Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
The power of Mahaprasadam should never be underestimated. In Srimad Bhagavatam we have the story of Srila Narada Muni's previous birth which he narrates to Srila Vyasadev about how he became such a powerful devotee. In his previous life, Narada muni was serving in the ashram of a few sages along with his mother who was a maid-servant. He says in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.5.25:
ucchishta-lepaan anumodito dvijaih
sakrt sma bhunje tad-apaasta-kilbishah
evam pravrttasya vishuddha cetasas
tad-dharma evaatma rucih prajaayate
"Once only, by their permission, I took the remnants of their food, and by so doing all my sins were at once eradicated. Thus being engaged, I became purified in heart, and at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive to me."
Narada muni being a young boy, innocently took the remnants of the prasadam honored by the sages after taking their permission. As soon as he tasted the remnants, all his sinful reactions were immediately destroyed, his heart became purified and he was able to appreciate the nature of those sages. Such is the power of mahaprasadam. It is also said in the shastras about the power of association of a pure devotee thus:
saadhu-sanga, saadhu-sanga—sarva-shaastre kaya
lava-maatra saadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya
There was an incident when Srila Prabhupada was travelling to South America with his two servants in the early 70's. One of the personal servants traveling with him was H.G. Srutakirti prabhu who shared this incident in remembrance of Srila Prabhupada after he had left this planet. The temple where they'd been, gave them a packed lunch for the plane, so in the air Srutakirti Prabhu, Prabhupada's servant opened Prabhupada's lunch pack and served him his prasadam of puffed rice and peanuts. Prabhupada had his fill and handed over the remnants to Srutakirti Prabhu who had just began eating, when the lady air hostess came and said, "That looks tasty", and grabbed a handful threw it in her mouth. Prabhupada smiled and Srutakirti Prabhu was somewhat shocked (since it is not a normal behavior to take someone else's food that too being an air hostess). She then asked why they bring their own food. Srutakirti Prabhu informed her that they are vegetarians etc. She immediately said, "Is there anything else I can get you, fruit milk?" Prabhupada said "Hot milk". Five minutes later she returned with three cups of hot milk she got from First class. Prabhupada thanked her and the devotees discussed among themselves Prabhupada remarking that it is a natural nature of a pious woman to serve.
Now coming to the second part of the story: Recently again in South America doing a preaching tour enlivening devotees there, Srutakirti Prabhu told the above story in Brazil. Afterward one devotee came up to Srutakirti prabhu and said that he would like to share an amazing story with him. This devotee was out in some remote village going door to door selling books when he knocked on a door, a lady opened the door wearing tilak. She then invited the devotee in and her house was like a little temple, an altar with deities, pictures on the walls and all of Prabhupada's books in Portuguese in her bookshelf. The devotee asked her how she became a devotee. She said she used to be an airline hostess several years ago and she met the author of these books, he was so saintly and gentle and kind that she looked up who he was and what he did from his boarding pass name. She then got some of his books and began to read, they said to chant so she chanted and offer her food to Krishna, so she did all that and became a devotee from that small contact. Indeed the potency of mahaprasadam from pure devotee and even a moment's association with such pure souls is un-imaginable.
So knowing the value of prasadam and the importance of saadhu sanga, we should neither waste prasadam nor miss the opportunity to take the wonderful association of devotees.
Thank you very much.
Your aspiring servant,
Sankar
Bangalore.
Comments
HARE KRISHNA & DANDVAT PRANAM
AWESOME AND BEST ANSWER TO CLEAR MY DOUBT,THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN AND THE LANGUAGE USED IS SOME WHAT SMA AS H.H. HIS DIVINE GRACE SWAMI PRABHUPADA JI THIS MEANS GOLOKA VRINDAVAN AND VAIKUNTHA BOTH ARE IN SPRITUAL WORLD AND PARAM MAHA VISHNU THE FOUR HANDED FORM OF KRISHNA RESIDES IN VAIKUNTHA. SO THE SOUL DOES NOT GOES AGAINST KRISHNA BUT WHEN IN VAIKUNTHA IT IS PRESENT WITH 3 SUBTLE FORMS OF MIND INTELLIGENCE AND FALSE EGO. SO THAT MEANS WHEN IN GOLOKA VRINDAVAN THE SOUL IS FREE FROM THE 3 SUBTLE FORMS. AM I RIGHT PRABHU JI. PLEASE GUIDE.
I HAVE 2 MORE QUEIRES.
1. OK THAT WE COME TO MATERIAL WORLD BUT WHY SO MANY PLANETS AND MATERIAL WORLDS CREATED.WHY THIS MAYA OF 3 SUBTLE FORMS ARE ATTACHED WITH SOUL EVEN IN VAIKUNTHA. WHY THE SOUL IS NOT FREE FROM FALSE EGO AND THE GREED OF SELF ESTABLISHMENT. EVERY THING IS CREATED BY MAHA VISHNU THAN WHY IT WAS NOT CREATED A SIMPLE HAPPY.
2. IS IT TRUE THAT A SOUL MAY GO TO HIGHER PLANET OR LOWER PLANET BUT EVENTUALLY COME BACK TO EARTH TO GET LIBERATED FROM MATERIAL WORLD.
3. DOES THE HIGHER PLANET AND LOWER PLANET ALSO HAS 84,00,000TRANSITION SYSTEM FOR SOUL AS ON EARTH. AND DO THE MILLIONS OF OTHER MATERIAL WORLD FOLLOW THIS SAME PROCESS.
4. IS THE TIME SYSTEM OF 4 YUGAS SAME ON OTHER MATERIAL UNIVERSE.
5.IT IS SAID THAT DURING DEATH WHEN A PERSON REMEMBERS ANY PARTICULAR OBJECT THAN THE SOUL TAKES BIRTH OF THAT SAME YONI.
6. WHAT IS THE NEED OF DEMIGOD WHEN THE SOUL WILL FACE GOD OR BAD AS PER ITS KARMA. AS THE ULTIMATE AIM OF SOUL IS TO WORSHIP SUPREME.
PLEASE ANSWER PRABHU. WAITING ANXIOUSLY.
HARE KRISHNA
PRAN
HARE KRISHNA & DANDVAT PRANAM
AWESOME AND BEST ANSWER TO CLEAR MY DOUBT,THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN AND THE LANGUAGE USED IS SOME WHAT SMA AS H.H. HIS DIVINE GRACE SWAMI PRABHUPADA JI THIS MEANS GOLOKA VRINDAVAN AND VAIKUNTHA BOTH ARE IN SPRITUAL WORLD AND PARAM MAHA VISHNU THE FOUR HANDED FORM OF KRISHNA RESIDES IN VAIKUNTHA. SO THE SOUL DOES NOT GOES AGAINST KRISHNA BUT WHEN IN VAIKUNTHA IT IS PRESENT WITH 3 SUBTLE FORMS OF MIND INTELLIGENCE AND FALSE EGO. SO THAT MEANS WHEN IN GOLOKA VRINDAVAN THE SOUL IS FREE FROM THE 3 SUBTLE FORMS. AM I RIGHT PRABHU JI. PLEASE GUIDE.
I HAVE 2 MORE QUEIRES.
1. OK THAT WE COME TO MATERIAL WORLD BUT WHY SO MANY PLANETS AND MATERIAL WORLDS CREATED.WHY THIS MAYA OF 3 SUBTLE FORMS ARE ATTACHED WITH SOUL EVEN IN VAIKUNTHA. WHY THE SOUL IS NOT FREE FROM FALSE EGO AND THE GREED OF SELF ESTABLISHMENT. EVERY THING IS CREATED BY MAHA VISHNU THAN WHY IT WAS NOT CREATED A SIMPLE HAPPY.
2. IS IT TRUE THAT A SOUL MAY GO TO HIGHER PLANET OR LOWER PLANET BUT EVENTUALLY COME BACK TO EARTH TO GET LIBERATED FROM MATERIAL WORLD.
3. DOES THE HIGHER PLANET AND LOWER PLANET ALSO HAS 84,00,000TRANSITION SYSTEM FOR SOUL AS ON EARTH. AND DO THE MILLIONS OF OTHER MATERIAL WORLD FOLLOW THIS SAME PROCESS.
4. IS THE TIME SYSTEM OF 4 YUGAS SAME ON OTHER MATERIAL UNIVERSE.
5.IT IS SAID THAT DURING DEATH WHEN A PERSON REMEMBERS ANY PARTICULAR OBJECT THAN THE SOUL TAKES BIRTH OF THAT SAME YONI.
6. WHAT IS THE NEED OF DEMIGOD WHEN THE SOUL WILL FACE GOD OR BAD AS PER ITS KARMA. AS THE ULTIMATE AIM OF SOUL IS TO WORSHIP SUPREME.
PLEASE ANSWER PRABHU. WAITING ANXIOUSLY.
HARE KRISHNA
PRAN
Hare Krishna Pran Prabhu
I also asked the question of why we fell into the material world and the reply was given by one of our Maharaja's, he said that we do not fall from Goloka Vrindavan, Krishna confirms in BG that once we reach his eternal abode we do not return. We fall from the Vaikutana (also spiritual) planets where the element of false ego is still prensent within us. Vaikunta is where a pious soul gains the bodily features of Lord Narayan Himself and serves Him. When the soul becomes envious and has the desire to be the Lord himself rather than the servant, he falls back into this material world but into a pious family so that he can continue with his spiritual growth.
We face punishments due to our karma/ actions. We are sent to the higher, middle (earth) and lower planetery systems depending on the degree of our good and bad karma. Eg if a person was sent to lower (narak) planetary system then he would have worked out some of his karma. In next life he may attain a slightly higer abode eg birth in our material world, this means he has progressed and has been given a chance to progress even further but he may still have some more karma to face, hence the difficulties. It's like being in prision and moving from the worst part of the jail to a part with better facilities for good behaviour, but, it is still prison until you learn the lesson and serve your time before freeing yourself from there for good. So likewise, material planet, narak and even higer planets like heaven are different steps on the ladder of prison but we can free oursleves from this material creation and proceed to the spiritual world.
Hope this helps, please forgive me if i have said anything wrong.
Ys, Siveshni
HARE KRISHNA
THANK YOU FOR CLEARING MY DOUBT.
1. WE LIVE IN MATERIAL WORLD, AND IT IS SAID THAT THERE ARE LAKHS OF MATERIAL WORLD, BUT EXACTLY WHATS THE INDIVIDUAL MATERIAL IN TERMS OF SCIENCE, IS IT A GALAXY LIKE OURS.
2. WHEN OUR ULTIMATE AIM IS TO GO BACK TO GOD HEAD THE SUPREME GOLAKA VRINDAVAN( VAIKUNTH DHAM). THEN WHY WE WERE SENT HERE, WHAT WAS THE REASON. BECAUSE IN THE SPRITUAL WORLD THERE IS NO MAYA SO NO SOUL CAN DO ANY THING AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE SUPREME. HOW ARE WE FALLEN SOULS.
3. LAST BUT NOT LEAST IT IS SAID THAT IF WE DO GOOD KARMA THAN WE GO TO HIGHER PLANETS AND WE DO THE OPPOSITE WE GO TO NARAK LOKAS, AND THERE WE FACE PUNISHMENTS. THAN WHY ON EARTH WE FACE SO MANY DIFFICULTY WHEN WE HAVE ALREADY FACED THE REQUIRED PUNISHMENTS IN THE NARAK LOKA.
PLEASE ANSWER
HARE KRISHNA
PRAN
HKJ,so inspiring.....I too have feeled the power of Mahaprasadam...Hari bol!!!Thanks for sharing...
Really amazing!!! Thank You dear Mataji!
hare krsna.....hari bol
Mahaprasadam ki jai.....
Srila prabhupad ki jai....
Hare Krishna. This is really inspiring in terms of honoring the prasadam. Thanks a ton for sharing this story.
Hari bol.