What is fit for Sri Guru - bhoga or prasada?

[Guest guest]

Dear devotees,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

All glories to the Gaura Bhakta Vrndas.

 

I wondered if the readers of this conference could show some

compassion by answering a question that has been dogging me for some

time:

 

Whilst offering bhoga to Srila Prabhupada on the altar, we do not put

tulasi leaves on his plate. Such bhoga has not been offered to

Krishna, and is directly offered to Srila Prabhupada. The two

questions that arise are:

 

1. Whilst offering the bhoga to Srila Prabhupada, are we requesting

Prabhupada to offer it to Krishna, before honouriing it? If so, why

don't we put tulasi leaves on the plate to facilitate Srila Prabhupad

to make the offering to Krishna? If Srila Prabhupada were present in

his vapu-vigraha, would we not offer tulasi leaves to him so he could

make the offering to Krishna? If we do not put Tulasi leaves how

would Srila Prabhupada offer the bhoga?

 

2. However, if our mood is that the bhoga is directly offered to

Srila Prabhupada, then the question that arises is: what is fit for

Sri Guru - bhoga or prasada? If Srila Prabhupada were present in his

vapu-vigraha, would we ask him to honour bhoga or prasada?

 

I hope the devotees do not feel offended by these questions, but I

have had this doubt for a long time, and it has never been

satisfactorily resolved.

 

Your servant,

 

Romapada Dasa

Bhaktivedanta Manor

London

[Guest guest]

Dear Romapada Pr.

Hare Krishna

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

> I wondered if the readers of this conference could show some

> compassion by answering a question that has been dogging me for some

> time:

 

I will try my best from what little knowledge I have.

 

> Whilst offering bhoga to Srila Prabhupada on the altar, we do not put

> tulasi leaves on his plate. Such bhoga has not been offered to

> Krishna, and is directly offered to Srila Prabhupada. The two

> questions that arise are:

 

As far as I know and have been practicing all this while, at all times

tulasi is to placed on the offerings. It is understood that Srila Prabhupada

will offer to Krishna.

In the Pancaratra Pradipa it is mentioned on page 148: "Put tulasi leaves on

all the plates [including those of your spiritual master, Srimati Subadhra,

and Srimati Radharani, as they will first offer their plates to Krishna

before partaking]. If possible, place a tulasi leaf on each preparation."

 

Also, I had read [but I cannot recollect the source immediately] that just

as any service we do is performed on behalf of the spiritual master,

therefore even when offering bhoga to the deities, we first ask permission

of the spiritual master. This has led many devotees to be confused as to

whether we are offering the spiritual master first to honour the bhoga or

Krishna! But actually the procedure is that we first ask permission from

spiritual master to offer the bhoga, the spiritual master in turn then asks

permission to offer the bhoga up the parampara and then to Krishna. Then

Krishna eats, Mahaprabhu eats etc. and then the remnants are offered to the

Lord's associates and spiritual master and then to the devotees.

 

That is why when reciting the prayers for offering we recite the verses in

that order because the permission is going upwards till Krishna accepts and

partakes of the bhoga.

 

Also, if tulasi leaves are not available, one can meditate on the form of

Tulasi Maharani and request her to be present on the offerings.

 

I hope that this solves your queries.

Hare Krishna

your servant

shashika

[Guest guest]

> As far as I know and have been practicing all this while, at all

times

> tulasi is to placed on the offerings. It is understood that Srila

Prabhupada

> will offer to Krishna.

> In the Pancaratra Pradipa it is mentioned on page 148: "Put tulasi

leaves on

> all the plates [including those of your spiritual master, Srimati

Subadhra,

> and Srimati Radharani, as they will first offer their plates to

Krishna

> before partaking]. If possible, place a tulasi leaf on each

preparation."

>

 

 

Dear Shashikaji/Abhijitji,

 

Thank you very much for your compassion and your reply.

 

In the UK temples at least, we offer plates of bhoga to the Dieties

with tulasi leaves. A separate plate of bhoga is made for Srila

Prabhupada at the same time that we make plates of bhoga for the

Dieties. We do not place tulasi leaves on the plate of bhoga that is

offered separatelty to Srila Prabhupada, but all these plates

(including Prabhupada's plate) are brought into the Diety room and

offered simultaneously with one set of mantras.

 

The confusion I faced was not for the plates offered to the Dieties.

For these plates of bhoga the process of ascending through the

paramapara for permission to worship, and the process of descending

of mercy in the form of remnants is quite clear. The confusion was

for the plate of Srila Prabhupada only: if we are assisting Sri Guru

to offer bhoga, why do we not put tulasi leaves to help Sri Guru in

completing his service? If not, if we are offering bhoga directly, is

it fit for Sri Guru, since only Sri Krishna, the Supreme Enjoyer

alone can enjoy bhoga.

 

So my doubt still haunts me! However, if Pancharatra Pradipa asks us

to put Tulasi leaves on Sri Guru's plate, then is it a standard that

all ISKCON temples should follow?

 

Thank you very much for your efforts in making this fool see some

light. I really do appreciate it.

 

Your fallen servant,

 

Romapada Dasa