Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 24

Arcana-vidhi: The Method of Deity Worship

Vedic, Tantric, and Mixed

Devanagari script

तयात्मभूतया पिण्डे व्याप्ते सम्पूज्य तन्मय: । आवाह्यार्चादिषु स्थाप्य न्यस्ताङ्गं मां प्रपूजयेत् ॥ २४ ॥

Transliteration

tayātma-bhūtayā piṇḍe vyāpte sampūjya tan-mayaḥ āvāhyārcādiṣu sthāpya nyastāṅgaṁ māṁ prapūjayet

Translation

Người bhakta quán tưởng Paramatma—Đấng thấm khắp thân mình như chính Tự Ngã—tùy theo mức chứng ngộ, rồi thờ phụng hết sức mình cho đến khi tâm hoàn toàn hòa nhập. Sau đó, vừa chạm vào các chi phần của tượng thờ vừa trì tụng chân ngôn, người ấy thỉnh Paramatma ngự vào hình thức arca và rồi thờ phụng Ta.

Synonyms

• तया: by that (she/that means)
• तया: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप (fem. instr. sg.)

• आत्मभूतया: having become one’s very self
• आत्मभूतया: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मन् + भूत (प्रातिपदिक; भूत = कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (आत्म-भूत = ‘having become the self/identical with the self’)

• पिण्डे: in the image/mass (piṇḍa)
• पिण्डे: अधिकरण (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• व्याप्ते: pervaded
• व्याप्ते: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याप् (धातु) → व्याप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक विशेषण (past passive participle)

• सम्पूज्य: having duly worshipped
• सम्पूज्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु) → सम्पूज्य (क्त्वान्त/gerund)
• Form: अव्ययभावे क्त्वा (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘having fully worshipped’

• तन्मयः: absorbed in Him/that
• तन्मयः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्तृ/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘made of/absorbed in that’)

• आवाह्य: having invoked
• आवाह्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + वह् (धातु) → आवाह्य (क्त्वान्त/gerund)
• Form: क्त्वा (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘having invoked/caused to come’

• अर्चादिषु: in worship and related rites
• अर्चादिषु: अधिकरण (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चा + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘in worship etc.’)

• स्थाप्य: having installed
• स्थाप्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थाप्य (णिच् causative + क्त्वान्त/gerund)
• Form: क्त्वा (Gerund/Absolutive); causative sense ‘having installed/placed’

• न्यस्ताङ्गम्: with limbs properly placed (posture set)
• न्यस्ताङ्गम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्यस्त (नि+अस्/न्यास्; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘with limbs placed/arranged’, i.e., properly positioned)

• माम्: me
• माम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship fully
• प्रपूजयेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Purport

The body of a devotee is pervaded by the Supreme Lord just as a house is pervaded by the glow of a lamp. Just as one gestures in a friendly way to indicate that a guest should enter one’s house, one touches the body of the Deity, chants appropriate mantras, and enthusiastically invites the Supersoul to enter the form of the Deity. Since both the Deity and the Supersoul are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are not different. One form of the Lord can immediately become manifest in another.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Uddhava

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about invoking Krishna in Deity worship (arcana)?

This verse explains that one should invoke the Lord, establish Him in the Deity and other sacred forms, and then worship Him with full bodily engagement, while remaining absorbed in Him.

Why did Krishna teach this method of worship to Uddhava in Canto 11?

In the Uddhava Gītā, Kṛṣṇa instructs Uddhava on practical bhakti—especially arcana—so devotion can be performed steadily and purely, with mind and senses fully engaged in the Lord.

How can I apply this teaching on Deity worship in modern life?

Before worship, center the mind in the Lord, then consciously invite His presence in a Deity or sacred image, and worship with attentive actions—hands, speech, and posture—so the whole body supports devotion rather than distraction.