About Food

[galaxy18]

League Of Devotees

 

Forbidden foods:

Fish, meat, wine, onions, garlic, masur dhal, burned rice. radish, white eggplant, hemp, citron and saps from trees, buffalo and goat‑milk products.

 

 

mahisam varjayen mahyam ksiram dadhi ghrtam yadi

 

Buffalo milk, yoghurt and ghee should not be offered to me.

Varaha Purana

 

alabur vartulakara vartaki dugdha varnika

dugdhe ca lavanam dattva sadyo gomamsa bhaksanam

 

Round alabu, white eggplant and milk with salt in it should be rejected as if they were cow meat.

 

yatra madyam tatha mamsam tatha vrntaka mulake

nivedayen naiva tatra harer aikantiki ratih

 

Where liquor, meat, eggplant and radish are offered, loving devotion to the Lord does not reside.

Yamala Vacanam

 

 

Vinegar is not good; it is tamasic, in the darkness, nasty food.

letter from Srila Prabhupada,

Mar.24, 1969

 

Ice cream purchased from the market may not be offered.

letter from Srila Prabhupada

Oct.21, 1968, Seattle

 

 

Frozen foods,...are not bad, but if they are twice‑ boiled, they should not be used.

letter from Srila Prabhupada

July 5, 1968, Los Angeles

 

Unpolished rice which looks like brown can be used. We do not mind polished or unpolished but doubly‑boiled (siddha rice) must not be used. Doubly boiled rice is considered impure. Sun baked rice (atapa) is all right.

letter from Srila Prabhupada,

Oct.17, 1967

 

Soya beans and lentils are unoffereable.

verbal instruction of Srila Prabhupada to Srila Hrdayananda Goswami

 

Regarding purchasing things in the market, these items are considered as purified when we pay the price for them. That is the general instruction. But when we know something is adulterated, we should avoid it. ...Things that are suspicious should be avoided.

letter from Srila Prabhupada, Oct 21, l968

 

 

Offerable foods:

 

Vilva, amlaki, jujub, dates, coconut, jack fruit, grapes, tal fruit, lotus root, leaf vegetables, cow milk products, items made from grains, ghee and sugar.

 

Rice, barley, wheat sesame, mung, urad should be offered with ghee. Rice without ghee is considered asuric. The Lord is pleased by items made of ghee sugar, yoghurt, chick peas, dhals, guda, honey, by soups, varieties of cakes, and items which can be licked, chewed, sucked or drunk.

 

They offered pungent preparations made with black pepper, sweet and sour preparations, ginger, salty preparations, limes, milk, yogurt, cheese, two or four kinds of spinach, soup made with bitter melon, eggplant mixed with nimba flowers (bitter), and fried patola.

CC Antya v.3.p.261

 

Foodstuffs in the modes of goodness are wheat , rice, pulse (beans and peas), sugar, honey, butter and all milk preparations, vegetables, flowers, fruits, grains. So these foods can be offered in any shape, but prepared in various ways by the intelligence of the devotees.

letter from Srila Prabhupada

Nov.13, 1968, Los Angeles

 

If chocolate is not an intoxicant, it can be offered to the deities.

letter from Srila Prabhupada,

June 8, 1975

 

Sugar cane juice, yogurt drinks, sweetened lemon water, water flavored with cinamon, camphor or cardamom, fruit drinks of various scents and colors may be offered.

 

Permissible foods which are considered delicacies by the local people or are preferred by ones family and oneself should be offered.

 

Permissible foods which are without taste, not tasty, inedible, impure for any reason, or eaten by insects, animals, or people should not be offered.

 

If variety of items is unavailable, fruit alone is sufficient. If fruit is unavailable edible herbs may be offered. If herbs are unavailable, pure water may be offered, meditating upon the items. If water is unavailable the items should be offered in the mind.

 

 

 

Preparation:

 

Just as one must select pure, excellent foods to offer to Krsna, so also one must prepare them purely. Thus usually only a vaisnava is allowed in the kitchen:

 

avaisnavanam annam ca patitanam tathaiva ca

anarpitam tatha visnau sva mamsa sadrsam bhavet

 

Food (especially grains) which are cooked by non vaisnavas, by sinful people, or which has not been offered to Visnu, is the same as dog meat.

 

Everything should be very respectfully and cleanly presented and prepared. In Jagannatha Puri, the Lord eats 56 times. So the Lord can eat as many times as you can offer. But the only thing is, whatever is offered must be with respect and devotion.

letter from Srila Prabhupada,

Montreal June 16, 1968

 

 

As far as possible we should not offer to the deity things which are prepared by non‑devotees. We can accept from them raw fruits, grains or similar raw things. Cooking and preparing should be strictly limited to the initiated devotees.

letter from Srila Prabhupada,

Oct.21, 1968, Seattle

 

 

As far as possible non‑initiated devotees may not enter the kitchen or deity area. They can help from outside. Just take care of them so that they may become pure devotees.

letter from Srila Prabhupada,

April 4, 1971

 

Unless one is initiated he cannot cook. One must be regular disciple then he can do deity worship. There is no question of the outsiders cooking in the New Delhi temple.

letter from srila Prabhupada,

Gopal Krsna das, July 11, 1976

 

In the kitchen you should always see that nothing is wasted.

letter from Srila Prabhupada,

Upendra das, Nov.10, 1975

 

 

If in the cooking process food falls on the floor, if it is raw and can be washed nicely, then it can be offered. But if it is prepared and cannot be washed, then it is not to be offered, but can be eaten rather than be wasted.

letter from Srila Prabhupada,

Dec.25, 969

 

.Food which has been offered should never be put back into

The refrigerator with unoffered foods, or brought back into the kitchen. ...Refrigerator should always be very clean and pure. ....If there is any food extra, that should be kept separately, not within the kitchen.... ...No one should wear shoes within the kitchen. There is ample place to eat so why should one eat in the kitchen? Kitchen should be considered as the Lord's room.... Smelling and tasting of foods being prepared for the Lord should never be done. Talking within the kitchen should be only what is necessary for preparing the prasadam or about the Lord. Dirty dishes should not be brought back into the kitchen but if there is no other place to wash them, then they should be put into the sink and washed immediately). Hands should always be washed when preparing prasadam. Nothing should be eaten before offering to the Lord. In this way everything shall be prepared very cleanly and purely.

 

What is the difficulty of enforcing these rules? They are rules, and they are simple rules, and must be followed. One must be prepared to follow the rules for Krsna. Otherwise where is the proof that he loves Krsna.

letter from Srila Prabhupada

June 16, 1968, Montreal

 

 

It is advisable that food being offered to the Deity be covered when take from the kitchen to the deity room, In that way others may not see. Those who are not accustomed to following the advanced regulative devotional principles may desire to eat the food and that is an offense.

CC madhya ch. 4.p.63

 

 

Method of Offering:

The principle behind service to Krsna is to approach through the spiritual master, for then there is no possibility of committing offense to Krsna. For this reason worship of guru is performed before worshipping Krsna in daily puja. The safest method of worship is to give everything to the spiritual master to offer on our behalf. Thus, in offering bhoga to the Lord the simplest method is to offer it to the spiritual master and request him to offer it to the Lord. Since one must approach Radha and Krsna through Lord Caitanya, the offering may goes through Lord Caitanya to Radha and Krsna. Simply by chanting the prayer to the spiritual master everything will be complete.

letter from Srila Prabhupada,

May 1965 Berkeley

 

The custom is to offer the foodstuff first to the spiritual master. We cannot do anything directly. The spiritual master accepts the offering on behalf of his disciple and offers the same to Krsna. After Krsna's eating, the spiritual master eats it, and then the devotees take it as mahaprasad. This is the system. Everything is offered to the spiritual master first, with the prayer "nama om visnupadaya...."

letterfromSrila Prabhupada,

Jadurani, Feb.15, 1968

 

You may say the prayer to the spiritual master three times,,, and also after offering to spiritual master, offer to Lord Caitanya by saying the prayer "namo maha vadanyaya..." three times and then offer to Krsna thrice (namo brahmanya devaya).

letter from Srila Prabhupada,

Mar 22, 1968

 

 

Whatever is offered to the deity actually goes through the spiritual master. The spiritual master offers to Lord Caitanya, and Lord Caitanya offers it to Krsna. Then Radha Krsna eat or Jagannatha eats, then Caitanya Mahaprabhu eats, then the spiritual master eats, and it becomes mahaprasadam. So when you offer something, you think like that and chant the gayatri mantra and then everything is complete. At last, ring the bell,take out the plate and wipe the place where the plate was kept.

letter form Srila Prabhupada,

New Vrndavana, June 16, 1969

 

League Of Devotees

[aranya baba]

Galaxy18, the method of offering bhoga that you wrote is unlike any process I have heard of before. I think that is only done in ISKCON. Every Gaudiya Vaisnava I know offers bhoga using the method below or something very similar. Hopefully you will find this helpful and informative.

 

The bhoga-offering is done in three parts as follows:

First, place the plate on the altar on a place you can easily wipe after the offering, preferably on a small table reserved for the purpose, surrounded by seats for the deities. Thereafter, place tulasI-leaves on each preparation and sprinkle gaGga-water around the offering to purify it. Then, while ringing the bell, offer the bhoga with the following mantras:

 

etat naivedyaM (food-offering) –

klIM gaurAGgAya namaH |

klIM nityAnandAya namaH |

klIM advaitAya namaH |

klIM kRSNAya namaH |

 

With each mantra, offer water from the paJca-patra to the person to whom bhoga is being offered. After reciting the mantras above, chant the eighteen-syllable kRSNa-mantra ten times above the offering plate, counting on fingers.

 

After a time appropriate for the meal, clap your hands and then offer AcAmana (idam AcAmanIyam) and vastra (etat proJchana-vastram) to everyone who has eaten. Thereafter, offer the remnants onwards:

 

etat gaura-prasAdi-naivedyaM –

zrI-gadAdhara-zrIvAsAdi-bhakta-vRndebhyo namaH |

 

etat kRSNa-prasAdi-naivedyaM –

zrI-rAdhA-lalitAdi-sakhIbhyo namaH |

 

As before, offer AcAmana and vastra to those who have eaten, then giving the prasAdI onwards:

 

etat gaura-prasAdi-naivedyaM –

zrI-rUpa-sanAtanAdi-gosvamI-vargebhyo namaH |

zrI-guru-vargebhyo namaH |

 

etat rAdhA-prasAdi-naivedyaM –

zrI-rUpa-maJjarI-Adi-maJjarI-vargebhyo namaH |

zrI-guru-maJjarI-vargebhyo namaH |

 

In concluding, offer AcAmana and vastra to those who have eaten.The appropriate time for the total duration of the offering may vary anywhere in between five and thirty minutes depending on what is being offered. In pUjA and in offering rAjabhoga, when one offers prasAdI-candana, other prasAdI-items or bhoga, one should say in sequence the names of those in one’s zrI-guru-siddha-praNAlI. When offering other bhoga, one says zrI-guru-vargebhyo namaH and zrI-guru-maJjarI-vargebhyo namaH.

 

When bhoga is being offered at festival time, zrIman mahAprabhu, zrI nityAnanda prabhu, zrI advaita prabhu and zrI kRSNa are offered four seats, and separate portions of bhoga are offered to zrIman mahAprabhu in the middle, to zrI nityAnanda prabhu on his right side, to zrI advaita prabhu on his left side, and left from the three prabhus, then zrI kRSNa’s bhoga is placed. After that, the bhoga is offered in sequence to their associates as usual.

On ekAdazI, one should only offer foods free of grains and other forbidden ingredients. In navadvIpa, one should only offer to the three prabhus and the devotees headed by gadAdhara and zrIvAsa. Even among them, some are observing nirjala-vrata.

[melvin]

Food eaten is material whereas a food for thought is spiritual.

[Sonic Yogi]

 

Food eaten is material whereas a food for thought is spiritual.

 

That is why the pure devotees only eat Krishna prasada and do not eat "food".

In ISKCON it was always taught that devotees don't eat "food", but devotees honor prasadam that is the remnants of offerings to the spiritual master and the Lord Krishna Caitanya.

 

When a devotee honors prasadam that is the remnants of offerings to Guru and Gauranga, then that is actually a completely spiritual activity and should never be equated with when unoffered food is eaten for the pleasure of the senses.

 

In bhakti-yoga, honoring prasadam simply increases one's love of Krishna and cannot be compared to the eating of ordinary food that devotees like to call "bhoga"(unoffered food).

 

Anyone who has actually tasted or subsisted off of Krishna-prasadam knows the difference between honoring prasadam and eating unoffered food.

 

Devotees of the level of Srila Prabhupada actually taste transcendental bliss in the act of honoring prasadam and experiencing the spiritual nature of foods that have first been offered to Krishna according to the guidelines layed down by Guru and Gauranga.

:crying2::crying2::crying2::crying2::crying2::crying2::crying2::crying2::crying2:

[Amlesh]

Carrot is not recommended by Manu.

[sambya]

can someome tell me why raddish and masur dal is forbidden ?

 

and how does milk which is obtained by depriving the calf of its mothers milk be more sattwick than burned or double cooked rice ?

[OmHari]

 

can someome tell me why raddish and masur dal is forbidden ?

 

and how does milk which is obtained by depriving the calf of its mothers milk be more sattwick than burned or double cooked rice ?

 

I am limited with my understanding of some things, so I have these question as well, if someone can please enlighten? Why onion , garlic, radish,masoor dal, etc even though are vegetarian food, cannot be offerable? It also saddens me when I think about how milk nowadays is obtained and how our mother cows are treated. Please forgive me.

 

OmHari

[galaxy18]

every thing in this material world in under the 3 modes of nature.even the food we eat is in the 3 modes of nature .mode of goodness is called sattva guna,mode of passion is called raja guna ,mode of ignornce is called tama guna .in the sastra it is said that food in the mood of passion and ignorance should not be offered to the supreme lord.because one should offer the best food stuff to the lord.so onion,garlic,raddish.masoor dal are all food stuff in mode of ignorance.AS devotees eat on those thing that is offered to the lord ,they should avoid the above food stuf.

 

gaurav

League Of Devotees

for more information on this topic you can mail me,or if you are in india you can call me.

[OmHari]

 

every thing in this material world in under the 3 modes of nature.even the food we eat is in the 3 modes of nature .mode of goodness is called sattva guna,mode of passion is called raja guna ,mode of ignornce is called tama guna .in the sastra it is said that food in the mood of passion and ignorance should not be offered to the supreme lord.because one should offer the best food stuff to the lord.so onion,garlic,raddish.masoor dal are all food stuff in mode of ignorance.AS devotees eat on those thing that is offered to the lord ,they should avoid the above food stuf.

 

gaurav

League Of Devotees

for more information on this topic you can mail me,or if you are in india you can call me.

Namaste,

 

Are you saying that only "Satvik" food can be offerable to Hari? Is Hing satvic?

[chandu_69]

 

can someome tell me why raddish and masur dal is forbidden ?

 

and how does milk which is obtained by depriving the calf of its mothers milk be more sattwick than burned or double cooked rice ?

 

Cow produces excess milk beyond the requirement's of it's calves.If you deprive the calf of it's milk it will die and there will be no more cattle.It is another matter that when cows and calves are treated badly to get more milk.

[sambya]

 

every thing in this material world in under the 3 modes of nature.even the food we eat is in the 3 modes of nature .mode of goodness is called sattva guna,mode of passion is called raja guna ,mode of ignornce is called tama guna .in the sastra it is said that food in the mood of passion and ignorance should not be offered to the supreme lord.because one should offer the best food stuff to the lord.so onion,garlic,raddish.masoor dal are all food stuff in mode of ignorance.AS devotees eat on those thing that is offered to the lord ,they should avoid the above food stuf.

 

gaurav

League Of Devotees

for more information on this topic you can mail me,or if you are in india you can call me.

 

this does not clarify the original question at all . the question is by what reasons are things like raddish and masoor dal tamasic ? we know onion and garlic to be tamasic because it agitates the mind and heats up your body which in turn is an impediment to brahmancharya . but whats wrong with masoor dal for example ?

[sambya]

 

Cow produces excess milk beyond the requirement's of it's calves.If you deprive the calf of it's milk it will die and there will be no more cattle.It is another matter that when cows and calves are treated badly to get more milk.

 

 

you might not be aware that in villages it is rule to tie back the calf till the cow is milked lest it drinks up the milk himself !! many times the calf escapes in the morning and drinks up the milk to the dismay of its owners . obviously tis was before the advent of moderb hormonal injections and use of artificial medication to induce milk production ............

[galaxy18]

masoor dal has lot of protiens (excess) it is considered like meat.it makes a person to much passionate.sastra say it also makes a person sexually agitated.what i am saying is not my opinion ,its there in the sastra and the current achraya of the gaudiya vaisnava tradition Srila Prabhupada is giving the guidelines what has to be taken what not if on want to progress spritualy.if one want to make scientific reseach he can do it .he will definitely reach the same conclusion.better to hear from the acharyas sabda praman and follow them.rather then using our own little limited inteligence.

[sambya]

even i have heard of this logic of masoor dal having lot of protiens . can i know which shastra mentions this ?

 

also protiens are indispensible for human health and theres no way it interferes with ones sexual passion ! dont you think paneer is also rich with protiens ? and what about other items like carrots and raddish ?

[OmHari]

There are also different varities of masoor dal.

Is it only specifically for red masoor dal only? Lentils can be of green variety,are all varieties considered "tamasic".

 

Nobody answered my hing question, is it satvic? How come Hing is satvic and radish not. You also did not answer, if only "satvic" food is offerable.

 

If so, then chillies, pepper and other hot things are not offerable as well as any fermented food like cakes,bread,idli,even dahi .

Also fried food is not satvic, so what about it then?

 

I am wondering where does it mention, what food is satvic and what food is tamasic.

[galaxy18]

It is mentioned in Varaha Purana,Padma purana,Garuda purana,Hari BhaktiVilas and in Srila Prabhupada's book about different foodstuf vegetable etc in different modes.Hing is in mode of goodness.

[galaxy18]

 

League Of Devotees

"One must eat appropriately and not take after food as hogs take after stool. For a human being there are eatables described in Bhagavad-gita (17.8) as sattvika-ahara, or food in the mode of goodness. One should not indulge in eating food in the modes of passion and ignorance. This is called ucitahara, or appropriate eating. One who is always eating meat or drinking liquor, which is eating and drinking in passion and ignorance, must give these things up so that his real consciousness may be awakened. In this way one may become peaceful and refreshed. If one is restless or fatigued, one cannot understand the science of God. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.20):

evam prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah

bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam

mukta-sangasya jayate

Unless one can become free from the influence of passion and ignorance, he cannot be pacified, and without being pacified, one cannot understand the science of God." Srimad-Bhagavatam 4:26:11 </B>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Foods in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one's existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such nourishing foods are sweet, juicy, fatty and palatable.

 

Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, pungent, dry and hot, are liked by people in the mode of passion. Such foods cause pain, distress, and disease.

 

Food cooked more than three hours before being eaten, which is tasteless, stale, putrid, decomposed and unclean, is food liked by people in the mode of ignorance.

 

Purport: The purpose of food is to increase the duration of life, purify the mind and aid bodily strength. This is its only purpose. In the past, great authorities selected those foods that best aid health and increase life's duration, such as milk products, sugar, rice, wheat, fruits and vegetables. These foods are very dear to those in the mode of goodness. Some other foods, such as baked corn and molasses, while not very palatable in themselves, can be made pleasant when mixed with milk or other foods. They are then in the mode of goodness. All these foods are pure by nature. They are quite distinct from untouchable things like meat and liquor. Fatty foods, as mentioned in the eighth verse, have no connection with animal fat obtained by slaughter. Animal fat is available in the form of milk, which is the most wonderful of all foods. Milk, butter, cheese and similar products give animal fat in a form which rules out any need for the killing of innocent creatures. It is only through brute mentality that this killing goes on. The civilized method of obtaining needed fat is by milk. Slaughter is the way of subhumans. Protein is amply available through split peas, dal, whole wheat, etc.

 

Foods in the mode of passion, which are bitter, too salty, or too hot or overly mixed with red pepper, cause misery by producing mucus in the stomach, leading to disease. Foods in the mode of ignorance or darkness are essentially those that are not fresh. Any food cooked more than three hours before it is eaten (except prasadam, food offered to the Lord) is considered to be in the mode of darkness. Because they are decomposing, such foods give a bad odor, which often attracts people in this mode but repulses those in the mode of goodness.

Bhagavad-gita 17:8-10 Text and Purport

 

"Prabhupada: We are interested in eating Krsna prasadam. If Krsna says "Give Me meat," we shall give Him. But He does not say. He says patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Meat-eating is sinful, that's a fact, amedha, tamasika, but if you remain in the darkness of ignorance, you cannot improve your spiritual life. Tamasika. It is described in the Bhagavad-gita, rajasika, tamasika, sattvika. Therefore we should eat sattvika, and that is also after offering to Krsna. Then we are free from all sinful reactions. And if you want to implicate yourself in sinful activities, then you can eat whatever you like. But either you eat meat or vegetables, if it is eaten for my satisfaction of the tongue, you become implicated in sinful activities, and you have to suffer the reaction. The animal you are killing, he'll kill also you next life. Then you become bound up." 760711ed.ny

Srila Prabhupada, Evening Darsana, 07-11-76, New York

 

"The River Ganges flowing from the heavenly planets is full of golden lotus flowers, and we, the residents of those planets, eat the stems of the flowers. Thus we are very beautiful, more so than the inhabitants of any other planet. This is due to the law of cause and effect, for if one eats food in the mode of goodness, the mode of goodness increases the beauty of his body.' "

 

Purport: One's bodily luster and beauty, one's constitution, one's activities and one's qualities all depend on the law of cause and effect. There are three qualities in material nature, and as stated in the Bhagavad-gita (13.22), karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu: one takes birth in a good or bad family according to his previous association with the qualities of material nature. Therefore one seriously eager to achieve transcendental perfection, Krsna consciousness, must eat Krsna prasada. Such food is sattvika, or in the material quality of goodness, but when offered to Krsna it becomes transcendental. Our Krsna consciousness movement distributes Krsna prasada, and those who eat such transcendental food are sure to become devotees of the Lord. This is a very scientific method, as stated in this verse from Nala-naisadha (3.17): karyam nidanad dhi gunan adhite. If in all one's activities he strictly adheres to the mode of goodness, he will certainly develop his dormant Krsna consciousness and ultimately become a pure devotee of Lord Krsna."

Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya lila 1:92

 

"If we are actually serious about entering into the kingdom of God, Vaikuntha, then we should be very careful to follow the four regulative principles mentioned above. One must not have any sex except to have children within marriage. One must not indulge in intoxication. One must not gamble. And one must not eat meat, fish, or eggs or anything else beyond the foods established for human beings--grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, and sugar. Such foodstuffs are sattvika, or pure and good, and they are allotted for human consumption. One should not imitate the cats and dogs, reasoning that because the animals are eating meat, human beings can do likewise. If everything eatable is food, why not eat stool? Stool is also food--hogs eat stool. But human beings should not eat like hogs, who will eat all kinds of unclean foods. We have to discriminate. If we want to enter into spiritual life, we must observe these four principles of restriction. This may mean undergoing some austerity, but this is the purpose of human life. When we have purified our existence through austerity, we will be eligible to enter into the kingdom of God, but without being purified, we can never enter."

Second Chance, Chapter 16

 

"After taking his dinner and having his thirst and hunger satisfied, King Puranjana felt some joy within his heart. Instead of being elevated to a higher consciousness, he became captivated by Cupid, and was moved by a desire to find his wife, who kept him satisfied in his household life.

 

Purport: This verse is very significant for those desiring to elevate themselves to a higher level of Krsna consciousness. When a person is initiated by a spiritual master, he changes his habits and does not eat undesirable eatables or engage in the eating of meat, the drinking of liquor, illicit sex or gambling. Sattvika-ahara, foodstuffs in the mode of goodness, are described in the sastras as wheat, rice, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar, and milk products. Simple food like rice, dhal, capatis, vegetables, milk and sugar constitute a balanced diet, but sometimes it is found that an initiated person, in the name of prasada, eats very luxurious foodstuffs. Due to his past sinful life he becomes attracted by Cupid and eats good food voraciously. It is clearly visible that when a neophyte in Krsna consciousness eats too much, he falls down. Instead of being elevated to pure Krsna consciousness, he becomes attracted by Cupid. The so-called brahmacari becomes agitated by women, and the vanaprastha may again become captivated into having sex with his wife. Or he may begin to search out another wife. Due to some sentiment, he may give up his own wife and come into the association of devotees and a spiritual master, but due to his past sinful life he cannot stay. Instead of being elevated to Krsna consciousness, he falls down, being attracted by Cupid, and takes to another wife for sex enjoyment. The fall of the neophyte devotee from the path of Krsna consciousness down to material life is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.17) by Narada Muni."

tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer

bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi

yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim

ko vartha apto 'bhajatam sva-dharmatah

 

This indicates that although a neophyte devotee may fall down from the path of Krsna consciousness due to his immaturity, his service to Krsna never goes in vain. However, a person who remains steadfast in his family duty or so-called social or family obligation but does not take to Krsna consciousness receives no profit. One who comes to Krsna consciousness must be very cautious and refrain from prohibited activities, as defined by Rupa Gosvami in his Upadesamrta:

atyaharah prayasas ca

prajalpo niyamagrahah

jana-sangas ca laulyam ca

sadbhir bhaktir vinasyati

 

A neophyte devotee should neither eat too much nor collect more money than necessary. Eating too much or collecting too much is called atyahara. For such atyahara one must endeavor very much. This is called prayasa. Superficially one may show himself to be very much faithful to the rules and regulations, but at the same time not be fixed in the regulative principles. This is called niyamagraha. By mixing with undesirable persons, or jana-sanga, one becomes tainted with lust and greed and falls down from the path of devotional service."

Srimad-Bhagavatam 4:26:13

"So our main business should be how to improve in Krsna consciousness. So far other things are required, bodily necessities, that is recommended by Rupa Gosvami, anasaktasya: "Don't be attached." Don't take food, don't eat simply for satisfying your palate. That is called sense enjoyment. But you, just to keep yourself fit, just to keep your body fit for giving service to the Lord, you can eat Krsna prasada. And so far Krsna prasada is concerned, it is not very bad; it is very good. We offer... Of course, those who are followers of Vedic principles of life, they know how nice foodstuff can be offered to Krsna. There are hundreds and thousands of varieties of fruits. There is nice grains also, there is nice milk also, there is sugar also. So you can prepare nice foodstuff on these ingredients which are considered sattvika, sattvikahara. Fruits, grains, vegetables, and sugar, rice, wheat, they are considered as sattvikahara. So you can prepare. Krsna also says that patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Krsna is the Supreme Lord. He can eat everything. Just like we have evidences from His life, sometimes He ate fire. Blazing fire in the forest, He ate up. So He can eat everything because He is God. He has got the potency of accepting anything. That is a different thing. But when He demands from His devotees, He says, patram puspam phalam toyam. So we have satisfy Him from these groups. Patram puspam means vegetables, fruits, grains; and toyam, water or milk, like that. And you partake the prasada. Sometimes I am questioned in European countries that "What is the difference between patram puspam? That is also eatables. They are also vegetables. They have got life. Why do you ask us not to eat meat because they are living beings?" So answer is that it is not the question of living being. Every living being has to eat another living being. That is the law of nature. Jivo jivasya jivanam. Those who have got hands, they are eating the legless. Just like the vegetables. Just like cows, goats, or other animals, they are eating grass. The grass is also a living entity, but it has no legs. It is being eaten up by another animal which has got legs. Similarly, we are also a kind of animal with hands. We are eating another animal which has no hands. Similarly, those who are strong, even in animal kingdom or vegetable kingdom, those who are strong, they are eating the less strong. In this way the whole world is maintained by one animal is eating another animal or one living entity is eating another living entity. That is the law of nature. Jivo jivasya jivanam. So you (we) are not interfering with the right of the living entities. A tiger has got the right to eat another animal. So we are not going to preach amongst the tigers that "You become vegetarian" or "You become Krsna conscious." That is not our business. Our business is that we are inducing, we are entreating, we are requesting people that "You take Krsna prasada." That is our business. To become vegetarian or nonvegetarian is not very big business. We do not admit that vegetarians are very much pious and nonvegetarians are not pious. No. Not like that. We say that everyone is impious who is not taking foodstuff offered to Krsna. That is our view. Anyone. That is stated by Krsna. Yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva-kilbisaih: "Anyone who is eating foodstuff offered to Yajna, to Visnu or Krsna, he is diminishing his volumes of sinful life." Bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanty atma-karanat: "And anyone who is cooking for himself, not for Krsna, then he is simply eating a lump of sinful life." It doesn't matter whether he is vegetarian or nonvegetarian. This is the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. We have to eat what is offered to Krsna. Yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva. Yajnarthe karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah. If you simply work for Krsna... That is called karma-yoga. One who is working simply for Krsna, he is karma-yogi. You have got tendency to work. You have got tendency to flourish yourself by advancing industrialism. That's nice. You go on, do it. We don't forbid it. But do it for Krsna. Make Krsna center. That is the whole teachings of Bhagavad-gita. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. You offer... Kurusva tad mad-arpanam. Yat karosi. "Whatever you do, it doesn't matter. Whatever you eat," yat karosi yaj juhosi, "whatever you sacrifice, whatever you give in charity, give unto Me." Kurusva tat mad-arpanam. This is Krsna consciousness." Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 03-26-71, Bombay

 

League Of Devotees

[OmHari]

I agree with being VEGETARIAN is a compassionate way,spiritual way of living I myself being one fully support the immense benefits of a being a vegetarian.

 

However, if one reads carefully, all the examples you cited are mainly "purports" or "commentaries" and nowhere in the original text it is mentioned which is satvic and which categorises as tamasic.

 

The original texts only describes the qualities of food and not names of food. If hot and spicy are not satvic then chillies pepper etc becomes unofferable. If you should not offer within 3 hours of preparations, then most curd preparations, paneer khoya gulab jamuns, rasa gula, etc overnight soaked dals, bread,cakes,etc cannot be offerable as well.

[OmHari]

As a matter of fact its not even mentioned in the texts, that radish, onion, garlic masoor dal, etc should not be eaten

[sambya]

if yeast is not permissable because it is a kind of fungi then even curd is to be rejected . it is cretaed due to bacterial action on milk . paneer should be most tamasic !

 

even hing should be highly tamasic being pungent and with strong odour ! as far as i can remeber it is indeed considered tamasic .

 

as regards to the masoor dal thing i feel it was a bengali custom which entered in gaudiya vaishnivism quite obviously . although im not sure on it...

 

 

 

 

please provide some scriptural quotation rather than purports and speeches to help remove all doubts ...

[aranya baba]

Dear Galaxy18 ji, I looked on your blog and you tell your name as Gaurav Mohnot. Are you initiated? If so, what is your initiated name. You copy & paste so many articles, but when someone asks a question, you seem unable to answer questions using any knowledge of your own.

[chandu_69]

 

you might not be aware that in villages it is rule to tie back the calf till the cow is milked lest it drinks up the milk himself !! many times the calf escapes in the morning and drinks up the milk to the dismay of its owners . obviously tis was before the advent of moderb hormonal injections and use of artificial medication to induce milk production ............

 

Things have changed.The cattle owners to their dismay found out that it is more cost effective for them in the long run to let the calf take it's share of milk.

[galaxy18]

Hare Krishna aranya baba,

I am initiated, my name is gaurangasundar dasa -sisya of HIS HOLINESS MAHANIDHI SWAMI, You say I am unable to answer but I have already answered. I have already told in which scriptures you can find the names of foodstuff in mode of goodness. I am hear to share knowledge and not debate .I believe in sharing and not unnecessary arguing .if you are interested in a debate I invite you to come .if you want my address, phone no I'll give you. Than we'll see who has more knowledge. What I gave in my original post was a guideline as to what to eat what not to eat given by our acharayas.

Some one wrote I am only quoting purports and commentaries .well just to inform you srimad bhagavat puran is a commentary on the Vedanta sutra. So if you don't except commentaries as praman than i think you'll have to reject all purans, itihas, etc.

I have quoted from varaha purana.srimad bhagavatam etc. I have also given the scriptures in which in detail it is given what to eat what not to eat. If you'll are so much interested in finding the facts instead of debating use your time constructively by reading those books.

Aranya baba says I don't use any knowledge of your own but simply copy paste. thanks for your compliment.Srila Prabhupada and my guru maharaja always says what is the use of your knowledge ,you are imperfect so your knowledge is also imperfect .ever conditioned soul has 4 defect so quote from sastra .I don't speculate .and I advice you also don't speculate .just follow the sastra and our acharayas(perfect spiritual jivas).

[sambya]

 

Things have changed.The cattle owners to their dismay found out that it is more cost effective for them in the long run to let the calf take it's share of milk.

 

really ? where did you find this fact ? can you show me ?

 

and even if it has changed now it was not so even a century back .

[sambya]

 

Some one wrote I am only quoting purports and commentaries .well just to inform you srimad bhagavat puran is a commentary on the Vedanta sutra. So if you don't except commentaries as praman than i think you'll have to reject all purans, itihas, etc.

 

 

 

 

bhagavat purana is not a commentary to vedanta sutra !! it is something that a GV practitioner is taught and wishes to believe .