शैली दारुमयी लौही लेप्या लेख्या च सैकती ।
मनोमयी मणिमयी प्रतिमाष्टविधा स्मृता ॥
चलाचलेति द्विविधा प्रतिष्ठा जीवमन्दिरम् ।
उद्वासावाहने न स्त: स्थिरायामुद्धवार्चने ॥
अस्थिरायां विकल्प: स्यात् स्थण्डिले तु भवेद्द्वयम् ।
स्नपनं त्वविलेप्यायामन्यत्र परिमार्जनम् ॥
śailī dāru-mayī lauhī lepyā lekhyā ca saikatī |
mano-mayī maṇi-mayī pratimāṣṭa-vidhā smṛtā ||
calācaleti dvi-vidhā pratiṣṭhā jīva-mandiram |
udvāsāvāhane na staḥ sthirāyām uddhavārcane ||
asthirāyāṁ vikalpaḥ syāt sthaṇḍile tu bhaved dvayam |
snapanaṁ tv avilepyāyām anyatra parimārjanam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.27.12–13; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 5.257–259)
“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava:] A Deity (Pratimā) is known to be of eight types: stonen, wooden, metallic, moulded [i.e., made of earth or wooden paste, etc.], drawn [alt., painted], arenaceous [i.e., made of sand], mental, or jewelled. An Establishment [i.e., a Deity] (Pratiṣṭhā), that is, a dwelling place of Life (Jīva) [i.e., Bhagavān, alt., the dwelling place of the jīvas], is of two types: permanent and impermanent. O Uddhava, in worship of a fixed [i.e., permanent] one, there is no calling and sending away [of the Deity]. In worship of an unfixed [i.e., impermanent] one, there will be an option [to call and then send away the Deity or not]. When [a Deity is made] on the ground, however, both [i.e., calling and sending away] should be done. Bathing is only for the non-moulded [Deity forms, i.e., those not made of earthen materials, e.g., clay, wood, or paint]. [Instead of bathing,] Thorough cleansing should be done elsewhere [i.e., in the case of Deities made of earthen materials which cannot be bathed because they will be disfigured by liquids].”
Commentary
prakarṣeṇa tiṣṭhaty asyām iti pratiṣṭhā pratimaiva jīvasya bhagavato mandiram | yad vā, pratiṣṭhayā kalā-nyāsena bhagavan-mandiraṁ bhavatīti |
(Excerpt from the Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“An ‘Establishment’ (Pratiṣṭhā), meaning, that in which he [i.e., Bhagavān] is fully (prakarṣeṇa) present (tiṣṭhati), that is, a Deity (Pratimā), is a ‘dwelling place‘ (mandiram) of Life‘ (Jīva), that is, Bhagavān. Alternately, [the meaning is that an ‘Establishment’ (Pratiṣṭhā) refers to that which] becomes a dwelling place of Bhagavān by establishment (pratiṣṭhā), that is, by [the process known as] kalā-nyāsa.”
yadyapi sarvāsām eva manomayītvaṁ ghaṭate, tathāpi manasi śrī-bhagavat-parisphūrti-viśeṣāpekṣayā pṛthag uktā | jīvayati cetayatīti jīvo bhagavān eva tasya mandiram adhiṣṭhānam | pratiṣṭhā prakarṣeṇa tiṣṭhaty asyām iti pratimaiva; yadvā, pratiṣṭhayā kalā-nyāsādinā bhagavan-mandiraṁ bhavati |
(Excerpt from the Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa)
“Although all of them exist mentally, still out of regard for a specific distinct appearance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the mind, there is a separate mention [of a Deity of mental form]. ‘Life’ (Jīva) refers to Bhagavān, he who causes life, meaning, consciousness. [The Deity is] A dwelling place, that is, a seat (adhiṣṭhāna) of his. An ‘Establishment’ (Pratiṣṭhā), meaning, that in which he [i.e., Bhagavān] is fully (prakarṣeṇa) present (tiṣṭhati), refers to a Deity (Pratimā). Alternately, [the meaning is that an ‘Establishment’ (Pratiṣṭhā) refers to that which] becomes a dwelling place of Bhagavān by establishment (pratiṣṭhā), that is, by [the process known as] kalā-nyāsa and so forth.”
pratiṣṭhā pratimā jīva-mandiraṁ yaḥ sarveṣāṁ jīvānām āśrayo’haṁ tad-rūpam eva bhāvayed ity arthaḥ |
(Excerpt from the Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā)
“An ‘Establishment’ (Pratiṣṭhā), that is, a Deity (Pratimā), is a ‘dwelling place of the jīvas’ (jīva-mandiram), meaning [in practice, ‘One should meditate on that form which is I [i.e., Kṛṣṇa] myself, the shelter of all jīvas.’”
pratiṣṭhā pratimā jīvasya jīvayituḥ paramātmano mama mandiraṁ mad-aṅga-pratyaṅgair ekākāratāspadam ity arthaḥ | yad vā, pratiṣṭhā-lakṣaṇena karmaṇā pūrvoktā pratimā mama tad-āspadaṁ bhavatīty arthaḥ |
(Excerpt from Bhakti Sandarbha)
“An ‘Establishment’ (Pratiṣṭhā) means a Deity (Pratimā), ‘of Life’ (Jīva) means of myself [i.e., of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is] Paramāmā, he who causes life, and ‘a dwelling place’ means a site of oneness in form with my limbs and sub-limbs. Alternately, the meaning is [as follows:] by means of a rite of establishment, the aforementioned Deity becomes a site of that [i.e., oneness in form] with me.”
prakarṣeṇa sthīyate’syām iti pratiṣṭhā pratimaiva jīva-mandiraṁ sarva-jīvānām āśrayaḥ sākṣād aham evety arthaḥ |
(Excerpt from the Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“An ‘Establishment’ (Pratiṣṭhā), meaning, that in which being present fully occurs, that is, a Deity (Pratimā), is a ‘dwelling place of the jīvas’ (jīva-mandiram), that is, ‘I myself directly [as the Deity] am the shelter of all jīvas.’ This is the meaning.”