Väsudevärcanam

On the day of the wedding, that devotee of Govinda who has accepted païca-saàskära initiation from a bona-fide guru, no matter which varëa he is from, should take his bath in the morning, perform his standard daily duties (such as sandhyä-vandana etc), and in a decorated maëòapa or temple of Viñëu, should sit on kuça and perform äcamana and viñëu-smaraëaà (by chanting the maìgaläcaraëa prayers).

He should establish a pot in a beautiful maëòala and put a copper plate on top. On the plate he should place a çälägräma and then procede to worship the çälägräma with the Puruña Sükta prayers. At a wedding or any other function, Lord Näräyaëa or His çälägräma form should always be worshipped. It is an offence to devotional service and to the holy name to worship Gaëeça and the other demigods such as the païca-devatäs, Sürya and the other planetary deities, Indra and the deities of the directions, Gauré and the mätrikas etc. Instead, the Vaiñëavas are worshipped. The evidence for this is in Padma Puräëa:

çuddha-sattvamayo viñëuù

kalyaëa-guëa-sägaraù

näräyaëaù paraàbrahma

Vipräëäà daivataà hariù

brahmaëyaù çrépatir-viñëur

Väsudevo janärdanaù

brahmaëyaù puëòarékäkño

govindo harir-acyutaù

“Lord Viñëu is made of transcendental goodness, He is an ocean of auspicious qualities. He is Näräyaëa, the Parambrahma, He is the worshippable Deity of the brähmaëas. He is the Lord of Lakñmé, the Supreme Lord Viñëu, Janärdana, Väsudeva, Puëòarékäkña, Govinda, Hari and Acyuta.”

sa eva püjayo vipräëäà

netare puruña-ñabhäù

mohäd yaù püjayedanyaà

sa päñaëòé bhaved dhruvam

“O best of men! He is worshipped by the brähmaëas and no one else is to be worshipped. If someone worships other gods due to illusion, he becomes a päñaëòi.”

smaraëädeva kåñëasya

Vimuktiù päpanäm api

tasya pädodakaà sevyaà

bhuktocchiñöaìca pävanam

“Those sinful people who meditate upon Lord Kåñëa attain liberation. They honour the water that has bathed His lotus feet and partake of His remnants.”

svargä-pavargadaà nånäà

brähmaëänäà viçeñataù

Viñëor-niveditaà nityaà

devebhyo juhuyädvabiù

“They can attain the heavenly planets and become freed from the five kleças that trouble the living entities. That is why the Lord’s prasädam is especially honoured and eaten by the brähmaëas, who always offer the remnants of Lord Viñëu in the fire of sacrifice to the demigods.

pitåbhyaç-caiva tadadyät

sarvam-änantyamaçnute

yo na dadyädvarer bhuktaà

pitåëäà çräddha-karmaëi

“That person that offers the remnants of the Lord to his forefathers in the çräddha ceremony, recieves infinite rewards and endless gain.”

açnute pitaras-tasya

Vinmütraà satataà dvijäù

tan-mad viñëoù prasäddo vai

sevitavyo dvijanmanä

“O brähmaëas! That person who performs çräddha but does not offer Viñëu-prasäda to his forefathers, condemns them to continuously eat stool and urine.”

Itareçäà tu devänäà

nirmälyaà garhitäà bhavet

sakådeva hi yohaçnäti

brähmaëo jïäna-pürvataù

“Therefore, a brähmaëa must always honour the Lords’ remnants, otherwise if he takes the remnants of the demigods he becomes utterly condemned.”

nirmälyaà çaìkarädénäà

sa cäëòälo bhaved dhruvam

kalpa-koöi-sahasräëi

pacyate narakägninä

“If a brähmaëa knowingly partakes of the prasäda of Lord Çiva or any other deva even once, he certainly becomes a cäëòäla and burns in the fires of hell for one thousand koöi kalpas.”

nirmälyaà tu dvija-çreñöa

rudrädénäà divoikasäm

rakño-yakño-piñäcänäà

madya-mäàsa-suräsamam

“O best of the twice-born! The remnants of the demigods such as Çiva etc, rakñasas, yakñas, and piñäcas are no different from meat and wine.”

tad brähmaëaina bhoktavyaà

devänäà bhuïjitaà haviù

tasmäd-anyaà parityajya