vastropavītābharaṇa-
patra-srag-gandha-lepanaiḥ
alańkurvīta sa-prema
mad-bhakto māḿ yathocitam
vastra -- with clothing; upavita -- a brahmana thread; abharana -- ornaments; patra -- decorations drawn on various parts of the body with tilaka; srak -- garlands; gandha-lepanaih -- and smearing of fragrant oils; alankurvita -- he should decorate; sa-prema -- with love; mat-bhaktah -- My devotee; mam -- Me; yatha ucitam -- as is enjoined.
My devotee should then lovingly decorate Me with clothing, a brahmana thread, various ornaments, marks of tilaka and garlands, and he should anoint My body with fragrant oils, all in the prescribed manner.
Srila Sridhara Svami quotes Lord Sri Vishnu's instructions to Ambarisha Maharaja in the Vishnu-dharma Upapurana as follows: "Absorbing your mind completely in the Deity, you should give up all other shelter and consider the Deity your intimate well-wisher. You should mentally worship Him and meditate upon Him while you walk, while you stand, while you sleep and eat. You should see the Deity in front of you, behind, above, below and on both sides. In this way you should constantly remember My Deity form." In the Gautamiya-tantra one is enjoined to give the Deity of the Lord a brahmana thread, if possible one made of gold. In the Nrisimha Purana it is stated, "If one offers to Lord Govinda a yellow sacred thread containing three strands of silk, he will become an expert in Vedanta."
