[Advaita-l] Idol worship question

[Bhaskar YR]

praNAms
Hare Krishna

Vaishnavas say Brahma is in Devata  Vigrahas. 

>  advaitins too, but we say not only in vigraha-s but since  brahman is 
sarvAntaryAmi he is everywhere (aNu, reNu, truNa, kAshta). 

We have to offer Pooja to Idols thinking we are worshipping God. 

>  Yes, it is in this bhAva only we (the advaitins) too do devatArchana, 
upAsana etc.  But advaitins donot stop there!!  they further have the 
bhAva that what is there in that vigraha, is there in me as well!! 
tyajedajnAna nirmAlyaM sOhambhAvena pUjayet.

But in Advaita Brahma is Nirguna. It has no shape and size.

> saguNa brahmOpAsana is not prohibited in advaita saMpradAya though 
ultimately brahman is nirAkAra, nirguNa, nirvishesha.

How can we explain Murti Pooja? 

>  with the jeeva - Ishwara bedha in vyavahAra.

If you say Brahman is in Idol we can say Brahman is in everything not
only idols. 

> Yes, that is what prahlAda has said to his father :-))

He is in every stone. Can we worship a stone lying in the street thinking 
it is God? 

>  yO yO yAm yAM tanum bhaktaH shraddhayaarchitumitimicchati..pls. refer 
geeta shloka..if you feel the presence of Ishvara sannidhAna in the street 
side stone, that would be your archa-vigraha.

What is difference between that stone and Idols in a temple?

>  its all depends on bhAva of that bhakta...How ever, Idols in the temple 
would undergo vaidikAgama pratishtApana vidhi, (like mahAsnapana, 
kalAkarshaNa, netrOnmilana, prANa pratishtApana etc.)

Some scholars are saying in Vedic worship there is no Idol. 

> shankara at various places talks about vishNu ArAdhana is sAlagrAma.

There is only Yajna. We have to offer worship to any God through Agni 
only. No
need for Idols. Is this correct?

>  dAna, archana, upAsana, dhyAna, yajna-yAga, tapas etc. have their own 
place & importance in vaidika saMpradAya.  Hence you see 
chandramouleeshwara pooja and chandi-rupra hOma/yAga both even in 
traditional Amnaya mutts.

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar