Cc. Madhya 4.62

Text

punaḥ taila diya kaila śrī-aṅga cikkaṇa
śaṅkha-gandhodake kaila snāna samādhāna

Synonyms

punaḥ—again; taila diyā—with oil; kaila—made; sri-anga—the body of the Deity; cikkaṇa—shiny; śaṅkha-gandha-udake—in water scented with flowers and sandalwood pulp and kept within a conchshell; kaila—did; snāna—bath; samadhana—execution. 

Translation

After the mahā-snāna was finished, the Deity was again massaged with scented oil and His body made glossy. Then the last bathing ceremony was performed with scented water kept within a conchshell. 

Purport

In his commentary on this occasion, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura quotes from the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. Barley powder, wheat powder, vermilion powder, urad dāl powder and another powder preparation called āvāṭā (made by mixing banana powder and ground rice) are applied to the Deity’s body with a brush made from the hair at the end of a cow’s tail. This produces a nice finish. The oil smeared over the body of the Deity should be scented. To perform the mahā-snāna, at least two and a half mānas (about twenty-four gallons) of water are needed to pour over the body of the Deity. 

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