Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 13

Arcana-vidhi: The Method of Deity Worship

Vedic, Tantric, and Mixed

Devanagari script

चलाचलेति द्विविधा प्रतिष्ठा जीवमन्दिरम् । उद्वासावाहने न स्त: स्थिरायामुद्धवार्चने ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

calācaleti dvi-vidhā pratiṣṭhā jīva-mandiram udvāsāvāhane na staḥ sthirāyām uddhavārcane

Translation

Arca Ketuhanan Tuhan, tempat berlindung semua makhluk, boleh ditegakkan dengan dua cara: sementara atau kekal. Namun wahai Uddhava, arca yang ditegakkan secara kekal, setelah dipanggil hadir, tidak pernah dihantar pergi.

Synonyms

• calā-acalā-iti: “movable” and “immovable” (thus)
• calā-acalā-iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: calā (प्रातिपदिक) + acalā (प्रातिपदिक) + iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-प्रयोग (quotative particle); calā/acalā = स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (as quoted terms)

• dvi-vidhā: twofold
• dvi-vidhā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक) + vidhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (Dvigu: “twofold”); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (qualifies pratiṣṭhā)

• pratiṣṭhā: installation (of the deity)
• pratiṣṭhā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratiṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• jīva-mandiram: (as) a dwelling for the jīva
• jīva-mandiram: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (प्रातिपदिक) + mandira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa: “abode for the living being”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• udvāsa-āvāhane: in (the rites of) dismissal and invocation
• udvāsa-āvāhane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udvāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + āvāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (Dvandva: “dismissal and invocation”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), द्विवचन (Dual)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• staḥ: are (there)
• staḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual), परस्मैपद

• sthirāyām: in the fixed (installation)
• sthirāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthirā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• uddhava-arcane: in (this) worship (instruction) to Uddhava
• uddhava-arcane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uddhava (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa: “worship (taught) to Uddhava / in Uddhava’s worship-context”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Purport

The devotees of the Lord understand themselves to be the Lord’s eternal servitors; recognizing the Deity to be the Lord Himself, they permanently install the Deity and engage in perpetual worship. The impersonalists, however, regard the eternal form of the Lord as a temporary manifestation of illusion. In fact, they regard the Deity form as a mere stepping-stone in their ambitious program to become God. Materialistic persons of whatever stripe consider the Lord to be their order supplier, and so they make temporary arrangements for religious ceremonies to achieve temporary material sense gratification. This temporary mode of worship is favored by those desiring to exploit the Personality of Godhead for their personal ends, whereas the loving devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness eternally engage in worship of the Personality of Godhead. They install permanent Deities meant to be worshiped perpetually.

Characters & Entities

• Uddhava

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about invoking and dismissing the Deity (āvāhana and udvāsa)?

This verse explains that for a fixed, permanently installed Deity meant for ongoing temple worship, the formal rites of dismissal (udvāsa) and re-invocation (āvāhana) are not required.

Why did Krishna explain movable and immovable installations to Uddhava?

In the arcana instructions of Canto 11, Krishna teaches Uddhava practical standards for worship, clarifying how procedures differ for a movable worship form versus a permanently established temple Deity.

How can this teaching be applied in modern devotional practice?

It encourages orderly, respectful worship: follow appropriate procedures for home or portable worship, and understand that a properly established temple Deity is approached with steady, continuous service rather than repeated invocation rituals.