Maha Abhiseka Bathing
~Assembled devotees to perform kirtan throughout~

1. In Deity Room (behind closed curtain) – Deities are dressed in gamchas.

2. Ring bell and open curtain, escort The Lord to the snana vedi; ringing bell, offer:
a. ‘esa puspanjalih…’
b. ‘ime paduke…’
c. place banana leaves / flowers / tulasi on snana vedi and escort The Lord .
d. Offer: i. ‘etat padyam…’ (to feet)
ii. ‘idam arghyam…’ (to hands)
iii. ‘idam acamaniyam…’ (to hands)
iv. ‘esa madhuparkah…’ (to hands)
v. ‘idam punar-acamaniya…’ (to hands)

3. Phala-mala – offer fruit garlands to The Lord ‘idam phala-malayam…’

4. Reception arati – pista dipa.
a. conch - purify and blow 3 times, purify @ end.
b. insence – ‘esa dhupah…’ 3 sticks, show guru, offer 7 times around The Lord, offer as prasadam to vaisnavas.
c. pista dipa – ‘esa pista-dipah…’ on a tray, eight-petalled lotus drawn with ghee and kunkuma,
9 wick cases (flour / sugar / milk) + ghee wicks. Offer as insence.
d. flowers – ‘etani puspani…’ offer as insence.

~ bells to be rung constantly (and conch blown at intervals) from now on~

5. Til-pisti – blended white sesame seeds mixed with warm water.
a. massage The Lord (hold base with left, massage with right hand). ‘idam til pistim…’
b. dilute with water and then bathe via conch ‘idam til-snaniyam…’

6. Panca-gavya - via conch.
a. milk – ‘idam ksira-snaniyam…’
b. yoghurt – ‘idam dadhi-snaniyam…’
c. ghee – ‘idam ghrta-snaniyam…’
d. diluted cow urine (1:30 water) chant brahma-gayatri before offering.
e. diluted cow stool (1:30 water) chant brahma-gayatri before offering.

Bathe in 1 conch of cool water with kusa tips / tulasi if possible. ‘idam jala-snaniyam…’

7. Pancamrta – via conch (warm and easy to pour).
a. milk – ‘idam ksira-snaniyam…’
b. yoghurt (dilute) – ‘idam dadhi-snaniyam…’
c. ghee – ‘idam ghrta-snaniyam…’
d. honey (dilute) – ‘idam madhu-snaniyam…’
e. sugar water (use guda) – ‘idam sita-snaniyam…’

8. Kunkuma dusting – using cow-tail brush, apply mixture of kunkuma and flour (1:1) by flicking, massage in. (hold deity base with left hand).

Bathe in 3 conches of warm water with tulasi if possible. ‘idam jala-snaniyam…’

9. Phalam – via conch. Bathe The Lord in warm fruit juices (at least 5 types, or whatever is available) recommended:
mango / strained pomegranate / grape / diluted banana (1:4 water) / + 1 seasonal fruit. ‘idam phala-snaniyam…’

10. Coconut – bathe The Lord with water from, 8 (green) coconuts, poured from fruit. (pre- drill holes before ceremony) ‘idam phala-snaniyam…’

11. Puspa – via conch. Bathe the Lord with water, consecutively adding 5 types of flower to conch, each time chanting ‘idam puspa-snaniyam…’ (if permissible, use 5 conches of water).

12. Ausadhi – via conch (1 of each variety).
a. sarva-ausadhi – ‘idam sarva-ausadhi-snaniyam…’
b. maha ausadhi – ‘idam maha-ausadhi-snaniyam…’
c. mangala snana – ‘idam mangala-snaniyam…’ chant brahma-gayatri before offering.
If not possible, offer 3 conches of water with a pre-soaked mixture (suspended in cheese cloth and removed before bathing) of cloves / cinnamon / cardamom / saffron / nutmeg / aniseed / turmeric / dill / sweet flag root / tulasi, meditating on offering the different ausadhis.

13. Bijastaka - via conch. 8 types of ground seed are offered:
paddy / wheat / barley / white rice / sesame seed / millet / buckwheat / panic seed / wild rice. ‘idam ekam-bija-snaniyam…’ / ‘idam dve-bija-snaniyam…’ etc. (trini / chatur / panca / sad / sapta / asta)

(14. Nava / panca-ratna – via conch. Substitute with 9 / 5 colours of flower petal or coloured water or mixture of the two. ‘idam navaratna-snaniyam…’)

15. Astagandha – via conch, offered as 8 separate scents or all together. (Scented oils are ground into sandalwood paste, or un-scented gopi-candana and diluted in water). Stir before offering. ‘idam astagandha-snaniyam…’
16. Gandha –
a. cover The Lord’s body with sandalwood paste / gopi-candana (hold base with left hand, and wipe with right ring- and middle- finger across forehead / chest / belly / arms / legs / feet.
b. via conch, bathe The Lord with water containing sandalwood paste ‘idam gandha-snaniyam…’

17. Phala-mala – take the garlands and distribute to the congregation as ‘maha’.

18. Sahasrada - Offer pure water (and previous items) through the sahasrada. ‘idam sahasrada-snaniyam…’

19. Asta-kalasa – via conch, congregation bathe The Lord with 16 conches of water / candana / saffron / tulasi, one conch per verse of the purusa-sukta (PP S-76 onwards).

20. Jala-snana – via conch, congregation bathe The Lord in pure water, pujari chants verses from Brahma samhita (5.29 onwards) at end chant verses 17/18 of purusa-sukta. ‘idam jala-snaniyam…’

21. Concluding activities –
a. dry The Lord and wrap Him in a towel ‘idam anga-vastram…’
b. ‘idam acamaniyam…’
c. conch - purify and blow 3 times, purify @ end.
d. allow congregation to take darshan and offer pranamas.
e. remove The Lord to the alankara-vedi for dressing.

Chant the following, to ask for forgiveness:

mantra-hinam kriya-hinam bhakti-hinam janardana
yat pujitam maya deva paripurnam tad astu me

aparadha-sahasrani kriyante ‘har-nisam maya
daso ‘ham iti mam matva ksamasva madhusudana

Then offer The Lord bhoga followed by maha-arati.