing?
jaya jaya rādhā-kṛṣṇa yugala milana
āratī karaye lalitādi sakhi-gaṇa
["All glories, all glories to the amorous rendezvous of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa! All sakhīs led by Lalitā and her group perform āratī for Their pleasure."
(Śrī Yugala-Āratī verse 1)]
madana-mohana rūpa tri-bhańga-sundara
pītāmbara śikhi-puccha cūḍā-manohara
["In His beautiful three-fold bending madana-mohana form, He is so attractive, even to cupid. With His yellow silk dhoti and crown decorated with peacock feathers, He captivates the minds of all."
(Śrī Yugala-Āratī verse 2)]
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is standing in tri-bhańga sundara. He is bending in three places and He looks very beautiful with His flute, peacock feather, and vana-mālā (garland of forest flowers), and He is affectionately looking towards Śrīmatī Rādhikā and smiling. "Madana-mohana." If anyone sees Him – even if Kāmadeva will see him – he will be charmed. "Pītāmbara." We should try to give a pītāmbara (yellow chaddar or shawl) to the deity of Kṛṣṇa.
lalita-mādhava-vame vṛṣabhānu-kanyā
nīla-vasanā gaurī rūpe guṇe dhanya
["To the left of the amorous and charming Śrī Mādhava is the beautiful daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, Śrīmatī Rādhikā, dressed in a sari the colour of a blue lotus. Her complexion is the colour of molten gold and Her beauty and qualities are matchless."
(Śrī Yugala-Āratī verse 3)]
"Vṛṣabhānu-kanyā."
Śrīmatī Rādhikā is standing on the left side of Kṛṣṇa.
"Lalita-mādhava."
This word has been explained in Śrī Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi.
Who is Mādhava?
He is lalita – extremely beautiful and playful. He never stands or sits with Śrīmatī Rādhikā in the same way as He does with Yaśodā-maiyā, Nanda Bābā, or the sakhās. Lalita-Mādhava is there with Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and at that time Śrīmatī Rādhikā is called Mādhavī– Lalita-Mādhavī. There are many explanations of the word lalita. Kṛṣṇa is the only lalita-nāyaka or dhīra-lalita (dhīra-lalita is that playful Person who can keep His girlfriend always in subjugation by His different qualities).
Kṛṣṇa in the form of Rāma is not lalita, as Dwārakādīśa He is not lalita, as Vaikuṇṭha pāti He is not lalita, as Subal-sakhā He is not lalita, and as the son of Yaśodā He is not lalita. Lalita is He who stands on the right side of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and nearby whom is Lalitā-devī, Viśakhā, Citrā, Campakalatā, Indulekhā, Raṅgadevī, Sudevī, Rūpa Mañjarī, Rati Mañjarī, and Lavaṅga Mañjarī – there He can be lalita.
By singing this song, many thoughts and moods will come, and you will feel as if you are seeing Them – along with Lalitā who is performing Their āratī.
Why is Śrīmatī Rādhikā addressed as Vṛṣabhānu-kanyā?
Why not Kirtikā-kanya?
This is because she is especially beloved to Her father, so much more than to Her mother. She did not come from the womb of Kirtikā; rather she was floating on a lotus flower in the Yamunā. She appears in different ways and different places in different kalpas (millenniums). In a different kalpa, She appeared from Kirtikā-devī's womb, but in any case Her father loves Her more than Her mother. As far as Śrī Kṛṣṇa is concerned, Mother Yaśodā is more loving to Kṛṣṇa than Nanda Bābā. Nanda Baba also loves Him, but Yaśodā loves Him so much more. With Śrīmatī Rādhikā, on the other hand, it is somewhat opposite.
"Nīla-vasanā”
Means that Rādhikā has taken the colour of Madana-mohana Kṛṣṇa and has dressed Herself with that colour.
nānā-vidha-alaṅkāra kare jhalamala
hari-mana-vimohana vadana ujjvala
["She is adorned with various sparkling, shimmering ornaments (ahankāras), enchanting the mind of Hari with Her radiant face."
(Śrī Yugala-Āratī verse 4)]
She wears many varieties of ornaments, and She has been decorated by Kṛṣṇa Himself. Lalitā tells Kṛṣṇa:
"Oh, you don't know how to decorate Her!"
And she lightly pushes Him away with her elbow. Kṛṣṇa then says:
"You don't know; I know more."
They are quarrelling, and Śrīmatī is laughing.
"Hari-mano-vimohana."
Śrīmatī Rādhikā has such a mood and personality that Kṛṣṇa gives His heart to Her. She takes His heart.
viśākhādi sakhī-gaṇa nānā rāge gāya
priya-narma-sakhī-jata cāmara-ḍhulāya
["Viśakhā leads all the sakhīs in singing various ragas (melodious songs according to the appropriate time of day), as all the other priya-narma-sakhīs soothe Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa with cāmara fans."
(Śrī Yugala-Āratī verse 5)]
Those who are singing and performing kīrtana are Viśakhā, Citrā, Campakalatā, Rūpa Mañjarī, Lavaṅga Mañjarī, Anaṅga Mañjarī, and so many others, with many various kinds of melodies.
Who are the priya-narma sakhīs?
Lalitā, Viśakhā, after that Campakalatā, and after that Citrā, Tungavidyā, and there are so many others. They are very beautifully, and humbly, waving their cāmaras. Their postures are so marvellous that Kṛṣṇa wants them to wave the cāmaras before Him.
śrī-rādhā-mādhava pada sarasija-āśe
bhakativinoda sakhī-pade sukhe bhāse
["At the feet of the damsels of Vraja-dhāma lies an ocean of joy. There Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura swims, hoping to attain the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhikā and Mādhava."
(Śrī Yugala-Āratī verse 6)]
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is singing this āratī kīrtana of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and he is praying:
“śrī-rādhā-mādhava pada sarasija-āśe"
Sarasija means lotus. Rādhā and Mādhava’s feet are like lotuses, and he wants to serve their lotus-like feet. While āratī is going on we can add these ideas – to improve our Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
If you are worshiping Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and performing Their āratī, and at that time if you sing the song of Narahari-rūpa Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva:
" keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagad-īśa hare"
What will be the use?
Narahari cannot go to Vṛndāvana. Parama-Pūjāpāda Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swami Mahārāja gave this mantra at first, before he had given the dīkṣā-mantras of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. He told his young disciples to do this, because he was thinking:
"Somehow they should begin their worship."
This is called 'gathering devotees.' It is for common persons, to gradually bring them to bhakti.
Those who are beginners should do this, but those who want to advance further should worship separately. Let it be done as it is going on in any temple, but you, your wife, your children and some rare devotees should try to follow these other principles. You will then see that everything is going on well.
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