Dear Guru Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Here I am again :-) I hope I’m not bothering you.

HpS/ASA - No, agtSP, Hare Krsna! We find your association spiritually mature and scholarly. We hope under Lord Caitanya's order you become Guru and deliver your land!

I wanted to ask — what is the meaning of offering the lamp to Lord Dāmodara? Why specifically the lamp, and not a flower, water, earth, or other items?

HpS - I have had the same question and have not found any details where Srila Prabhupada explains it in any of his BBT books, or even other resources.

I do see that he says one should be initiated and learn the songs and rituals for devotional service, worship Krsna in the Temple from the authorized books.

As far as I know, Krsna ksetra Swami and other approached Srila Prabhupada with the standard diety worship book base upon our Acharya's and he approved the work they had done and the direction they were headed.

As I understand from Sridhara Swami, Prabhupada's Godbrother, the lamp is to illuminate the body of the Lord in general and detail.

Normally the Deity is situated in the Temple and there is not so much light from the direct sunlight so lamps are necessary.

I tried to find a direct reference — a verse, a purport from Śrīla Prabhupāda, or something from the writings of our ācāryas — but so far I’ve only come across symbolic explanations or injunctions without clear scriptural sources.

As we (or at least I) try to follow śāstra and our ācāryas in whatever we do, I feel there must be a meaning and explanation for almost everything in our practice. For example, we have scriptural reasoning for chanting the holy name. Without such grounding, it seems easy to drift toward smārta-like ritualism.

Have you read the ISKCON Deity worship book?

If you wish to share something about this topic, I would be very grateful.

Thank you very much for your kindness and guidance.

Your servant,

Nāmacārya Dās

HpS - Thank you!!! They seem like nice things to offer when you are receiving a guest!!