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 be-
fore the Deity. 24) One should not fail to worship the Deity accord-
ing to his means. (In the Bhagavad-gitd 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 Krsna. 26) One should
not fail to offer fresh fruit and grains to Krsna, according to the sea-
son. 27) After cooking, no one should be offered any foodstuff un-
less 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 Varaha Purana. They are as fol-
lows: 1) One should not touch the Deity in a dark room. 2) One
should not fail to strictly follow the rules and regulations in wor-
shiping the Deity. 3) One should not enter the temple of the Deity
without first making some sound. 4) One should not offer any food-
stuff to the Deity which has been seen by dogs or other lower ani-
mals. 5) One should not break the silence while worshiping. 6) One
should not pass urine or evacuate while engaged in worshiping. 7) One
