Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

I was told that they are Radha and Krishnas favorite colors and that in the temple it is only the deities that should wear red or blue.

See also http://www.pariprashnena.com/discussion/300/why-is-krishna-blue/

I heard that in the past the way of dying blue clothes was considered impure. as far as I know is not allowed in the altar...

I think also there is a NOD or Hari Bhakti Vilasa injunction forbidding Siva tilaks? Are such injunctions relevant in this day and age?

Why should Gosvamis include irrelevant teachings?

The context of this list of prohibitions is as follows:

Dharani (Mother Earth) asked Lord Narayana how it is that He takes different incarnations and how He lifts her up again and again according to the cycle of time. Lord Narayana takes the form of Lord Varahadev and responds speaking many and varied subjects relating to creation and spiritual matters. After Mother Bhumi-devi had heard this, Rshi Sanat-kumara approached her and asked, "Please tell me what you have seen when you were being held by Sri Vishnu and also what you heard from Him." Mother Bhumi-devi explains to Sanat-kumara how after begging different devas to lift her up and remove her burden, she was eventually directed to Lord Vishnu Who upon being praised be her, took the form of Lord Varha-deva and raised her up thereby pacifying all her fears. While Mother Bhumi-devi was being held on the left tusk of Lord Varaha-deva, she asked Him many questions relating directly to the many rules and regulations of deity worship. Lord Varaha-devas response is comprehensive and it includes a list of 32 offences that we find in the Nectar of Devotion. So in summary, Mother Bhumi-devi has asked Lord Varaha-deva, "How do we worship You?" and the Lord has replied in some detail as to the intracacies of His worship. This is found in Part 1, chapter 117 of the Varaha-purana in the Motilal Banarsidasa edition.

Lord Varahas list of offences includes to not serve Him wearing blue cloth, black cloth, or cloth made red with saffron. I do not see any indication in the text of why that may be. Lord Varaha-deva has simply stated that these are the rules for how He wants His worship done. I do not know sanskrit nor have I seen any word for word translation of these specific verses, but given that that the context is specifically relating to deity worship it may be that these specific injunctions relate to the cloth colour of pujaris. Of course, Srila Prabhupadas Nectar of Devotion text states that one should not "enter the temple" wearing these colours and we take that as authoritative. But in my observation I dont see these injunctions on cloth colour in the temple being followed strictly. But never fear, even we cant follow all the injunctions, as Srila Prabhupada writes straight after explaining these injunctions; "And even when a person becomes an offender...he can still be delivered simply by taking shelter of the holy names fo the Lord." (NOD, Ch 8, pg 72)

> Are such injunctions relevant in this day and age?

A question worthy of further discussion and probably deserves its own thread.

> VEDA: Why should Gosvamis include irrelevant teachings?.

It does happen: ""According to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, the regulative principles of devotional service compiled by Gopala Bhatta Gosvami do not strictly follow our Vaisnava principles. Actually, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami collected only a summary of the elaborate descriptions of Vaisnava regulative principles from the Hari-bhakti-vilasa. It is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvamis opinion, however, that to follow the Hari-bhakti-vilasa strictly is to actually follow the Vaisnava rituals in perfect order. He claims that the smarta-samaja, which is strictly followed by caste brahmanas, has influenced portions that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami collected from the original Hari-bhakti-vilasa. It is therefore very difficult to find out Vaisnava directions from the book of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. It is better to consult the commentary made by Sanatana Gosvami himself for the Hari-bhakti-vilasa under the name of Dig-darsini-tika." (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami commentary to CC Madhya 1.35)

[quote][cite] Brighupati Das:[/cite]I think also there is a NOD or Hari Bhakti Vilasa injunction forbidding Siva tilaks? Are such injunctions relevant in this day and age?[/quote]

Why is not wearing Shiva tilak outdated? Its the same as it ever was.