Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 9
Arcana-vidhi: The Method of Deity Worship
Vedic, Tantric, and Mixed
अर्चायां स्थण्डिलेऽग्नौ वा सूर्ये वाप्सु हृदि द्विज: । द्रव्येण भक्तियुक्तोऽर्चेत् स्वगुरुं माममायया ॥ ९ ॥
arcāyāṁ sthaṇḍile ’gnau vā sūrye vāpsu hṛdi dvijaḥ dravyeṇa bhakti-yukto ’rcet sva-guruṁ mām amāyayā
Ein Dvija soll Mich—seinen verehrungswürdigen Herrn und die Gestalt seines eigenen Guru—ohne Falschheit, in Bhakti, mit passenden Opfergaben verehren: in der Gottheit, auf dem Boden, im Feuer, in der Sonne, im Wasser oder im eigenen Herzen.
FAQs
This verse says worship may be offered to Kṛṣṇa not only in the Deity, but also on a sanctified altar, in fire, in the sun, in water, and within the heart—provided it is done with devotion and sincerity.
Kṛṣṇa teaches that genuine worship includes honoring one’s own guru, because the guru connects the disciple to proper bhakti practice and to Kṛṣṇa’s presence through authentic instruction and example.
Worship with honest intent: offer simple items and prayers, remember Kṛṣṇa in the heart, and serve and respect your guru/teachers—keeping devotion steady rather than showy or deceitful.