Difference between Deity worship and idol worship !

Difference between Deity worship and idol worship !

There is a qualitative difference between Deity worship and Idol worship as ŚrÄ«la Prabhupāda explains belowā€¦

Ā 

Woman guest (2): Could youā€¦ Do you think you could explain to me about the Deities and how itā€™s different from idol worship? Because no one has been able to explain that to my understanding.
Ā  Ā Ā 
Prabhupāda: Idol means your imagination. And Deity is not imaginary. Deity is installed by the authorized person and it is worshiped according to authorized methods. So it is not idol. Idol worship, you imagine something and, some doll or idol, and do in your own way, that is idol worship.
Ā Ā 
Puį¹£į¹­a Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a: Sheā€™s saying but itā€™s manufactured, itā€™s made, graven.
Prabhupāda: That doesnā€™t matter. But it is made according to the Vedic principles. Just like in the Vedas, Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡aā€™s form is described, veį¹‡uį¹ kvaį¹‡antam aravinda-dalāyatākį¹£aį¹ [Bs. 5.30]. Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a is playing on His flute, veį¹‡uį¹ kvaį¹‡antam. His eyes are like the petals of the lotus flower.
So if you follow the description, then it is coming from the Vedic literature or Vedic knowledge. It is not that an artistic way of imagining some idol, the eyes are like this and He must play flute. It is not like that.
Ā  Ā Ā 
Woman guest (2): Thatā€™s because it came from scriptures instead of from menā€™s minds.
Ā  Ā  Ā 
Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore it is authorized. When you take anything from the statute, book, that is law. And if you manufacture something, that is not law. Just like, Iā€™ll give you one very good example. Just like in your front of your house there is U.S. letterbox.
So another man, he sees that the box is in front of his house, ā€œWhy shall I go so far? Let me manufacture a box here.ā€ So heā€™s posting. After six months, heā€™ll see all these letters are lying there. (laughter) And one who is posting that authorized box, his letter is going to thousands and thousands of miles away. So you cannot imitate. If you imitate U.S. letterbox in front of your house and post your letters, it will never go, it will remain there.
Ā  Ā Ā 
[Evening Darśana: July 8 1976]
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7 comments

Thank you Prabhuji šŸ™ So nicely explained. Hari bol šŸ™Œ Jai Srila Prabhupada šŸ™ŒšŸ™‡šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø

Hetal

Your answers are always my answers in any debate. Thank You very much Prabhuji for broadening
my horizon of knowledge. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Saharsh Devgan

I was finding answer to this question. All glories to srila prabhupada.

Yashwant Sushil

Jai Hari bol šŸ™ so beautiful šŸ˜šŸ™ā¤ļø
Thank you for such a informative blog

Shubhangi Maurya

Amazing Explanation, All Glories to Srila Prabhupada šŸ™ā™„ļø

Samarth

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