Learn the profound practice of offering food to Lord Krishna in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. Delve into the spiritual significance of this practice and learn how to approach it with reverence and devotion. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to offer food to the Supreme Lord, nourishing both your body and soul.
Food holds immense significance as it provides vital sustenance and energy for life. It fuels our daily activities, making it an integral part of our existence. In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna imparts wisdom on the importance of food and how it impacts our being. Devotees of Lord Krishna choose to consume Prasadam – food offered to the Lord – as a means to align their existence with divine principles.
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The Significance of Krishna Prasadam:
yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo
mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ
(Bhagavad-gita 3.13)
“The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice.”
Sri Krishna is the enjoyer of all sacrifices. Prasadam, the remnants of food offered to Lord Krishna, purifies us from the influence of the three gunas – sattva, rajaḥ, tamaḥ – and accelerates spiritual progress.
The Ingredients of Offering – Love and Devotion
Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita 9.26
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.”
Lord Krishna accepts even our simple offerings if it is done with love and devotion. This is the most important consideration while preparing and offering food to the Lord.
Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport,
“He clearly requests that a leaf, fruit, flowers and water be given to Him, and He says of this offering, “I will accept it.” Therefore, we should understand that He will not accept meat, fish and eggs. Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk and water are the proper foods for human beings and are prescribed by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Whatever else we eat cannot be offered to Him, since He will not accept it. Thus we cannot be acting on the level of loving devotion if we offer such foods.”
The Process of Offering Naivedya
As the auspicious occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami approaches, it’s time to prepare a delightful assortment of food items to offer with utmost love and devotion to Lord Krishna. Gear up to create a list of delectable treats for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord.
Follow these steps to offer food with utmost devotion:
1. Purify Yourself: Bathe and don clean attire before preparing food for the Lord. You can also chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra to purify the mind.
2. Thorough Cleaning: Ensure cleanliness of the cooking place. Wash all ingredients thoroughly before cooking.
3. Avoid Onion and Garlic: Traditionally, these ingredients aren’t offered to Lord Krishna. When buying commercially available food items, carefully review the ingredient list to ensure they contain no onion or garlic.
4. Exclusive Utensils: Maintain separate utensils for the Lord’s service – such as the cooking vessels, offering plates, cups, spoons, and glasses, etc – distinct from those used for personal needs.
5. No Tasting During Cooking: Resist the temptation to taste the food during preparation, not even to see if it is done or if it is seasoned properly. Think of Krishna as He should be the first to relish
the offerings.
6. Presentation: Once the food is cooked, arrange it nicely on a plate and place a Tulasi leaf on each preparation. Cover it with a clean cloth as you take it to the Puja room, ensuring its sanctity by keeping it out of sight from others.
7: Offer with Devotion: Place the offerings (naivedya) in front of the Deities. Request the Lord with utmost love and devotion to accept the offerings by chanting each of these prayers three times:
nama oḿ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Next offer this prayer to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:
namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
And finally to Lord Krishna:
namo brahmaṇya-devāya
go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca
jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya
govindāya namo namaḥ
8. Thank the Lord: Leave the naivedya sometime for the Lord to partake. After the Lord accepts our offering, the food becomes prasadam. Then ring the bell and thank the Lord for accepting the naivedya and remove the plate. Clean the area where the food was offered to the Lord.
9. Serve the Prasadam: Transfer the sanctified food or prasadam to serving utensils. Before serving the prasadam, cleanse the offering plate or, if time is short, rinse it with water. If you sense a missing ingredient or flavour, you may add it before serving the prasadam.
In conclusion, offering food to Lord Krishna is an integral part of Bhakti-yoga. By following the prescribed method and offering with love and devotion, we invite the Lord to partake in our humble offering. Through this service, we nourish our bodies and souls, finding fulfillment in the knowledge that the Lord Himself receives our offerings. Such spiritualized food increases one’s duration of life, purifies one’s existence, and gives strength, health, happiness and satisfaction.
Related Links: Sri Krishna Janmashtami | Janmashtami Recipes
