Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 31
Arcana-vidhi: The Method of Deity Worship
Vedic, Tantric, and Mixed
चन्दनोशीरकर्पूरकुङ्कुमागुरुवासितै: । सलिलै: स्नापयेन्मन्त्रैर्नित्यदा विभवे सति ॥ ३० ॥ स्वर्णघर्मानुवाकेन महापुरुषविद्यया । पौरुषेणापि सूक्तेन सामभी राजनादिभि: ॥ ३१ ॥
candanośīra-karpūra- kuṅkumāguru-vāsitaiḥ salilaiḥ snāpayen mantrair nityadā vibhave sati
Each day, as opulently as his means allow, the worshiper should bathe the Lord’s Deity with water scented with sandalwood, uśīra, camphor, kuṅkuma, and aguru, while chanting mantras; and he should recite Vedic hymns such as the Svarṇa-gharma anuvāka, the Mahāpuruṣa-vidyā, the Puruṣa-sūkta, and Sāma Veda songs like the Rājana and Rohiṇya.
The Puruṣa-sūkta prayer, beginning om sahasra-śīrṣā-puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasra-pāt, is contained within the Ṛg Veda.
FAQs
In Canto 11, Chapter 27, Kṛṣṇa teaches that when one has the means, the Deity should be bathed daily with scented water while reciting mantras, as part of proper arcana (Deity worship).
Kṛṣṇa instructs Uddhava in the practical path of bhakti—how devotion is expressed through regulated worship (arcana), including offerings and bathing the Deity with purity and reverence.
Worship according to one’s capacity: keep daily devotion consistent, offer cleanliness and sincerity, and use simple or elaborate items depending on means—without neglecting remembrance and mantra.