Naivedhya & prasad

[Jainarayan]

When offering food to Lord Krishna, just how do you do it? Do you prepare the food, ask the Lord to accept it, wait a bit, then eat it?

When I'm at work, I get something from the cafeteria... bagel with cream cheese and butter, yogurt and fruit. I bring it to my desk and have it here. Do I wait, asking Him to accept it, then eat it? Or is that altogether unacceptable because I did not prepare it myself? I'm certain there is nothing non-veg.

At home I prepare panchamrit, and some fruit during morning and/or evening puja, place it on the altar, and when I am done, I eat it.

[smaranam]

Namaste TouchedByTheLord

Like the Lord said in the Gita Chapter 12,

Do this
If you can't do this
then do this this
If this this is also hard
Do that
if that is not possible
do that that

that that is better than this this and this is better than that.... (Chapter 12)

Similarly, with naivedya, we want to do our best.

1. All food offered must be vegetarian with no onions, garlic, mushrooms, vinegar and other obviously tAmasic foods, too spicy/hot, pungent or oily.

2. a. As far as possible we use freshly cooked food with fresh ingredients - devotees also make the break/chapati at home if possible.
b. If required to use store-bought items, here is a list of foods with animal ingredients (http://www.krishna.com/hidden-animal-ingredients) to watch out for.

3. a. When at home, we offer the food cooked without tasting it, without a mentality to look forward to eating/relishing it, and ideally without consciously smelling it. The idea is to cook / offer for KRshNa's pleasure.

b. With the bagel and cream cheese, it is better to bring your own, so you know the brand, and hence ingredients (unless you are willing to bug the cafeteria people).

4. b. In this work-place scenario, offer the food to Bhagvan with a prayer, invite Him to have it, meditate on Him eating it, and then we accept it.

a. At home, it can be more: A special set of plate-bowl-cup utensils for Bhagvan. Set His plate, glass of water/juice whatever,

I usually make a swastik with water and put the plate on it. Sprinkling some water around the plate we say the mantras.

For instance:
namo bramhaNya devAya go, brAmhaN hitAya cha
jagaddhitAya kRshNAya govindAya namo namah:

I bow (praNAm) to You O Lord KRshNa, Govind, the Supreme Brahman, You are the well-wisher (hitAya) of the cows and the bramhins, and You are the well-wisher of the entire human society and world.

naivedyam samarapayAmi
I Offer this naivedya to You

Typically, leaving the room is recommended while we do more meditational activities, after enough time for Him to eat, we take the plate as prasad.

This post has some links - one of which is "Offering Food to KRshNa" :
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=44025&postcount=2

Jai Shri KRshNa
praNAm

[Jainarayan]

Namaste smaranam, and thank you very much.


Namaste TouchedByTheLord

Similarly, with naivedya, we want to do our best.

1. All food offered must be vegetarian with no onions, garlic, mushrooms, vinegar and other obviously tAmasic foods, too spicy/hot, pungent or oily.

Yes, I'm good there. I know it must be veg., and I don't offer anything with those things in it.


2. a. As far as possible we use freshly cooked food with fresh ingredients - devotees also make the break/chapati at home if possible.
b. If required to use store-bought items, here is a list of foods with animal ingredients (http://www.krishna.com/hidden-animal-ingredients) to watch out for.

Thanks for that list. I have been reading labels very carefully. I was distressed to find out that Dannon Yogurt, and some other commercial brands use gelatin! Now I only buy plain milk and culture yogurt, nothing fancy. I admit I buy a large container, but I use it only for offering, and only consume it as prasad.


3. a. When at home, we offer the food cooked without tasting it, without a mentality to look forward to eating/relishing it, and ideally without consciously smelling it. The idea is to cook / offer for KRshNa's pleasure.

Well, smellling food or flowers before offering is no problem, as I have almost no sense of smell. I have learned that when preparing the food, even if it is not the best in taste, it's the offering and love that counts. It can be seasoned later. But Sri Krishna also says that to eat only for the senses is to eat only sin.


b. With the bagel and cream cheese, it is better to bring your own, so you know the brand, and hence ingredients (unless you are willing to bug the cafeteria people).

True, good idea.


4. b. In this work-place scenario, offer the food to Bhagvan with a prayer, invite Him to have it, meditate on Him eating it, and then we accept it.

Ah, so I was right with that. :)


a. At home, it can be more: A special set of plate-bowl-cup utensils for Bhagvan. Set His plate, glass of water/juice whatever,

Yes, exactly what I have. I have a small brass puja set that has a panchapatra and pali, a kalash, and several brass bowls. I fill the kalash with water, make panchamrit in the panchapatra, and put some fruits, nuts, yogurt, and other things in the bowl(s). I set it all on the altar, say my prayers with incense and light offering, then when I'm done and I hope the Lord has accepted the offering, I'll partake.


For instance:
namo bramhaNya devAya go, brAmhaN hitAya cha
jagaddhitAya kRshNAya govindAya namo namah:

I bow (praNAm) to You O Lord KRshNa, Govind, the Supreme Brahman, You are the well-wisher (hitAya) of the cows and the bramhins, and You are the well-wisher of the entire human society and world.

naivedyam samarapayAmi
I Offer this naivedya to You

Typically, leaving the room is recommended while we do more meditational activities, after enough time for Him to eat, we take the plate as prasad.

I say that exact prayer, among others!


This post has some links - one of which is "Offering Food to KRshNa" :
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=44025&postcount=2

Jai Shri KRshNa
praNAm

Hmm... don't know why I missed it in doing a search.

Thank you so much for the education. :)

[smaranam]

Hare KRshNa

You are welcome.

---
P. S. : A few points to add to the naivedya topic for all interested.

5. Grains should never be offered dry - 'rUksha'. It is considered asuric. Like rice/roti/bread dishes should be garnished with ghee/butter/alternative.

6. A Tulasi leaf on each cooked item (need not put tulasi on whole fruits) if possible. Lord accepts with pleasure food served along with Tulasi leaf, but if tulasi is not available it is OK.
Never heat tulasi in the cooking pot.
Tulasi, with some basic care, can be grown and maintained in all except severely cold weathers. This can be another topic. VRndA-devi Tulasi is KRshNa's consort Lakshmi, is very compassionate and blesses devotees with KRshNa sanga (association). Singing prayers to Her, circumblating (pradakshiNA), offering leaves at Shri KRshNa/ShrimAn NArAyaN's Lotus Feet (NO ONE ELSE's Lotus Feet, ONLY VishNu Tattva - not Radha/LAkshmi), adding tulasi to abhishek water, are a few things devotees do.

7. Those who are interested in going further must look up books written by Goswamis (acc. to Goswami Vidhi) or corresponding books by your sampraday gurus. One is Hari Bhakti Vilas.

8. Devotees who take up Chaturmas vrat (for four months of ShrAvaN, BhAdrapad, ashwin, kArtik) to varying degrees (skipping certain food items - from lenient to strict) also get info from these books and the VaishNav (Lunar) Calendar sites. Not everyone takes it up and it is completely voluntary. Also it is wise to start slowly first.

praNAm

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté


I'd like to offer a comment on one word , nivedyaṁ. It is defined as an offering of food - we say to the Supreme. Offering food to the Supreme can be done at meal time or during pūjā or yajña. If we look at its components of nivedyaṁ it assists us with a better understanding:



nivedyaṁ = nivedya = ni + vedya
ni = dāna - the act of giving; gift . It also means ( 3rd derivation) purification; dāna is also the distribution of food.
vedya = being acquired ( the reciever in this case of ni ); vedya also means that which is learnt due to this word
also meaning relating to veda ( knowledge).
Now the interesting part ( for me) is ni can also be used to express ( or in lieu of) a few words :

kṣepa - throwing , casting , tossing ; stretching, sending , dismissing; pride , haughtiness
dāna - mentioned above
upa-rama - going to or approaching + pleasing , delighting , rejoicing
āśraya - attaching to , choosing , taking , joining, union ( note that śraya = approaching for protection )
mokṣa - liberation from ingnorance ; the re-recognition of one's own Being.Via these definitions nivedyaṁ becomes very robust. Nivedyaṁ comes back to the giver as prasāda¹. Hence this prasāda takes on the qualities of nivedyaṁ - lets take a look:

The offerings (dāna) of pure food ( recall ni = pure) one is approaching (upa-rama) and choosing (āśraya) ; he/she is casting off (kṣepa) pride or haughtiness (kṣepa). What is learned (vedya) ? Liberation from ignorance ( mokṣa) through the process of purificaiton ( ni) that brings delight (upa-rama).

You can see why smaranam suggests the food be whole ( bhūmán) , pure (ni , some may say amala - clean , pure, without blemish) and sattvic ( the quality of pure, of Being, absence of tamas).

words

prasāda - graciousness , kindness ; calmness , tranquility ; well-being , welfare
note prasad = to settle down , grow clear and bright , become placid or tranquil

[uttam]

dear smaranam
I want to know do devotees offer those item to bhagaban as prasad which they can eat only ? I know a iskon vaishnab who is diabetic and can not take sweet . when he offers sweet item to sri krishna ,he does not dare to eat the sweet prasad and distribute it to others.what is this ? you say some thing can be offered as prasad and some can not be . in your version "All food offered must be vegetarian with no onions, garlic, mushrooms, vinegar and other obviously tAmasic foods, too spicy/hot, pungent or oily." please let me know why. Are these things not created by sri krishna ? we may not be able to digest spicy food ;why sri krishna ? More over what ever you offer to bhagaban you have to think in mind that bhagaban has eaten your offering then why you need mantras and rituals etc. I am surprised to think that you always eat prasad that is what you eat is already eaten by sri krishna as you offered to him then why not you become Mahapurusha ? can you think you are eating what sri krishna has already eaten, if it is true what should have been the effect on you. this is beyond my imagination you people always eat what sri krishna has eaten still you are as normal as we. strange !

[smaranam]

Namaste Uttamji,


I want to know do devotees offer those item to bhagaban as prasad which they can eat only ?

Yes, many times that is practical. It depends on the devotee's love. Some offer grains on Ekadashi and eat the next day because Ekadashi is for us, not Bhagvan, why make Him fast.


I know a iskon vaishnab who is diabetic and can not take sweet . when he offers sweet item to sri krishna ,he does not dare to eat the sweet prasad and distribute it to others.what is this ?

In the best case, it is pure love. Sweets are offered because how can you not offer mithai to you darling Nandanandan ? The difference between pure bhakti : "patram pushpam phalam toyam... BG 9.26"
Versus nishkAm karma : "Arjun, whatever you do, eat, offer as sacrifice, do it as an offering to Me"


you say some thing can be offered as prasad and some can not be . in your version "All food offered must be vegetarian with no onions, garlic, mushrooms, vinegar and other obviously tAmasic foods, too spicy/hot, pungent or oily." please let me know why. Are these things not created by sri krishna ? we may not be able to digest spicy food ;why sri krishna ?

KRshNa says in Chapter 17 that sAttvic, snigdha, shuddha, healthful durability increasing foods are eaten by people of sattva guNa. Lord is beyond guNas, so the best we can give Him is positive - sattva.

Spicy food is rAjasic - cause dAha and disease acc. to Him, and KRshNa is not rAjasic. Did Yashoda maiya ever offer Him spicy oily food ?

Non veg is out of question - tAmasic, moreover, it is cruelty towards those animals, but there is no question of offering them to (read - forcing them onto) KRshNa !

A ragatmika bhakta (or raganuga) will always try to do what KRshNa likes, not what He might tolerate, always works towards His happiness, and always depends on KRshNa. The wife eats what is left after the Husband eats, she does not go to some restaurant after serving Him.
KRshNa accepts pAtram pushpam phalam toyam. If one offers Him something else innocently He will not say anything out of kindness, but devotees do not offer Him something He does not like. They do not care about being mahApurush or mahA-anything nor about going to hell (see 8th verse of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's ShikshAshtak).

Argument that agriculture also kills insects is not valid because KRshNa does not eat those creatures. It is not the same as killing a fish and offering it. It would make the Lotus Eyed Raseshwar so sad.



More over what ever you offer to bhagaban you have to think in mind that bhagaban has eaten your offering then why you need mantras and rituals etc.

You don't ! All you need is L O V E. I do not follow varied rituals, just simple gestures that come naturally - also in context of Puja.
Sometimes, you open a pack of grapes "KRshNa... there is no plate but... please have these..."
"Just eat them, they are for you" comes His reply.



I am surprised to think that you always eat prasad that is what you eat is already eaten by sri krishna as you offered to him then why not you become Mahapurusha ? this is beyond my imagination you people always eat what sri krishna has eaten still you are as normal as we. strange !

How do you know that glories of prasAdam have not touched those people ? Steve Jobs, the creative Apple founder ate KRshNa mahAprasAd.

-----------------

Let me first tell you this jIva belongs to Shri KRshNa alone, and not to any group or organization, but she respects and honors all of them as being His representatives, and some - as shikshA gurus, while VAsudev alone is her real Guru.

She met KRshNa in late 2005 in this life, in no time He made it known they always belonged together. He lives in and around this heart very very very close. His Lotus Feet walk in and out of this heart. Crown touching the ceiling He takes slow gentle steps around this insignificant jIva. He is the closest and nearest and dearest to the heart. Thus He fulfills His own voluntary promise of always being with her. (He once asked her to walk into His heart - a tunnel ending in infinite.)

He takes her to places unknown, and shows amazing things...
I do not call these "out of body experiences". Rather, being in this mundane body is the "out of [spiritual] "body" " experience.

Soon after she was conscious of prANeshwar MadhusUdan living with her, she turned vegetarian OVERNIGHT. Oblivious to any vegetarian talk on internet (I hardly went to the internet) ,
It was because once she suddenly felt how imprisoned the animals must feel. If a human can feel oppressed, abused, trapped, bullied by other humans, just imagine how much more those poor animals must feel. This was grace of KRshNa as paramAtmA.

The vegetarianism came completely from within. Onion garlic vinegar mushrooms tea cofee came from Shrila PrabhupAd's disciples ; Vegan from Peta. and agreed with this completely with NO ARGUMENT. The jiva does this out of max ahimsa and compassion, not fear of hell.

And yes, He eats the prasAd offered physically with these hands as well as mentally. Eyes closed, I see Him walk out, climb the altar and eat. In the beginning, yrs ago, around October-end I saw a little boy eating the naivedya - and I thought perhaps becs it was kid-food, bland. He would also come to me crawling. Only later on I found out it was KARtik, supposed to be DAmodar month ! What coincidence that the food offered should also be kids' food (cooked for kids) ?

It is the sheer joy and preciousness of the fact that ShyAmsundar is so kind to actually come and eat the food - this is what devotees live for.

varam deva moksham na moksham vadhim vA
nachAnyam vRne aham vareshad api hA
idam te vapur nAtha gopAla bAlam
sadA me manasi avirastam kim anyaih

For some time I did not know about onion , and offered food with onion by mistake. But He ate it ! That does not mean I offer onion to Him now that I know.





_/\_ praNAm

[uttam]

Dear Smaranam

It is said that prasad to be eaten as and when got. During ekadashi some one offers grain to sri bhagvan and keep this prasad for next day due to fasting . Is it not discarding the prasad. Do you remember how sarbovom pandit eats prasad in one early morning when mahapravu gives him ?
Is it pure vakti on the part of diabetic iskon vaishnab to distribute the sweet prasad to others and himself not taking ? Do you believe sweet prasad will do harm to his diabetic problem ? Is this the kind of dependence you talk on sri krishna ? Do you mean spicy food will cause disease to sri krishna ? you say sri krishna is beyond gunas, again you say he is not rajasic. is he sattwik ? I think these sattwik, rajasic, tamasic are related to us only and not to sri krishna.

Is it correct to say that my impurity ,my sattwa, raja, tama will touch sri krishna and make him impure , sattwik, rajasic, and tamasic ?

If wife eats what is left after husband eats then why diabetic vaishnab does not eat sweet ? everybody thinks that what he likes is liked by sri krishna. do you ever bother what sri krishna actually likes for himself. Can you explain me what is the difference between raganuga vakti and bidhi vakti ? How raganuga vakti can be attained ?

[smaranam]

Hari bolo


Is it correct to say that my impurity ,my sattwa, raja, tama will touch sri krishna and make him impure , sattwik, rajasic, and tamasic ?

Nobody said that anywhere on this thread.

-------

Vaidhi : A sAdhak must follow KRshNa's instruction in the Gita - "nistraiguNa bhavArjunah:" and as long as they cannot be nistraiguNa, the gateway to it is thru' increasing sattva - so says KRshNa. So, offer sattvic eat sattvic - as far as possible. Also, please see Yajvanji's post above.

RAgAnuga : Hai ! No mirchi for my KAnhA no ! no ! no ! I cannot torture Him like that !

And, as far as I can tell, in Vraj, KRshNa does not eat tAmasic food nor do the VrajvAsis offer Him tAmasic. In Vraj, Dwarka, Mathura He is offered nice food as close to sattvic as possible.


Yashoda Maiya and the gopis young and old, are always worried that KrshNa should eat well, good food, His bare feet not hurting in the woods, and on rare occasions when He has stomachache and headache. For them, philosophy jnana of KRshNa being untouched by guNas is of no consequence.

A raganuga bhakta can never impose foods that are obviously outright tAmasic and rAjasic on the object of their love - MurAri MadhusUdan. And, yes, they will eat whatever He insists/coaxes they should eat (as prasad). However, not everyone in the world is on that transcendental platform.

Please, I do not want to argue on this. I was simply helping someone with naivedya. Also, I do not consider myself specifically Gaudiya, Shri, Pushti margi / neither vaidhi nor 'raga + anuga' bhakta. I am simply what KrshNa makes me ~*~ as we go long ~*~.
One thing for sure - not willing to move even a nanometer away from Him - who is prANanAth. This is existential truth which cannot change - neither does He want to change it nor me.

Please do tell us about raganuga bhakti on a new thread.

Happy Diwali

Jai Shri KRshNa MurAri (destroyer of demon Mura) NarkAri (destroyer of NarkAsura on the day of Narka-Chaturdashi) ChittahAri PAlanhAri Govind MAdhav MadhusUdan GiridhAri