Offences to the Deity
Offences to the deity (sevā-aparādha)
The offences to the deity mentioned in the revealed scriptures are as follows:
(1) to enter the temple wearing shoes or carried on a
palanquin or a carrier
(2) to not observe the birth festival of Śrī Bhagavān or
other prescribed festival days and processions held
for His pleasure
(3) to avoid offering obeisances in front of the deity
(4) to offer obeisances with one hand
(5) to show one’s back to the deity while circumam-
bulating
(6) to spread one’s legs before the deity
(7) to sit before the deity with hands binding one’s
raised knees
(8) to sleep before the deity
(9) to eat before the deity
(10) to speak lies before the deity
(11) to speak loudly before the deity
(12) to speak something other than hari-kathā before the
deity
(13) to cry before the deity
(14) to quarrel before the deity
(15) to chastise or favour someone before the deity
(16) to rebuke anyone or use harsh words before the deity
(17) to blaspheme someone before the deity
(18) to glorify someone before the deity
(19) to use vulgar language before the deity
(20) to pass air before the deity
(21) to offer respect or obeisances to anyone besides śrī
guru before the deity
(22) to sit with one’s back to the deity
(23) to chew betel-leaves (pāna) or tobacco before the
deity
(24) to offer obeisances or prayers to the deity with an
impure or contaminated body
(25) to wear a woolen shawl or blanket while worship-ping the deity
(26) to avoid opulently worshipping the deity, even
though one is capable of doing so
(27) to accept something that is not offered to the deity
(28) to avoid offering seasonal fruits and other
ingredients to the deity
(29) to offer the first portion of something to someone
and then give the remaining part to the deity
(30) to sit silently before śrī guru and not recite prayers
(31) to praise oneself before śrī guru
(32) to blaspheme the demigods
Apart from these thirty-two offences, the following
offences mentioned in the Varāha Purāṇa are also to be
avoided:
(33) to touch the deity in the complete darkness
(34) to open the doors of the deity room without
clapping one’s hands
(35) to worship the deity in a speculative manner,
disobeying the proper regulations
(36) to offer the deity food that has been seen by a dog
(37) to break silence while performing worship of the
deity
(38) to worship the deity without cleaning one’s teeth
(39) to worship the deity with forbidden flowers
(40) to begin worship of the deity after engaging in
sexual activity
(41) to worship the deity after touching a woman during
her menstrual period
(42) to worship the deity after touching a dead body
(43) to worship the deity while wearing red or blue cloth,
unwashed cloth, or cloth worn by someone else
(44) to worship the deity after seeing a dead body
(45) to worship or touch the deity after showing anger
(46) to worship the deity just after returning from a
crematorium
(47) to touch or perform the worship of the deity after
applying oil on one’s body
(48) to worship the deity with flowers brought in the
leaves of the castor oil plant
(49) to worship the deity while sitting on the bare floor
or on a raised seat
(50) to worship the deity with stale flowers
(51) to spit or blow the nose while worshipping the
deity
(52) to consider oneself a great worshipper
(53) to apply on one’s forehead tilaka that is not straight
(54) to enter into the temple without having washed
one’s feet
(55) to touch the deity with the left hand while bathing
(56) to offer food to the deity that has been cooked by
uninitiated persons and non-devotees
(57) to perform worship of the deity in front of non-
devotees
(58) to worship the deity while perspiring
(59) to worship the deity after seeing a person wearing
a garland of skulls
(60) to refuse the remnant garlands of the deity
(61) to take an oath in the name of Śrī Bhagavān
(62) to disrespect scriptures that glorify the devotional
service of Śrī Bhagavān, and to show respect to
other scriptures
(63) to perform worship at an inauspicious time (āsurika-
kāla), such as late night
(64) to perform arcana with water touched by the nails
*Nectar of DEVOTION-*
The offences to the deity mentioned in the revealed scriptures are as follows:
(1) to enter the temple wearing shoes or carried on a
palanquin or a carrier
(2) to not observe the birth festival of Śrī Bhagavān or
other prescribed festival days and processions held
for His pleasure
(3) to avoid offering obeisances in front of the deity
(4) to offer obeisances with one hand
(5) to show one’s back to the deity while circumam-
bulating
(6) to spread one’s legs before the deity
(7) to sit before the deity with hands binding one’s
raised knees
(8) to sleep before the deity
(9) to eat before the deity
(10) to speak lies before the deity
(11) to speak loudly before the deity
(12) to speak something other than hari-kathā before the
deity
(13) to cry before the deity
(14) to quarrel before the deity
(15) to chastise or favour someone before the deity
(16) to rebuke anyone or use harsh words before the deity
(17) to blaspheme someone before the deity
(18) to glorify someone before the deity
(19) to use vulgar language before the deity
(20) to pass air before the deity
(21) to offer respect or obeisances to anyone besides śrī
guru before the deity
(22) to sit with one’s back to the deity
(23) to chew betel-leaves (pāna) or tobacco before the
deity
(24) to offer obeisances or prayers to the deity with an
impure or contaminated body
(25) to wear a woolen shawl or blanket while worship-ping the deity
(26) to avoid opulently worshipping the deity, even
though one is capable of doing so
(27) to accept something that is not offered to the deity
(28) to avoid offering seasonal fruits and other
ingredients to the deity
(29) to offer the first portion of something to someone
and then give the remaining part to the deity
(30) to sit silently before śrī guru and not recite prayers
(31) to praise oneself before śrī guru
(32) to blaspheme the demigods
Apart from these thirty-two offences, the following
offences mentioned in the Varāha Purāṇa are also to be
avoided:
(33) to touch the deity in the complete darkness
(34) to open the doors of the deity room without
clapping one’s hands
(35) to worship the deity in a speculative manner,
disobeying the proper regulations
(36) to offer the deity food that has been seen by a dog
(37) to break silence while performing worship of the
deity
(38) to worship the deity without cleaning one’s teeth
(39) to worship the deity with forbidden flowers
(40) to begin worship of the deity after engaging in
sexual activity
(41) to worship the deity after touching a woman during
her menstrual period
(42) to worship the deity after touching a dead body
(43) to worship the deity while wearing red or blue cloth,
unwashed cloth, or cloth worn by someone else
(44) to worship the deity after seeing a dead body
(45) to worship or touch the deity after showing anger
(46) to worship the deity just after returning from a
crematorium
(47) to touch or perform the worship of the deity after
applying oil on one’s body
(48) to worship the deity with flowers brought in the
leaves of the castor oil plant
(49) to worship the deity while sitting on the bare floor
or on a raised seat
(50) to worship the deity with stale flowers
(51) to spit or blow the nose while worshipping the
deity
(52) to consider oneself a great worshipper
(53) to apply on one’s forehead tilaka that is not straight
(54) to enter into the temple without having washed
one’s feet
(55) to touch the deity with the left hand while bathing
(56) to offer food to the deity that has been cooked by
uninitiated persons and non-devotees
(57) to perform worship of the deity in front of non-
devotees
(58) to worship the deity while perspiring
(59) to worship the deity after seeing a person wearing
a garland of skulls
(60) to refuse the remnant garlands of the deity
(61) to take an oath in the name of Śrī Bhagavān
(62) to disrespect scriptures that glorify the devotional
service of Śrī Bhagavān, and to show respect to
other scriptures
(63) to perform worship at an inauspicious time (āsurika-
kāla), such as late night
(64) to perform arcana with water touched by the nails
*Nectar of DEVOTION-*
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