Deities And Their Likes

Krishna is the wearer of golden or turmeric-colored garments.  Balarama wears blue clothes. Paramesvara wears tiger skin.

Let us see their preferred cuisines. Krishna likes butter and the rice flakes given by Kusela which Krishna ate with gusto. Ambal, the consort of Siva and sister of Krishna loves Sugar Poṅkal (Boiled rice, milk, butter and sugar) according to Lalita Saharanamam. Ganesa likes Kozukkattai (= கொழுக்கட்டை = Sweet Rice Dumpling enclosing coconut shreds, jaggery…) Murugan likes honey and millet flour.

Let us see what flowers and leaves the deities like. Visvesvara likes Bael leaves and Leucas aspera flowers (தும்பைப்பூ). Mahavishnu likes Holy Basil leaves (Tulasi = துலசி). Ambal like Pādala flower. These are narrated in the Puranas.  Based on these, we make use of different objects, flowers and leaves in their worship.  Look at the trifoliate leaf (Bael leaf) that Siva likes and resembles a trident.

There is a need for clothing to hide what needs to be hidden. In this instance, the color of the garment is not important. Of all clothing, cotton is the best. The color is white. That is enough.  In Puja, the flowers with beauty and fragrance are the most appropriate.  Taxonomy is not important. Likewise, what are tasty, nutritious and delectable for us can be used in the service of God.

Whatever gives joy to us we can give to images of deities and disport ourselves with happiness. Variations in the devotional service of the images of deities depend on the season, tradition, place… In the South, Thulakka Chrysanthemum is not used in the worship. But it is used in the North.   In sacerdotal services to Vishnu, decoration takes the first place.  In the sacerdotal service of Siva, ritual ablution takes the first place.  For ritual ablution, liquids take the first place.  Vibhūti, fruits… are used for ablution.  Any object can be used in the sacerdotal services to the deity.

Aṛkampul (= அறுகம்புல் = Cynodon dactylon), and Kothukkadalai (Chickpeas = Cicer arietinum= Bengal-gram,), fruits, betel leaves…are used as a garland. All these are ideas from our mind. Whatever we serve the Lord is for our own joy. We dedicate these to the deity with the thought anything connected to the deity is bright and so we accept them as Prasada. Dharma Sastras stand witness to what we dedicate to the Lord. Krishna Paramatma says that one should take advisory from Dharma Sastras on what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. In the services to the deity, we should use materials that do not injure our senses and organs and foods that do not disturb the tranquility of the mind and soul. That is the true measure. Sheshadrinatha Sastrikal. சேஷாத்ரிநாத சாஸ்திரிகள்  Sakti Vikatan. December 20, 2016. Translation from Tamil to English Veeraswamy Krishnaraj.