I would like to ask, if in a house of meat-eaters --- how shall I provide food to Krsna. As mentioned previously, we should offer food from a kitchen devoid of meat.

Kindly advice.

YS.

Volunteer

Shravn Prabhu > NiYan Yap January 31, 2011 at 4:10pm

Offer only vegetarian to Lord Krishna with a Tulasi leaf. It will be accepted 100%.

Tulasi is pure devotee.

Volunteer

Shravn Prabhu January 27, 2011 at 6:45pm

I was in India a few years ago. I asked my mom, who also took up Vaisnavism, to offer to Lord Krishna before I eat. Some how I felt that the food was not oferred.

One day we visited one of the devotees, who spends 12 hrs a day in front of Krishna mostly performing Japa and Archanam. I brought up the subject that, even though my mom is offering the bhoga to the Lord, I don't feel like it was offered.

He advised us to offer bhoga with a Tulasi leaf and Lord will accept it.

It is not so much how long. The second. you add a Tulasi leaf to Bhoga, it is already accepted.

Devotees, please correct me if I am wrong (pl. quote from Acharya or Scriptures)

(8) bhaktya vihina aparadha-lakshaih

kshiptash ca kamadi-taranga- madhye

kripamayi tvam sharanam prapanna

vrinde namas te caranaravindam

O Vrinda Devi, I offer my respectful obeisances to your lotus feet. Those who are devoid of devotion to Lord Hari, and who are thrown by their offenses into the waves of lust and other inauspicious qualities, may take shelter of you.

Ashish Rajvanshi > Shravn Prabhu January 28, 2011 at 3:00pm

Hare Krishna!

Can someone kindly detail the bonafide way of offering food to Lord at home? Also what are prayers that one should chant while offering food?
- priyanka > Ashish Rajvanshi January 31, 2011 at 3:09pm
  
  prabhuji pls read probhani' book .
  
  it is very helpful to bignners in iskcon
  
  Aviable in all Iskcon Centers & Temples.
- Volunteer
  
  Shravn Prabhu > Ashish Rajvanshi January 31, 2011 at 4:00am
  
  Ramanujacharya has given a lot of details on how to worship the Lord. Methods are practiced in almost all the temples all over the world (Including Iskcon Krishna Temples)
  
  At home offering with a Tulasi leaf is the perfect and bonafied way.
  
  If you do all the rituals and not offer with a Tulasi leaf, their is no guarantee it will be accepted by the Lord.
  
  On the other hand you offer bhoga with a single Tulasi leaf and Lord with accept it 100%
  
  It all depends what your goal is "rituals" or "that the Lord accept the bhoga".
  
  We must spend less time on rituals and more time in performing Sankirtana, instruction of Srila Prabhupada, given to Him by His Acharyas and Lord Krishna Himself as Caitanya Mahaprabhu
  - Ashish Rajvanshi > Shravn Prabhu January 31, 2011 at 7:14am
    
    Thanks Prabhu ji for detailing the way to offer Prasadam.
    
    I live in Malaysia where I dont have a Tulasi Plant at home, so I'll have to do without Tulasi Devi for now.
    
    Rituals are important for the purification of a neophyte like me.I have no taste for Sankirtan or Chanting, but I have read that offering Prasadam and doing other rituals will purify me and make me eligible to relish Holy Names.
    
    Hari Bol
    - Volunteer
      
      Shravn Prabhu > Ashish Rajvanshi January 31, 2011 at 12:56pm
      
      you dont need a Tulasi plant. even dry Tulasi leaf or if you can find Tulasi tea in some health food stores it will suffice.
- Volunteer
  
  Jay Krishnan Ramasawmy > Ashish Rajvanshi January 30, 2011 at 6:39pm
  
  The temple song book is taken from the complete Hare Krsna song book entitled "Songs of the Vaishnava Acaryas" translated by his divine grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
  
  The instructions below are from that Temple Song Book:
  
  Offering Food
  
  (1) Keeps a plate, a spoon, a tumbler and several small bowls solely for offering your food to Krsna.
  
  If they are made of stainless steel this is very nice. These utensils should not be used for any other purpose.
  
  (2) The food should be prepared in a clean kitchen and should contain no meat, fish, eggs, onion, garlic, vinegar or mushrooms. (Hing may be used instead of onions and garlic, lemon juice or tamarind instead of vinegar. Also chikree and rooibos tea tea may be substituted for coffee and ordinary tea). The food should not be tasted before offering as Krsna should be the first to relish the offering.
  
  Also while cooking one should medidate on how one is cooking for Krsna. When the preparations are ready portions are placed on the plate kept for Krsna and then placed before pictures of the spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Lord Caitanya accompanied by His associates and Sri Sri Radha Krsna.
  
  You can also light a stick of incense at this time.
  
  Bow down on the left side of the altar with your left side to the pictures and proceed as follows:
  
  1. Chant the pranam mantra to your spiritual master, if you have accepted one, otherwise proceed to the following prayers.
  
  2. nama om visnu-padaya
  
        krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
  
     srimate bhaktivedanta
  
        svamin iti namine
  
  3. namas te sarasvate deve
  
        gaura-vani-pracarine
  
      nirvisesa-sunyavadi-
  
        pascatya-desa-tarine
  
  4. namo maha-vadanyaya
  
        krsna-prema-pradaya te
  
      krsnaya krsna-caitanya
  
        namne gaura-tvise namah
  
  5. namo brahmanya-devaya
  
        go-brahmana-hitaya ca
  
      jagad-dhitaya krsnaya
  
        govindaya namo namah
  
  Allow time for the Lord to eat and remove the offering plate. The offering is now prasadam.
  
  The portions on the offering plate may be either put on a separate plate and distributed as maha-prasadam or returned to the original containers.
  
  I did not write the translation of the prayers mentioned above.
  
  If you want these, let me know.
  
  Hari Bol

Forum

OFFERING PRASADAM

Replies

THE OFFERING OF BHOGA.‏

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Q. HOW IMPORTANT IS PRASADAM DISTRIBUTION ?‏

THE OFFERING OF FOOD TO LORD KRISHNA, THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD.‏

Q. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HONOURING MAHA- PRASADAM ?‏

VEGETARIAN WAY OF LIVING IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS. PART 1.‏

VEGETARIAN WAY OF LIVING IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS. PART 2.‏

VEGETARIAN WAY OF LIVING IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS. PART 4.‏

VEGETARIAN WAY OF LIVING IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS. PART 3.‏