Yama and Niyama at the Mandir - Jhuta

[Guest guest]

Namaste All,

I thought I will start off this topic that Swamiji and Steve have

raised , with one of the rules that is observed at the Mandir - the

rules of "Jhuta" - ie the rules of cleanliness in preparing food ,

your table/food manners.

 

The food cooked in the Mandir is always done with a mantra . Maa

always asks us to "do with mantra" - chop with mantra, season with

mantra, boil with mantra , .... you get the idea.

 

The food cooked is first offered to Annapurna - the Goddess who

nourishes us , and therefore it is considered prasad and not tasted

while being cooked. No dipping of fingers or tasting spoons to check

on the spice or salt or sugar.

 

Before the food is served, it is offered to Annapurna with the

famous shloka "Annapurne Sadapurne Shankara prana vallabe ....Om

hrim Annapurnaya Namah"

 

Before the food is eaten, each person chants the

shloka "Brahmarpanam .." followed by "Purnamadah..." This is the

saying grace concept from the East.

 

While eating, if you want to serve yourself seconds , then you would

either use the left hand to help yourself if you have not touched

the plate with this hand (and hence "unclean" ) OR you would simply

wash your hands and serve yourself .

 

I am trying to remember if there is anything else that is observed

at the Mandir esp with regard to food. I hope Parvati will chime in

with more stuff.

 

Jai Maa

Latha

[Guest guest]

, "Latha Nanda" <lathananda>

wrote:

> The food cooked is first offered to Annapurna - the Goddess who

> nourishes us , and therefore it is considered prasad and not

tasted

> while being cooked. No dipping of fingers or tasting spoons to

check

> on the spice or salt or sugar.

>

> Jai Maa

> Latha

 

Hi Latha,

 

The "no dipping of fingers .... " provokes me to ask this question.

 

How can we then insure that what we prepared is good enough to be

given to the Goddess before you chant the Annapurne ....?

 

In purely human terms, I would like to insure that the food I serve

guests (and remember they are Gods too - Athithi Devo Bhava) is good

enough to be given to them, so by similar logic, if I am

(symbolically) offering it to the Goddess, then must I not similarly

insure that the food is as good as, if not better than, the food I

give to the human representations of God that come to my house?

 

Or is that "surrender and just make it as said"? The Goddess is only

looking at my attitude and not at the actual food offered, and will

help me perfect my technique subtly while blessing whatever I offer

(regardless of whether it is edible or not) and so anyone can eat it

safely ... wherein lies the best way of doing it? I realize the

answer lies in the right balance of reason and faith, and cannot

make up my mind where one ends and the other begins.

 

Although addressed to Latha, anyone can take a shot at answering

this q.

 

Jai Ma!