Is wearing masks during prayers in temple a right thing?
I went to tirumala 3 months back to fulfil my grandmother's vow of tonsuring my head.After tonsuring my head there I went to temple deity's darshan wearing face mask.Since I was wearing the face mask, my doubt is- how the temple deity would recognise me that I had fulfilled the vow, since i was wearing the face mask?
This thought is bothering me.Any thoughts on this doubt?
This is unprecedented times when we are facing a pandemic and when our lives are in danger. That is, we are going through an emergency situation (Apatkala). And scriptures say that when there is an emergency, Dharma Acharana (performance of religious duties) must take a backseat.
So you need not worry about not being able to perform the Darshana in the most perfect manner. If we consider God to be all-knowing then he can easily see through the mask and understand who you are. So, it is not a problem at all.
See the following verses:
Deshabhange pravAse vA bhyAdhishu vyasaneshvapi |
RanedevasvadehAdi paschAddharmam samAchAret ||During a civil commotion, or in exile, or when ill, or in misfortune, the first consideration is to preserve one's life ; practice of religion should at the time be postponed.
Parashara Smriti, Chapter 7, Verse 35
ApatkAle tu nistirno sauchAchAram tu chintayet |
Suddhim samuddharet pashchAtswastho dharmam samacharet ||After the misfortune is over, one should think of purification and religious rites. Thereafter purity may be recovered by him. He ought to practice religion when his troubles are past.
Verse 37
अज्ञो वदति विष्णाय सुज्ञो वदति विष्णवे | द्वयोः सदृशं पुण्यं भावग्राहि जनार्दनः ||
Or
murkho vadati visnaya dhiro vadati visnave | ubhayos tu samam punyam 𝙗𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙖-𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙝𝙞 𝙟𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙝||
The purport is that any service or offering done to Bhagavan Vishnu, He accepts the mood in which they are offered.
One of the qualities of Lord Vishnu is that of being 'sarvagnyan' which means all knowing or omniscient. He does not need to see your face to know who you are, being all knowing, He would very much be aware of your visit to His temple. You need not therefore worry that he would not recognize you because of your mask.
