19901101 Evening Darshan Prasadam Etiquette (Mantra)

The following is an evening darshan given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on November 1^st 1990 at New Talavan farm in Carrier Mississippi.

 mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ

paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim

yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande

paramānanda-mādhavam

Śrī Caitanya Īśvaram

 

Previous ācāryas have given various instructions in the form of songs or poetry. And since a devotee is to always remember Kṛṣṇa all the time and never forget Kṛṣṇa. These two things- always remember Kṛṣṇa, never forget Kṛṣṇa. We can do that by our devotional services. 1:28 our success. So, we chant one or two of the mantras at the time of taking prasādam which were composed by the previous acharyas to help us to meditate on at the time of taking prasādam. Because when we take prasādam, we shouldn't just think that it is food. We should remember that it’s Kṛṣṇa, mercy. And because it is tasted by Kṛṣṇa, touched by Kṛṣṇa, therefore it's changed its characteristics from a material element to a spiritual energized transcendental object. Just like when we are taking prasad, we should not criticize prasad. Even that the constructive criticism generally it's better to leave it for before the next, during the next day one must before cooking or after prasad. But just some kind of prasad, even if something is lacking, salt or something.

 

See how prabhupad 2:25 (then he wouldn't, he would wait till the next day wait till after prasādam generously.) in fact when we are taking prasādam, it says that prasad sevan khale pārtho doha madhye madhye sādhu savadan. That someone can yell out - sādhu savadhan!! sādhu savadhan!! which means Beware sādhus!! Beware devotees!! meaning Be careful!! Don't forget Kṛṣṇa. Not just eating and then forget Kṛṣṇa and think oh this is food. Always remember it's prasad.

 

In fact, in many occasions to some big festival where there will be mixed fruit, you will find that generally that Vaiṣṇavas in Bengal, when they are taking the big feast in the while eating some of the shout out, sādhu savdhan. And we know from the description of the Chida dahi festival at Panihati that everyone was chanting Haribol!! Haribol!! Haribol!!

 

So that was a tumultuous sound of Haribol all the time. So, this different mantras for different periods of taking prasādam, we just do it in beginning of prasādam. But the actual system of taking prasādam is that everyone sits down together at the same time and there are some prayers are said at the beginning of the prasādam. Then you begin taking prasādam. And until everybody gets up or ready to get up at the same time, nobody gets up. If you get up, you have to ask permission to get up early. That’s the formal way of taking prasādam. That one may serve prasādam but hardly you see this in ISKCON. It's like 04:03 but this is a formal way. So, when they go and have prasādam with Indians or with any kind of occasion like a surprise they serve my devotee, okay he just dumps up and goes.

 

Just like if you are having a banquet or something, you are not going to jump up. You will wait till everyone finishes. So, there are different mantras that are chanted in the beginning, in the before eating prasad, in the beginning, in the middle till near the end, there is mantras you can chant for the whole time of prasādam. Did you ever hear about those?  I don't think that they have even all been translated. We know that whatever it is, just chant before we start. Baire brothers, sisters śarīra abidyā-jāl, joḍendriya tāhe kāl, jīve phele viṣaya-sāgore. śarīra abidyā-jāl, that the body is a network. Like a jāl is a net, like you catch fish. It's a net of ignorance. To catch us aware of ignorance. joḍendriya tāhe kāl, jīve phele viṣaya-sāgore. We've been just thrown into this ocean and the senses are giving up their entanglyness in this net causing us to go in the cycle of repeated birth and death. tā'ra madhye jihwā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati. Amongst all the senses, the tongue is the most voracious, feel very lobhamoy, very greedy. sudurmati, very difficult to control. tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saḿsāre.  To defeat, conquer this tongue is one of the most difficult things to do in this material entanglement. kṛṣṇa boro doyāmoy, but Kṛṣṇa is very merciful. koribāre jihwā jay, in order to defeat to be victorious over controlling the tongue. swa-prasād-anna dilo bhāi, He gave His all prasādam my dear brothers. sei annāmṛta pāo, that nectarean foodstuff you should take. rādhā-kṛṣṇa-guṇa gāo, glorify the transcendental qualities of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. preme ḍāko and with love we should 6.06 caitanya-nitāi.

 

So, this is said before we take prasad. Everyone knows that mantra very well. Then when you just begin, normally in prasādam we first start with the bitters - spinach, bitter melon.  Just a traditional custom because you take something sweet first. The Gujaratis like to take sweet first, that's one another system. But once you take sweet, if you take bitter it's very bitter but if you start off with bitter actually everything else tastes sweet (devotees laughing). And it also gets the everything just on track moving nicely. This is the system to first start with bitter, then we go to pungent, the hot so, then finally in the end, sweet is at the end. It's the traditional way. That's how they take in Bengal in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's pastimes. So, while the devotees are taking prasādam and they are just beginning, that time someone can chant bhāi-re! Dear brothers, God brothers and God sisters.

 

eka-dina śāntipure, prabhu adwaitera ghare,

dui prabhu bhojane bosilo

śāk kori' āswādana, prabhu bole bhakta-gaṇa,

ei śāk kṛṣṇa āswādilo

 

One day in Santipur, in the house of Prabhu Advaita, the two prabhus sat down to take their prasādam. The two prabhus may be Gaur and Nitāi and Advaita's giving them śāk kori' āswādana, prabhu bole bhakta-gaṇa. I have tasted this śāk, this green leafy vegetable where lord told to His devotees. This śāk is so wonderful, I know Kṛṣṇa has tasted it.

 

heno śāk-āswādane, kṛṣṇa-prema āise mane,

sei preme koro āswādana.

 

this I tasted this śāk which has been tasted by Kṛṣṇa, pure love of Kṛṣṇa comes into the heart of My, taste that pure love of Kṛṣṇa.

 

jaḍa-buddhi parihari', prasād bhojana kori',

`hari hari' bolo sarva jan

 

In this way we lose all our materialistic intelligence and consciousness simply taking the transcendental mercy of the Lord, eating prasādam and everyone chants Hari! Hari! Everyone should chant Hari! Hari!

 

Nitāi Gaurāṅga Hari Hari Haribol

 

(Devotees: Hari haribol).

 

So that's the beginning mantra one takes just at the time of taking śāk. Then after taking śāk or you see here we have spinach but we call spinach here as called pālak śāk in India, a type of little bit bitter pālak sak or which is one of the sweetest śāk. But in Bengal there is atleast 20 different varieties of 8:48 spinach, what they call śāk is not only the specific plant spinach but various type of green leaf that we can eat like you probably in the 8:58 prebushes garden has a lot of śāk (devotees laughing). Even something like peppermint or mint is called pudina śāk. But they don't make the sabji out of it because it is too strong. What they do is, they make a chutney out of it. Pudina śāk is a type of a chutney they make in South India also very nice. In the hot weather it is cooling. In the cold weather generally, you take coriander leaves and make that in to a type of, like a kind of a chutney. It is not a cooked actually. It's just, I don't think it's cooked. It's just ground and maybe slightly, I don't know the recipe.

 

Tulasī Mahārāṇī can says the recipe but, my point is not to say the recipes but just to give the idea (devotees laughing). There are a lot of different type of green leafy vegetables and some of those are growing in the wild and Lord Caitanya loves the ones in growing in the forest and there's two three that despite one you take it you get spontaneous love. And the other you take it, you get Kṛṣṇa prema and when you get pure devotion which is very hard to come back so there are some plants like 10:07 this month we don't take urad dāl but the urad dāl plant when it just comes out and pick up a few leaves, it doesn't harm the plant, it will still produce the grain. Later when they take a few leaves and they make that into kalai śāk.

 

Jute which becomes like carpets, ropes and gunny sacks but the small kind of plant, they take off some leaves and make jute śāk. They may have a kind of a plant which looks like a demon. It's a kind of root plant that has, I don't know maybe they have it here in the shop. It's kind of like a slippy potato. They call it kachu. And when the small leaves come out from that, they can make śāk from that leafy vegetable. Those leaves are like small banana leaves kind of something like that. There's like that, you know more than a dozen or two different type of śāk. And so, one time for Lord Caitanya, they made in Māyāpur about 13 at one time. But the time we took for 13 preparations, you know like (devotees laughing) completely ecstatic, everyone was like bringing tears to their eyes. So amazing, remembering how Lord Caitanya, He loved that this śāk with, there is another 11:35 also was 11:37 Bhakti Vinod Thakur was a spiritual guru don’t avoid taking spinach because it's bitter. Remember its very dear to Lord Caitanya.

 

But Lord Caitanya will not just take this one type of spinach, He will take some kind or the other very bitter. The one that gives you Kṛṣṇa prem is the most bitter (devotees laughing).  That promotes (Not the most 12:01 Brahmi saki you don't need it for food, you just take that as medicine. That is super bliss. But that's beyond. This is edible (His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami and devotees laugh). That is very bitter I mean 12:13. But it's like very purifying also. So, when you take it with a remembering Lord Caitanya, that's pretty purifying. So, after they finish 12:24 and the śāk, the next thing that is served is the flowers from the banana. Not every banana flower works. I found this out in South America. We have a big orchard in Ecuador of bananas and we just took some of the banana flowers and we prepared, it was so bitter ohh!! ohh!! 12:50. Then I found out that specially the plantain bananas those which produce plantain and then some kind of bananas that have seasoned, they make the best sabji. Normally, the flower is thrown away. In the whole South America, no one use that flower but this flower makes a very nice preparation, that's called mocha.

So, Lord Caitanya likes this preparation very much. He used to get flowers of banana from Kolavecha Śrīdhar and prepare and offer to His diety. So, this is a pastime from mother Sachi prepared prasad for Mādhavendra Purī.

 

bhāi-re! dear brothers

 

sacir aṅgane kabhu, mādhavendra-purī prabhu,

 

prasādānna korena bhojan

 

khāite khāite ta’ra, ailo prema sudurbar,

 

bole, śuno sannyāsīra gan

 

One day in the courtyard of mother Sachi Mādhavendra Purī Prabhu, he was taking prasādam. As he was eating, all of a sudden, a very strong mūḍha Kṛṣṇa prema overcame him. I am explaining to this, pls listen. this is my dear sannyāsīs

 

mocā-ghaṇṭa phula-baḍī, dali-dalna-caccadi,

 

śacī-mātā korilo randhan

mocha ghaṇṭā means that sabji made from the flower of the banana. phula bāḍi, it's a special kind of flower pakoda made from that. dāli dālnā caccadi, then dhal a special type of dāl 14:54 and vegetable which is toasted when it is cooked. All these Śacī mata had prepared.

 

ta’ra śuddha bhakti heri’, bhojana korilo hari,

 

sudhā-sama e anna-byanjan

 

yoge yogi pay jāhā, bhoge aj ha’be tāhā,

 

`hari’ boli’ khāo sabe bhāi

 

krsnaera prasād-anna, tri-jagat kore dhanya,

 

tripurāri nāce jāhā pāi’

 

So, getting, by taking prasad one loses himself in pure devotion. Also, Lord Hari took the prasad, took the

 

ta’ra śuddha bhakti heri’, bhojana korilo hari - meaning lost in pure devotion Lord Hari accepted the offerings

 

sudhā-sama e anna-byanjan - All these preparations of rice and vegetables. What the yogis achieve by yoga and great austerities and penances, today we can achieve by enjoying this remnant of Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. Everyone chant loudly Haribol and eat this remnants of Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, my dear brothers. Kṛṣṇa's prasādam rice has made the whole world auspicious.

 

Even to get a small piece of that, Lord Śiva Tripurai danced in ecstacy. So, this is mantra to take say while someone's taking rice prasad. Then there's a special mantra take when you are eating luchis and fruits.

 

Sometime like in the morning, you just take some like fried, here is your pañcake but in India customary yellow sabji and put them puris, lucis. And luci means it's a purī made with whole wheat flour. This is very popular. Kṛṣṇa likes luci. And white flour is called purī.

 

bhāi-re!

 

śrī-caitanya nitya;nanda,  śrīvāsādi bhakta-vṛnda,

 

gaurīdāsa paṇḍiter ghare

So here Lord Caitanya, Nityānanda with Śrīvas, all the devotees were gathered together at the house of Gauridas Pandit.

 

luci, cini, khīr, sar, mithai, payass ara,

 

piṭhā-pānā asvadan kore

 

 There they were taking prasādam of lucis means a type of puris with sugar and sweets, kheer with condensed milk, sar with cream, mithai, payasā and also with very sweet sweet rice. Taking all types of different type of cakes and rice pies and cakes. They were tasting this prasādam.

 

mahāprabhu bhakta-gaṇe, parama-ananda-mane,

 

ājñā dilo korite bhojan

So Mahāprabhu ordered all the devotees with a great transcendental joy in His mind, He gave the order that they should all begin to take prasādam.

 

krsnaera prasād-anna, bhojane hoiyā dhanya,

 

`kṛṣṇa’ boli’ ḍāke sarva-jan

 

kehi dan the remnants of prasādam offered to Kṛṣṇa prasādam, by eating this one becomes all auspicious, fortunate. So, all the devotees present, they started to chant Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa! loudly while taking prasādam. Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa!! (devotees saying Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa). His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami and devotees together saying

 

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.

 

Then when you have khichadi prasad, there's a special mantra you chant. You know that mantra. You ever heard that one. Want to hear.

bhāi re!

 

eka-dina nilachale prasada-sevana-kale

mahāprabhu sri-krsna-Caitanya

balilena bhakta-gaṇe, “khecharanna suddha-mane

sevā kari’ hao aja dhanya

 

One day at Nilachal Jagannath Purī, at the time of taking prasādam, Mahāprabhu Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu said to all of the devotees. Today we are going to respect khichadi prasādam with a pure mind. By taking this khichari prasādam today, we are achieving all good fortune.

 

khecharanna piṭhā-pānā apūrva prasāda nānā

jagannātha dila tomā sabe

ākaṇṭha bhojana kari’ bala mukhe hari hari

avidya-durita nāhi rabe

 

khecharanna pitha- pāñā - by taking the khichadi prasādam along with other preparations, of some breads or small rice cake. This varieties of prasādam is wonderful. Lord Jagannath has given out of His causeless mercy to all of you. ākaṇṭha bhojana kari - you take prasad upto your neck. bala mukhe hari hari - but constantly chant from your mouth Hari! Hari! (devotees saying Hari! Hari!) avidya-durita nāhi rabe - all the ignorance will not be able to remain.

 

jagannatha-prasadanna virinchi-sambhura mānya

khāile prema ha-ibe udaya

 

Taking the prasādam from Lord Jagannath, even Lord Brahmā, Lord Shiva they give great respect. Just by taking a little prasad, pure love of Kṛṣṇa rises in the heart.

emana durlabha dhana- such a valuable wealth treasure paiyachha sarva-jana - all the people received, jaya jaya jagannātha jaya - All glories to Lord Jagannath. All glories to Lord Jagannath.

 

So that's the specially Jagannath Purī khichadi prasad is famous. Although the Bengalis like khichadi prasad more than the Oriyan people. Assamese, they like dāmnā rice many times but this khichadi prasad is very nice and all time prasad of Jagannath.

Then in the breakfast, the breakfast mantra for taking breakfast prasādam mantra. You know that. (devotees laughing). What's wrong. (devotees laughing). This is for taking breakfast.

 

bhāi re! Dear brothers rāma Kṛṣṇa gocharane 23:05

Kṛṣṇa and Balarām when they go with the cows, with the calves, to graze the calves in distant forests but Yashoda mother Yashoda, mother Rohiṇī [Not Clear – 00:23:29]

 

So, both of the dear mothers they brought condensed milk, cream and also fresh paneer cheese, butter and various kinds of other like preparations to feed the two brothers. Filled overwhelmed with parental affection with great transcendental bliss in their mind [Not Clear – 00:24:06]

Similar aged cowherd boys, they all took prasādam along with Kṛṣṇa Balarām and they were dancing and chanting with great ecstacy inside them [Not Clear – 00:24:27]

[Not Clear – 00:24:30]

When taking the Kṛṣṇa prasādam, they filled their stomachs completely. Still, they were crying - Give me more! Give me more! Kṛṣṇa Prasad khaye 24:50 Taking Kṛṣṇa prasādam, their stomachs were filled up as they were chanting - Give me more! Give me more! of Kṛṣṇa's mercy. So there's a breakfast, khichari, then luci,sweet, rice, śāk and mantra from before. And also, you chant Haribol! Haribol! and you say sādhu savdhan [Not Clear – 00:25:23] (devotees laughing). So unfortunately, the songs are in Bengali and everybody doesn't know Bengali. It's nice to the songs have word to word translation. Nice instructions here what the yogis get by great austerities and practising yoga 25:44 and everything, the devotees are getting by chanting Haribol and taking Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Haribol! (devotees saying Haribol!) What the yogis get by austerities the devotees get by this enjoyable pastime of taking prasādam. So that's special mercy.

 

Of course, we should always remember that prasad is, prasādam, many people they don't have that faith about prasādam. You know sometimes we hear people even Indians you give them they don't know that how to touch you know. Just see the Tulasī [Not Clear – 00:26:23]. They don't know. They think what's this thing you know or they put it under the table or stick or something, they don't know what to do with it. (devotees laughing). They don't think that it's edible or what it is. So, they have to be trained all sides not that it's because someone born in India, they know everything about these things. They must be a Vaiṣṇava and they don't know how you are supposed to eat Tulasī. They don't know what Tulasī is. Bay leaves some people know but Tulasī, they don't know. (devotees laughing). So those who have been in the Vaisnava culture, they know actually the prasādam is so pure, completely transcendental. Even to give respect, even the smell of prasad can liberate. What to speak of tasting prasad, and think of Kṛṣṇa. But then with that consciousness if we see, if we meditate, it is touched by Kṛṣṇa's lips, respect [Not Clear – 00:27:2] then you will see not the taste, but you will taste the love of Kṛṣṇa. Not just that it's a good material taste. But actually, that taste, the prasādam in that meditation remembering Lord Caitanya, how He respected prasādam, His pastimes and Kṛṣṇa Balarām how they took prasad and the remnants are shared by all the cowherd boys. And that eagerness of the cowherd boys wanted the remnants of Kṛṣṇa. They said Give me more! Give me more! Not because it was just a food but they wanted because Kṛṣṇa tasted it. That desire gives Kṛṣṇa in the heart. In Caitanya Caritāmṛta Krsnadas Kavirāj gave very detailed descriptions about different feasts that were prepared for Lord Caitanya. So, this is part of culture also to prepare nice prasādam and to offer that to the Lord. Very nice offerings offered to the Lord and accept the remnants. And Lord Caitanya would see that very nice offerings was made, he would say that Oh! this was made with so much devotion.

 

What Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu was giving in His heart was the love for Kṛṣṇa by taking prasādam?

 

This is the real quality of prasad that we should aspire for when we will take prasādam and simply by taking that prasādam we will feel [Not Clear – 00:28:54] within our heart. A little speck of prasad when Lord Śiva got, he was maddened after Kṛṣṇa, dancing in ecstacy shaking the whole universe. But Nārada Muni got little prasādam from the Lord's plate, he was zzz... flying in all over the universe like effulgent like anything, like more than millions of suns. Completely ecstatic.

 

 

mahā-prasāde govinde

nāma-brahmaṇi vaiṣṇave

svalpa-puṇya-vatāṁ rājan

viśvāso naiva jāyate

 

To have faith in prasādam is not a small thing. They were [Not Clear – 00:29:34] but sometime you feel some kind of dry sweet like in the air and the devotee pick it off the ground and take it. Sometimes it is too difficult to distribute prasad in the kīrtan and throw some dry [Not Clear – 00:29:47] or some dry prasad. Honey loops and we throw cookies sometimes, should be dry, shouldn't break up apart. So, devotees they respect prasad, they know like whenever prasādam falls on the ground, it's still pure.

 

One time Bhakti Siddhānta Thakur, they are having a big annakut. You know the annakut Govardhan festival. They make a hill out of rice. So, in Bengal they make a big hill, sometimes 4 feet high 5 feet high. Some, in Māyāpur they make as big as well. You can feed twenty thousand twenty-five thousand people sometimes from the rice and then they decorate, put Kṛṣṇa on the top and decorate with varieties of hills and gardens. So, they had some hill. I don't know how big hill but it was a very big hill and Govardhan pastime and in the temple in northern Calcutta, in the time of Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswati Thakur and somehow after the offering, the dog came in and ate on the one side. Everyone was Oh! dog in the temple. It's spoilt. So, no one would touch.

 

Then the word got up to His Divine Grace Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswati Thakur. He heard about it and he came and said really, dog has eaten. where? And then they went on to the place and the big chunk was missing and the dog had bitten. There's the place. The exact place. Yes, it took right from there and ate. mahaprasade govinde namo brahmaṇi vaishnave. So, they had broke the whole [Not Clear – 00:31:41]. (His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami and devotees laughing) prasad. Of course, one should have that level of faith to see that's prasādam. One is not supposed to waste any prasad. So, one should eat whatever is on the plate. So, because the devotees are very careful to eat all of the prasādam on the plate. So, when the servers are giving, sometimes servers want to give more but the devotees have to eat everything. So, there's a fight No, don't give me more (devotees laughing). Because if you don't know the rules of the game and you end up with a big pile of prasad is over. It's very bad. But the culture is like that. The severs are trying to make sure everybody gets whatever they need. But the devotees are saying they don't get more than what they need. So especially if you are their guest or somebody’s house, they want to make sure you take up to the neck. So, it's sometimes a big battle and try to serve some of the prasādam. So, there's also a kind of criteria. If somebody, if you go to give the prasad and they say no. Don't give it. [Not Clear – 00:32:52] (devotees laughing). If they go to get prasad and they block it with their hand, still give (devotees laughing). If you go to give and they are blocking it with both hands (devotees laughing), very active. But still if you are able to give, you give (devotees laughing). But if you go to give and they shout like a tiger No! no! no! (devotees laughing) they are blocking and a little frantic. Okay, that's okay (devotees laughing). Especially they enamulate the face of the life member or some, they really interested, you have to actually go and protect your plate. Sometimes [Not Clear – 00:33:42] steel plates ya! (devotees laughing). So of course, then for the Guru that's other rule. He’s supposed to leave something of everything. Little bit of prasad, we should leave for the disciple. So, there's a very good preparation, they might go to see in the office (devotees laughing). In the ashrams, the system was unless the Guru calls to come and take prasādam, the disciple wouldn't take prasad.

 

One devotee was waiting for three days and the Guru didn't call him for prasad. He couldn't go. Of course, that was the extreme of. The Guru ordered him to go with Rāmānuja Govinda. He had gone and come back. So, then devotee was saying that we are not talking to the disciple neither you are feeding him, at least feed him and you don't talk. He said once a man is given away his words to someone else, then does he still go and feed him. 34:55 why did the disciple came back when I told him to go with Rāmānuja. So, the disciple understood that it was his duty to now serve Rāmānuja. That was the way he could serve his guru. So, then he was very peaceful and he left and joined Rāmānuja. That was the system once the Guru call, the disciple would take prasādam.

 

We heard that at the time of Bhakti Siddhānta's preaching in Calcutta, before he had a temple, he was staying in 35:25 where Prabhupad met him. But sometimes it was very difficult. And the devotees are going out and collecting hardly enough rice to feed them. They couldn't have enough. They could only offer the deities and there was some amount for Bhakti Siddhānta Thakur and little bit from the remnants of the rest. Not enough. And Bhakti Siddhānta would be crying seeing their austerities. Of course, they made Kṛṣṇa send so many facilities, so many nice temples they have. Śrīla Prabhupad wanted that ISKCON, he wrote a letter also devotees should prepare sabji and a batter for twenty puris. Anytime anybody comes, you can just cook off puris and the sabji. Then if it's less in the night, he would give it to the devotees. But he wanted anyone any respectable person comes 36:18 give them hot puris and vegetable.

 

Actually, some guest comes like that, you give them hot prasad there and never forget. In fact many of the women, one government officer in India. He is a big officer now. He said when he was going to the college in Bombay, he used to visit the Hare Kṛṣṇa temple not for any other reason but because Sunday feast, he wanted the prasādam. There was a big feast, he was just a college student, he didn't get any much prasādam. And then later on, he became a big government officer. He would always remember. The Hare Kṛṣṇa people, they fed me nice prasādam when I was a student. So now he's doing some service for the 37:07. He's very favourable. Even from a external way, people never forget but the spiritual benefit, he is getting that he doesn't realise. They never 37:20 for the class to know about prasādam (devotees laughing). Many devotees they, many people they in 37:30, they always ask about the prasādam for the western. Prasādam is very accessible form of mercy but to get prasādam one has to be very fortunate. I mentioned how the God brother of Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswati Thakur, Bamshi raj babuji he one time, he organized a big feast for all the dogs in Navadvip. He set up all banana leaves just like a regular feast, he set up the leaves and everything on two sides of the road. Then he just yelled out something Haribol! or something. All of a sudden hundreds of dogs, they all came and sat in front of the distant line. All disciplined sat in front of the plates. They had the prasad served out. They didn't take until he gave the word. Then they all took prasādam, sat there. And they all left at their plate off and their 38:28(devotees laughing). So, people they never forgot you know, kind of words like, who were these dogs actually. Were they devas or were they fallen devotees or what were they?

 

Bhakti Siddhānta Maharaj, he was very mysterious. Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswati was a uttama adhikārī. He was already a Nithya siddha. He didn't have much connection with the material world, any connection. So, Lord Caitanya, also He gave little prasad to Śivānanda Sena's dog.39:12 just like a dog's waiting for the prasad. He did not get one morsel from the hand of the Lord. But His devotee were very considered as someone fortunate.

 

Mahā prasādam ki jai!!

Śrīla Prabhupad ki jai!!

Caitanya Mahāprabhu ki jai!!

(devotees saying Jai!!).

 

Any Devotees?

 

1. Devotee not clear

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Prabhupad said that if it's the guru's plate, you can take. That is always auspicious. Even if one further 39:53 prasādam Guru 39:55 it's still auspicious but should be prasādam 39:58 just like you know some spit or something it's not prasad. Prasad means remnants after offering to Kṛṣṇa. But if you take from a equal just kind of like depends on how it is, if you take and nothing happens, it's alright. If 40:19 it's not good. If you take from people who are less, you know like people in the non- devotees or just like some outside guest or something, generally we don't take because if someone is a liberated soul and he doesn't that this is even by outside people and something, then whatever they get, someone on that level can take but if you are able [Not Clear – 00:40:43] don't have that type of transcendental vision and you take remnants from outside people, you may get sick and hamper your devotional service. So, wherever the remnants you take, you get that kind of result there also, some kind of quality is there.

 

So, except for very advanced and liberated souls, we can't eat anything like that. There are many [Not Clear – 00:41:07], sādhakas who are also practicing sādhana bhakti. They don't take the remnants from people like41:16 not initiated, Prabhupad restricted them. I mean for [Not Clear – 00:41:19] you are not supposed to live anywhere. You know but sometimes the wife can take remnants from her husband, [Not Clear – 00:41:28] it's equal, it's kind of optional type of[Not Clear – 00: 41:32]. If you take that remnant you get that quality. They have to accept some responsibility [Not Clear – 00:41:44]. So, it's auspicious to take prasādam who is more advanced and take from a pure Vaiṣṇava, from Guru or śikṣā Guru or something like that. But to take from someone who is like less advanced in that sense someone who doesn't show those qualities. Unless someone like such a great liberated pure devotee, he sees everybody one, that's not just out of 42:16. He had to actually have that type of vision like Raghunāth Das. He was taking the remnants of the animals of the prasādam Jagannath outside the temple. Lord Caitanya said you can't imitate. If you imitate, you don't have that vision, it's actually offensive and then you get the, you have to take the reactions. So that's the basic instruction behind.

 

Any other Devotee.

 

Devotee: not clear

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Vedas says that cow 42:55 is respective as our mother. So, we don't eat her 42:58 the remnants of the cow. Dogs or something. Cats. This was 43:06. So that the 43:13 remnants on the plate. That's how there is one kali 43:17 make sure that he would collect prasādam remnants from all the Vaiṣṇavas, I mean the advanced Vaiṣṇavas. But some of them would be so tricky that they want to give prasad but he ate everything, completely licked off the plate and at least you know, so he didn't know what to do. Then he gave him a mango prasad, mango prasādam and he waited outside. So, the person took the mango and his wife threw out the mango seed in the garbage. And he was hiding in the bushes. Once she left, he ran over the garbage, took the mango seed. like all these līlā’s, just like a guerrilla warrior how he's got prasad (devotees laughing), all the Vaiṣṇavas [Not Clear – 00:44:07]. Oh no, I am not a devotee, you are more advanced than me, how can be I give you my remnants. But he would like try various tricks on [Not Clear – 00:44:18]. That's it. You should see that you have faith in the Vaiṣṇavas [Not Clear – 00:44:34] remnants. Someone has that kind of faith, it's very auspicious.

 

Devotee: not clear

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: You drive the cat away or throw something off. If they see you are eating, then slip off. Any hungry person, if you are eating prasādam and they are looking at you, you are supposed to feed them. In one sense or you know for cats, if they see you and they are hungry and they are watching you eat, then you can get sick. That a gṛhastha, they will always see if anyone, they will always feed everybody first. When everybody was fed, then they will sit down. They go out and call 3 times - Are anybody hungry! Nobody came, then they take prasādam.

 

Devotee: So, what you are saying that it is said that just like a comment reactional [Not Clear – 00:45:31]

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami:  You see the effect that someone who’s hungry watching you eat, that puts a kind of influence on you. In other words, you are eating and that person is hungry and watching, you know that makes you sick 45:43 it's a subtle thing, it's not a gross thing. It's not that specific thing is not as the reaction, immediate reaction for that particular thing. How this fit into the law of karma, that's another Devotee but there is an immediate reaction for that?

 

So generally, the devotees don't eat food prasādam in front of other people. They don't eat in a [Not Clear – 00:46:16]. Prabhupad said it is best if you can take something to drink [Not Clear – 00:46:23] or he never [Not Clear – 00:46:23]. He didn't like it when they take pictures of guru or sanyasi eating. People may get the wrong impression. They don't understand the importance of prasādam. I know one time I was taking prasādam cooking for a boat [Not Clear – 00:46:43] traveling boat [Not Clear – 00:46:44] way out, it's a small village that was a [Not Clear – 00:46:50] and we didn't have anything, we just had some puffed rice and with that we made some food or nuts or something. It was somehow taking some prasādam.

 

We had a few bananas and like a picnic on a cardboard sitting there and taking little prasādam. [Not Clear – 00:47:14] banana field. Taking the banana [Not Clear – 00:47: 20] over and there were 2 children, they were next to the cart and one of them picked out a banana peel and was eating the peel. I saw that. I couldn't believe. I was like, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I couldn't believe that the peel was going in the mouth of the person chewing it. it was like a dream. It was like some dream couldn't register that the person was so hungry in eating a banana peel. [Not Clear – 00:47:46] prasad. Give me a morsel, I'll eat. He ate the prasad. But for our service, we had to do our devotional [Not Clear – 00:47:57] and take prasādam from the neck so that the devotees have enough strength and they can serve when they give prasādam as much as there is still but ya. We see that Lord Caitanya's associates [Not Clear – 00:48:10] take their prasādam first and they would actively be serving prasad. They wouldn't take prasādam and go take rest. They would serve each other. They make Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda take rest [Not Clear – 00:48:27]. So if a devotee has like in Govardhan pūjā [Not Clear – 00:48:34] even that there even after all the people are fed prasad, even the animals are given prasad. You don't often give animals often plate. It's not good.

 

Devotee: What will happen if they are qualified (not audible/clear)

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: If you give, say you are giving something, you give it to an unadvanced devotee knowing that you already [Not Clear – 00:49:15]. So that's offensive. If you try to obstruct, but somehow, they steal it from you or they order you have to give it. You may object - No, I can't give it to that devotee. Either they order or they steal it, then they are not responsible. But if you give, that's or you see someone try to take, the devotee will stop. No no no [Not Clear – 00:49:45]. You obstruct, they are stealing your prasad, you may touch the cases, any offence you want to touch their feet or something. But still beg somewhere prasad 49:56 (devotees laughing). Will that make it [Not Clear – 00:50:00] (devotees laughing). [Not Clear – 00:50:04]

 

Devotee: Are there any precautions and [Not Clear – 00:50:10], give, distribute prasad to people who might consider it as mundane food and you don't like it [Not Clear – 00:50:18]

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: So, you give a little bit

Devotee: give them like mahā prasad

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Don't give them too much, they [Not Clear – 00:50:26]. If they like it give more. If they don't like it, just have a taste. Don't give them a whole plate, they don't like it. Throw the whole plate. Give a little bit, if they don't like, at least they taste a little bit. Either they are too much in ignorance or something kind of which, at least they take a little bit. Just like prasad, generally we serve it. If we know the person's mood, just give him a little bit. If you like it, come back for more. I will come and give him more. Usually new people they can't eat so much prasad but there is a chance. (devotees laughing). I know when I first came, I couldn't eat much prasādam. I saw some devotees will eat a lot of prasādam. [Not Clear – 00:51:15] But then I guess after a while first thing, it's important to take prasādam (devotees laughing).

 

Devotee: There's one gentleman in the French corridor. As we are working 51: 32, he is a lawyer, on the weekends [Not Clear – 00:51: 35] and [Not Clear – 00:51:38] told he was talking to him. He was saying [Not Clear – 00:51:43] before, only cause he 51:45 that we had free food. He said - It's just brown rice. I didn't go back. Prasādam was in town. He didn't think, it was very good. So, he decided not to go back anymore. And so, he was there all day. He wants to get some high time in the temple where it is glorifying prasad [Not Clear – 00:52:05] and then he really liked our cheese cake. He said it's bigger than [Not Clear – 00:52:09].

 

So Sankirtan Das brought some cheese cake and the man has been on a diet and so fasted all day waiting for his piece of cheese cake. 9O' clock at night, this guy comes and tells the story and gets some situated and he cut off. Where's my cheese cake? (devotees laughing) and he said that just locked, sorry I forgot it. He's like - What!! what!! you told me [Not Clear – 00:52:37]. He was just relishing every bite. [Not Clear – 00:52:45]. This is just the best cheese cake I had ever tasted. It's like she is explaining to him how it is offered to Kṛṣṇa. He was [Not Clear – 00:52:54] (devotees laughing) [Not Clear – 00:52:59]. So we can see now, people I guess at different levels. There have been things they need to [Not Clear – 00:53:09] I was waiting for the prasādam.

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: [Not Clear – 00:53:13] Prabhupad spiritual reference prasādam. One day I was just talking with some devotee, one very senior Vaiṣṇava. Prabhupāda asked him - there's different devotees, what is the thing that 53:30 Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, he asked this devotee [Not Clear – 00:53:31]. prasādam. They used to come just for prasādam. But eventually they hadn't got more [Not Clear – 00:53:40]

 

Devotee: Ya, I wanted to know so if it's someone drops prasad on the ground and it’s a prasādam there. Some of the animal came along ate that it's a and then someone else getting along ate the [Not Clear – 00:53:39] (not able to understand)

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Well, it's an insect (devotees laughing). That is all. That is adjusted the prasad there, will still there as prasādam (devotees laughing). The animal the animal is also wants it digested and also transform into meat and flesh 54:30. I never heard about any benefit. (devotees laughing). If it's still like there in undigested form (devotees laughing). A bird [Not Clear – 00:54:45] I shaving prasādam it's not, it's a benefit by taking prasādam. I don't know how long the prasādam may not be digested but.

 

Devotee: [Not Clear – 00:54:56] not clear

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: The mercy has been digested. (devotees laughing)

 

Devotee:  What Vaiṣṇava etiquette [Not Clear – 00:55:09] should senior junior Vaiṣṇavas 55:11

 His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: [Not Clear – 00:55:12] one particular point is trying to 55:14

 

Devotee continued: [Not Clear – 00:55:16]

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Material age has no [Not Clear – 00:55:34]

 

Devotee continued: 55:35

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Material age doesn't have any bearings spiritually. But social custom, the societies they may offer respect to the elderly, you offer. They say you may offer like a politician. This is simply because of social respect. There's nothing to do with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It's just like we do not do [Not Clear – 00:55:56] okay. You are in society, so you follow some social etiquette but there's the previous 56:05 representative of congress comes here to get our votes. So, we welcome him and give him you know. It's not because of his spiritual status. This is a social, and important person, so we are giving him social respect. If it is a very powerful government you can consider okay government is representing Kṛṣṇa as the [Not Clear – 00:56:26]. Sometimes while they consider like that, other than that in a society of devotees superficially that etiquette is to offer respect to those who are initiated before amongst a non-sanyasi [Not Clear – 00:56:44] harinām first considered senior but amongst those who also took brāhmaṇa and their perspective more. But they consider ritvik then 56:56 if they are all from the same Guru, I mean the same.

 

The Prabhupad disciples are offered respect by grand disciples of Prabhupad. This is the etiquette. This is the superficial [Not Clear – 00:57:10]. The sannyāsīs are offered respect by all the others. It's like a varnashrama but amongst the sanyasis, whoever took sanyasi first is considered senior. Now if someone is more Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is obviously more important.

 

Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswati Thakur was a grand disciple of Bhakti Vinod Thakur. One of Bhakti Vinod Thakur's own disciples accepted Bhakti Siddhānta as a diksha guru because he recognised, he was more Kṛṣṇa conscious. So, if you can recognise someone is more Kṛṣṇa conscious, that's more important than the external seniority [Not Clear – 00:57:49] who took initiation. I was in a room in Māyāpur when there was one grihastha who husband was initiated and the son got initiated but the wife wasn't initiated. She didn't surrender to Prabhupad for some time. So, then she requested for initiation.

But Śrīla Prabhupad I wasn't going to look. So, this means that your son is senior to you. Because he took his spiritual birth much before you did. He is spiritually born before you. Therefore, your son is always older than you are.

 

Prabhupad was explaining how this (devotees laughing) 58:30. The mother was kind of saying trying to [Not Clear – 00:58:34]. So that's a, in ISKCON we don't follow that that strictly but I have seen like it’s the general etiquette that somebody see things of some other person is much more just like technically Govinda Das was the God brother of Caitanya. But he was ordered by Īśvara Purī to serve Lord Caitanya.

 

Govinda was a disciple of a God brother of a guru Rāmānuja.  He was like a cousin God brother of Rāmānuja. But his guru ordered him to serve Rāmānuja like his spiritual master. So that was his service to Guru was to serve his God brother. Mahāprabhu's elder brother but what's his name Rishabh dev yes [Not Clear – 00:59:27]. Rishabh dev [Not Clear – 00:59:29] incarnation. He wanted all the 99 sons to serve his elder brother. So, there's and the order that grew [Not Clear – 00:59:37] we are supposed to serve another God brother or someone like that or someone like [Not Clear – 00:59:41] in the case of, in cases like that. So, what is the general etiquette we observe.

 

Just like Lord Caitanya was offering His respect to Guru's God brothers - Paramānanda Bhāratī and others who were senior sanyasis but they know that He was senior, that He was Kṛṣṇa or He was you know senior than they were. But He would observe this external etiquette.

 

So, I think one-time Brahmānanda Bhāratī or someone of them came wearing a deer skin like a Māyāvādī yogi or something and someone said - Here's Brahmānanda. Lord Caitanya came and glanced and said No! I don't see him. No no!! he is standing there. No no!! I didn't see him. Brahmānanda Bhāratī would not, it couldn't be Brahmānanda Bhāratī because he would not come wearing a deer skin. He will come as a Vaiṣṇava or a devotee. He could not be the God brother of my Guru. It must be someone else. I don't see him. Like that, He just like you know then Brahmānanda got the message that. Brahmānanda changed his clothes [Not Clear – 1:00:46]. So [Not Clear – 1:00:47] Lord Caitanya kept His etiquette. At the same time, He taught him through this kind of indirect method. So, the main etiquette is so possible to get your message [Not Clear – 1:00:57] requires a little more skill. But that is always you know, that's the external thing but the real point is of course who is more Kṛṣṇa conscious. But the [Not Clear – 1:01:05] I am more Kṛṣṇa conscious even though I am your God you know I am your God nephew, so you should respect me.

 

Obviously, that's not the that's not the technique. But there may be some person who is more senior by chronology, recognise that this other devotee is actually more fiery and more enthusiastic, more advanced. Ultimately that's what Kṛṣṇa recognises. But for the sake of [Not Clear – 1:01:30] there is no like meter you can just put in somebody's ear and comes out okay. This is something you have to realise. So externally we do this. By seniority basically or by how much responsibilities. Someone may be a junior in terms of seniority but they may have taken more responsibility in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Say there is a guru who came here like Prabhupad was by chronology, by seniority he was junior than many other sanyasis. Because he was a grihastha, he took sannyas later. But because he delivered Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the whole world, they should have respected for what he did.

 

So, the seniority thing has a certain limit by a person is obviously empowered to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then everybody should respect him. Lord Caitanya said jai bhajo sei guru. Who is practically doing their devotional service they should be someone even initiated 1:02:23 someone else doing a lot of service, you respect that person?

 

Devotee: [Not Clear – 1:02:28]

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: [Not Clear – 1:92:36]

 

All right.

 

Śrīla Prabhupad ki Jai!!