Offenses to be Avoided
69
Deity. 17) One should not chastise anyone before the Deity. 18) One should not be charitable to beggars before the Deity. 19) One should not speak very harshly to others before the Deity. 20) One should not wear a fur blanket before the Deity. 21) One should not eulogize or praise anyone else before the Deity. 22) One should not speak any ill names before the Deity. 23) One should not pass air before the Deity. 24) One should not fail to worship the Deity according to his means. (In the  Bhagavad-gītā  it is stated that the Lord is satisfied even if some devotee offers him a leaf or a little water. This formula prescribed by the Lord is universally applicable, even for the poorest man. But that does not mean that one who has sufficient means to worship the Lord very nicely should also adopt this method and try to satisfy the Lord simply by offering water and a leaf. If he has sufficient means, he should offer nice decorations, nice flowers, nice foodstuffs and observe all ceremonies. It is not that one should try to satisfy the Supreme Lord with a little water and a leaf, and for himself spend all his money in sense gratification.) 25) One should not eat anything which is not offered first to Kṛṣṇa. 26) One should not fail to offer fresh fruit and grains to Kṛṣṇa, according to the season. 27) After cooking, no one should be offered any foodstuff unless it is first offered to the Deity. 28) One should not sit with his back towards the Deity. 29) One should not offer obeisances silently to the spiritual master; or in other words, one should recite  aloud  the prayers to the spiritual master while offering obeisances. 30) One should not fail to offer some praise in the presence of the spiritual master. 31) One should not praise himself before the spiritual master. 32) One should not deride the demigods before the Deity.
This is a list of 32 offenses. Besides these, there are a number of offenses which are mentioned in the  Varāha Purāṇa . They are as follows: 1) One should not touch the Deity in a dark room. 2) One should not fail to strictly follow the rules and regulations in worshiping the Deity. 3) One should not enter the temple of the Deity without first making some sound. 4) One should not offer any foodstuff to the Deity which has been seen by dogs or other lower animals. 5) One should not break the silence while worshiping. 6) One should not pass urine or evacuate while engaged in worshiping. 7) One