How To Perform the Arati Ceremony
Every scheduled bhoga offering is followed by an rat. Except for krtana, offering rat is the only regular daily function of Deity worship performed publicly.
Required Paraphernalia
Make sure the following items are present: For all rats: 1) a bell on a plate; 2) a paca-ptra containing samnya-arghya water (or simply fresh water) and a spoon; 3) a conch (for blowing) with a water-filled lo for purifying it; 4) a receptacle to catch the water from rinsing the conch (just outside the Deity room, in the temple room). In addition, for full rat: 1) an incense holder with an odd number of incense sticks; 2) a camphor lamp (for midday rat); 3) a ghee lamp with an odd number of wicks (at least five); 4) a conch for arghya water, with a stand; 5) a waterpot with a spout and a cover, filled with water (this is for the arghya water to be offered in the conch); 6) a small visarjanya-ptra (throw-out container) for the offered arghya; 7) a handkerchief; 8) flowers on a plate; 9) a cmara (yak-tail whisk); 10) a peacock fan (only in warm weather). For dhpa-rat: 1) an incense holder with an odd number of sticks; 2) flowers on a plate; 3) a cmara; 4) a peacock fan (only in warm weather).
Preliminary Activities for rat
Outside the Deity room, after performing camana (if not already done for previous services), offer obeisances to your spiritual master, requesting to assist him in the worship. Prepare the samnya-arghya if not already done (see description), or if doing simplified worship, as in Chapter 3, see to it that there is a paca-ptra containing fresh water and a spoon.
After cleaning the place where the rat paraphernalia will be set up (either on a low table, on the floor, or, if space allows, on the altar itself), bring the tray with paraphernalia and place them in the order of offering. You may now light a standing or hanging oil or ghee lamp for lighting incense and rat lamps.* Requesting the Lord to Accept the rat (pupjali) While ringing a bell, offer flower petals to the lotus feet of your spiritual master and then to each Deitys lotus feet, requesting each Deity to accept the rat ceremony. The order of offering pupjali is as follows: your spiritual master, rla Prabhupda, Lord Nitynanda, Lord Caitanya, rmat Subhadr, Lord Baladeva, Lord Jaganntha, rmat Rdhr, and Lord Ka. While offering the petals, chant ea pupjali and the mla-mantra for each Deity. Or in simplified worship, simply say, Please accept these flowers of surrender. (Substitute water from the paca-ptra for flower petals if necessary, holding a spoonful of water toward each personality and then discarding it in the visarjanya-ptra; or simply offer Them flower petals in the mind.) Ringing the bell again, open the Deity room doors. Then, take the blowing conchshell and lo with water just outside the Deity room (without the bell), blow the conch three times, rinse it off over a receptacle placed outside for that purpose, and then bring the conch and lo back inside. (You may place the conch horizontally on top of the lo.) Next wash your hands with water from the paca-ptra and open the curtain while ringing the bell. During the rat ceremony, devotees should perform krtana in the temple. If by some misfortune no one is in the temple to chant, the pjr performing rat may either sing or have a recording of krtana played.
Purifying the Upacras
Before offering each upacra, purify both your right hand and the upacra by sprinkling them with water from the paca-ptra. You can purify the upacra in either of two ways: 1) place a few drops of water in your right hand and then sprinkle it lightly over the upacra with a single motion of your hand, so that the water comes off your fingertips; or 2) take the spoon in your right hand and sprinkle water on the upacra directly from the spoon. Optionally, with either method you may then show the cakra-, dhenu- (or surabhi-), and matsya-mudrs over each item to indicate more subtle purification and protection. (See the Supplement, page 156*, for diagrams and explanations.)
Offering Procedure
While standing on an sana and ringing a bell, present the incense first to your spiritual master by waving it in three or seven graceful circles, and then present it to rla Prabhupda and Lord Caitanya in the same manner. rat paraphernalia should be offered gracefully, in a meditative mood. But do not be either too slow or too fast, and do not perform it in a showy manner, but as a humble servant of your spiritual master and the assembled Vaiavas. Stand to the left of the altar (as viewed from the temple room)not hidden entirely from view but also not distracting by your presence. For devotees who are not direct disciples of rla Prabhupda: Along with the worship of ones own spiritual master, devotees in ISKCON worship His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivednta Swami Prabhupda as both the Founder-crya of ISKCON and the ika-guru for all devotees of ISKCON. In addition to
the worship of rla Prabhupda in his guru-pj, one should also honor him when performing rat by presenting the rat items to rla Prabhupda after presenting them to ones own spiritual master. Then, with the consciousness that you are offering it on behalf of your spiritual master and with the blessings of rla Prabhupda and Lord Caitanya, offer it with the full number of circles (listed below) to the main Deity. After offering the incense to the main Deity, offer it as prasda to the Lords associates in descending order, and to the guru-paramparsenior to junior. This may be done with seven or three circles for each personality, depending on time allowance. (Some manuals say that when offering items as prasda in rat, one should not offer below the waist.) Then distribute it (with one or three circles) to the assembled Vaiavas as the prasda of the Lord and His associates. Offer the remaining items in a similar way. When offering each upacra, say softly the name of the item and the appropriate mla-mantra of the Deity being worshiped. Or in simplified worship, simply say to each personality, Please accept this offering of [incense, lamps, etc.]. Offered items should not be mixed with unoffered items. You may place offered items back on the plate that was used to bring in the paraphernalia, provided no unoffered paraphernalia remains on it.
How to Offer Each Item
Offer all the items, except the cmara and fan, by moving them in clockwise circles while ringing a bell with your left hand (above waist level), fixing your attention on the Deities. Lamp(s): offer four circles to the lotus feet, two circles to the navel, and three circles to the Lords face; then offer seven circles to the Lords whole body. Arghya in a conch: offer three circles to the Lords head and seven circles to the whole body of the Lord. Then pour a small amount of the offered arghya into the visarjanya-ptra (small throw-out pot) before proceeding to offer arghya to the next personality. (rat arghya: plain or scented water). Cloth: offer seven times around the Lords body. Flowers: offer seven times around the Lords body. Cmara: wave before the Lord a suitable number of times. * Fan: wave before the Lord a suitable number of times. You may give out the lamp(s) to the assembled devotees immediately after offering them to the Deities; it is traditional in many temples, to avoid interrupting the rat, to distribute arghya water and flowers at the end of the rat, after blowing the conch.*
Upacra-mantras for rat
The mantras for each item are as follows: Incense: ea dhpa and the mla-mantra Camphor and ghee lamps: ea dpa and the mla-mantra Water in a conchshell: idam arghyam and the mla-mantra Cloth: ida vastram and the mla-mantra Flowers: etni pupni and the mla-mantra (ida pupam if offering a single flower) Cmara: e cmara-sev and the mla-mantra Fan: e vyajana-sev and the mla-mantra
Completing the rat
Full rats, including fanning and blowing of the conch before and after the rat, may last up to twentyfive minutes; the duration of short rats (in which incense, flowers, and cmara are offered) is from five to eight minutes. After completing the rat, blow the conch three times outside the Deity room, as at the beginning of the rat. Then distribute the arghya and flower prasda to the assembled devotees. Chant the prema-dhvani mantras if the krtana leader or another devotee in the temple does not chant them. Then with joined palms offer prama prayers softly to your spiritual master and Their Lordships. Next remove the rat paraphernalia from the Deity room, clean the area and articles, and at last offer daavat-pramas (prostrated obeisances) outside the Deity room.
