Preface - We are elated that by the mercy of our revered gurudeva, Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and that of the book's exalted author, Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja, we are able to present this third edition of Arcana-dipikā.

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Thākura Prabhupāda states in his introduction to Sri Bhajana-rahasya:

Arcana means to worship the deity with reverence and honour; that is, with knowledge of the Lord's opulence and by observing etiquette. It is also arcana to serve Bhagavān with various paraphernalia according to rules and regulations.

Arcana-dīpikā, therefore, gives instruction on the limb of bhakti that uses the various paraphernalia of this world to worship the Lord.

How editions of this book have evolved
Since the worship described herein is not traditionally Western, and since it is detailed, certain challenges are faced in presenting an English rendition of this book that are generally not faced in translating exclusively philosophical texts.
 
Our attempt to satisfactorily deal with these challenges is reflected in our evolving presentation of this book over its various editions. The feedback received from readers has been an integral part of this process. Therefore, the presentation of this third edition differs from the previous two editions, while the content is essentially the same.

We closely observed arcana being performed in four different Gaudīya Mathas and also made extensive inquiries. In our research, two things were apparent: (1) although the procedures for arcana are specific, at the same time, they are flexible. In other words, there may be slight variations in how different pūjārīs perform the same procedure. (2) Whenever, due to lack of ingredients, one is unable to offer a particular item, one may do so with water from the pañca-pátra, with a flower, or by mind.

Arcana-dipikā gives the topmost standard of arcana. It is understood that for some devotees, it may not be practical to attend to all of the details. As described by our guru-varga, the main purpose of arcana is to establish a relationship with the deity.