Madhu Pandit das: Re: neglected deity

Madhu Pandit das: Question asked by Ranjith Muniraj: What happens if a deity is installed initially; it is worshiped sincerely; later -- after few generations if it is not taken care or worshiped, is sin carried to the people who had installed the deities? And what happens to the deities, is the lord present in the deity even if the deity is not being worshiped?

My reply:- Deity incarnation is very merciful incarnation of the Lord in this material world. While installing Him by inviting Him to reside in the Deity by Himself becoming a form similar to the material substance of the murti, we have to be responsible as humanly as possible to ensure seva goes on in a befitting manner. Recklessly one cannot install without proper arrangement for worship. Again the installer cannot control future. In fact Lord is the controller of Kala. Therefore I said as ‘humanly’ possible we should ensure that the seva goes on before installing. The Lord is swarat. He can be bound only by Love. He can never be bound by matter of the Deity unlike how we are bound by this material body.

In fact by the descending of the Lord in a form similar to the Deity, the matter of the Deity becomes spiritually transparent or spiritualized by the internal energies that accompany Him, resulting in nullifying effect of three modes on the devotee seer or worshipper. In other words the matter becomes spirit or pure brahman, its original state free from three modes. Thus we can see that there is nothing material in the Deity. Everything is spiritual. 

Thus we see that Lord when He descends into the Deity body, His energies influence the matter and not other way around. Deity is ever liberated. Only love binds him. Srila Prabhupada says “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as bhava-grahe janardana because He takes only the essence of a devotee's attitude.” Why should He bound to the Murti if worship stops? He is infinitely merciful and tolerant. He will not go away so easily. Only when He is offended by active neglect He obviously goes away. It is all interpersonal factors between devotees and Deity - like how the Sakshi Gopal Deity walked thousands of miles to bear witness for the reputation of His devotee.

There can be no fixed rule to ascertain that the Lord has left. When the Lord goes away, the Murti is again matter with influence as three modes of nature. He is completely free; he may not go away at all. He may wait for some other devotee to come and serve Him and permit the murti to be buried for centuries and again come back when the right devotee appears to offer seva. He is omnipotent. The principle is that He is bound by the love of the Acarya training his sadhaka disciples to worship Him. Thus he is also bound for simple follower of a pure devotee who invited Him because of his obedience to the Acharya.

Suppose pujaris are not careful and protective, some thieves see the value of the metal and steals the Deity, do you think that the Lord can be stolen like that unless the Lord Himself decides to go through the hands of the thieves in order to purify them just like the thief in Vrindavan who had intense desire to see Krishna to rob His ornaments completely, after he had heard about the Lord from the Bhagavatm reciter. If the thief’s intention is to melt, do you think Lord will go with him when he steals the murti? Obviously not. He will only touch matter. 

I hope this answers your question.

Hari bol…