Bhagavad Gita chapter 15 text 14 Nama seva and prasadam seva

[Paramananda das]

Text 14

aham vaisvanaro bhutva praninam deham asritah pranapana-samayuktah pacamy annam catur-vidham

Translation

I am the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living entities, and I  join with the air of life, outgoing and incoming, to digest the four  kinds of foodstuff.

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

According to Ayur-vedic shastra, we understand that there is a fire in the  stomach which digests all food sent there. When the fire is not blazing  there is no hunger, and when the fire is in order we become hungry.  Sometimes when the fire is not going nicely, treatment is required. In  any case, this fire is representative of the Supreme Personality of  Godhead. Vedic mantras (Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad 5.9.1) also confirm  that the Supreme Lord or Brahman is situated in the form of fire within  the stomach and is digesting all kinds of foodstuff (ayam agnir  vaisvanaro yo ’yam antah puruse yenedam annam pacyate). Therefore since  He is helping the digestion of all kinds of foodstuff, the living entity is not independent in the eating process. Unless the Supreme Lord helps him in digesting, there is no possibility of eating. He thus produces  and digests foodstuff, and by His grace we are enjoying life. In the  Vedanta-sutra (1.2.27) this is also confirmed.

Sabdadibhyo ’ntah pratishthanac ca: the Lord is situated within sound and within the  body, within the air and even within the stomach as the digestive force. There are four kinds of foodstuff—some are swallowed, some are chewed,  some are licked up, and some are sucked—and He is the digestive force  for all of them.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

Becoming vaisvanara, the fire in the stomach, taking shelter of the bodies of  living entities, along with the prana and apana, which stimulate the  fire, I digest the food of four types. The four types of food are:  chewed with the teeth (bhaksyam), like roasted chick peas; savored by the tongue without using the teeth (bhojyam) such as soup; licked (lehyam) such as raw sugar; and sucked items (cosya), in which the chewed portion is discarded, such as sugar cane stick.

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary Continuing on Lord Krishna affirms that His potency  is  vaisvanara  or  the digestive fire within the physical body  that  combing  with  the  prana  or exhalation and the apana or inhalation digests the four types of food  eaten by jivas or embodied beings which are chewed, sucked, licked or  drank.  The first is that which is chewed by masticating the food into small  pieces  so it can be swallowed such as bread and vegetables. Next is that which can  be licked by the tongue and swallowed without chewing like honey  or  molasses. After is that which can be  sucked  like  the  juice  within  sugarcane  and finally is that which can be swallowed without chewing  such  as  soups  and liquid beverages. Hence they are all different.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya Madhvacarya's Commentary The Supreme Lord Krishna discloses that He is abiding in the  physical  body as the fire of digestion known as vaisvanarah assisting  in  the  sustenance of all jivas or embodied beings.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary Lord Krishna declares that He is vaisvanara the digestive fire  which  joins together with the vital  breaths  of   prana  or  exhalation  and  apana  or inhalation. Together they digest in the  stomach  the  four  kinds  of  food which are foods that are khadva  or  chewed,  soshva  or  sucked,  lehya  or licked and peya or drank.  In  these  last  three  verses  Lord  Krishna  is specifying integral functions of the jivas or embodied  beings  and  of  the Earth that are manifestations of His opulent glories. The  expressions  that He becomes the light of  the  sun, moon and fire etc. are meant to  indicate the predicated relationship that theses object have in regard to  Him.  That fact  that  such  realtionships  exist  in  reference  to  all   things   is substantiated in the next verse.    ..

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary Lord Krishna abides within the physical bodies  of  all  jivas  or  embodied beings as vaisvanara the digestive fire which joining with  the  vital  airs of prana or exhalation and apana or inhalation, digest  the  four  kinds  of food that are chewed, sucked, licked and drank. This is  also  confirmed  in the  Brhadaranyaka  Upanisad   V.IX.I   beginning   ayamagnirvaisvanaro   yoayamantah puruse meaning: From the purusa or Supreme Lord comes the fire  of

Comment: Krsna is the fire of digestion without Krsna we can not even eat, smell taste ,touch and hear and percieve sound this is all the grace of Krsna.

Devotees of Krsna only accept  Krsna prasadam ,and Krsna has stated in Bhagavad Gita:

Text 13

yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva-kilbisaih bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanty atma-karanat

Translation

The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

The devotees of the Supreme Lord, or the persons who are in Krishna consciousness, are called santas, and they are always in love with the Lord as it is described in the Brahma-samhita(5.38): premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hridayesu vilokayanti. The santas, being always in a compact of love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda (the giver of all pleasures), or Mukunda (the giver of liberation), or Krishna (the all-attractive person), cannot accept anything without first offering it to the Supreme Person. Therefore, such devotees always perform yajnas in different modes of devotional service, such as shravanam, kirtanam, smaranam, arcanam, etc., and these performances of yajnas keep them always aloof from all kinds of contamination of sinful association in the material world. Others, who prepare food for self or sense gratification, are not only thieves but also the eaters of all kinds of sins. How can a person be happy if he is both a thief and sinful? It is not possible. Therefore, in order for people to become happy in all respects, they must be taught to perform the easy process of sankirtana-yajna, in full Krishna consciousness. Otherwise, there can be no peace or happiness in the world.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

Those who eat the food remnants of yajnas such as the vaisvadeva yajna become freed from all sins caused by the five types of violence to living entities. The five violent actions (panca suna) are described in the smrti:

kandani pesani culli udakumbhi ca marjani panca-suna grhasthasya tabhih svargam na vindati

The grhastha does not enjoy svarga by commission of the five violent actions towards other living entities caused by using the mortar, grinding stone, the stove, the broom and water pot. Visnu Smrti 59. 19-20

in Guruvastakam Srila Visvanath Chakravati Thakura has prayed:

catur-vidha-sri-bhagavat-prasada- svadv-anna-trptan hari-bhakta-sanghan krtvaiva trptim bhajatah  sadaiva vande guroh  sri-caranaravindam

The spiritual master is always offering Krsna  four kinds of delicious food (analyzed as that which is licked, chewed, drunk,  and sucked). When the spiritual master sees that the devotees are satisfied by  eating bhagavat-prasada, he is satisfied. I offer my respectful obeisances unto  the lotus feet of such a spiritual master.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura has prayed in his Gita Mala:

bhāi-re! śarīra abidyā-jāl, joḍendriya tāhe kāl, jīve phele viṣaya-sāgore tā'ra madhye jihwā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati, tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saḿsāre

(2) kṛṣṇa baro doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay, swa-prasād-anna dilo bhāi sei annāmṛta pāo, rādhā-kṛṣṇa-guṇa gāo, preme ḍāko caitanya-nitāi

TRANSLATION

1) O brothers! This material body is a network of  ignorance, and the senses are one's deadly enemies, for they throw the soul into  the ocean of material sense enjoyment. Among the senses, the tongue is the most  voracious and verily wicked; it is very difficult to conquer the tongue in this  world.

2) O brothers! Lord Krsna is very merciful-just to  control the tongue He has given us the remnants of His own food! Now please eat  these nectarean grains while singing the glories of  Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha and Krsna, and in love call out "Caitanya! Nitai!"

In Mahabharat it is stated:

mahā-prasāde govinde

nāma-brahmaṇi vaiṣṇave

svalpa-puṇyavatāḿ rājan

viśvāso naiva jāyate

TRANSLATION

O king, for those who have  amassed very few pious activities, their faith in maha-prasada, in Sri Govinda, in  the Holy Name and in the Vaisnava is never  born

Actually devotiona service starts with the tongue: CC chapter 17 Madhya lila

TEXT 136

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ

SYNONYMS

ataḥ—therefore (because Kṛṣṇa’s name, form and qualities are all on the absolute platform); śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma-ādi—Lord Kṛṣṇa’s name, form, qualities, pastimes and so on; na—not; bhavet—can be; grāhyam—perceived; indriyaiḥ—by the blunt material senses; sevā-unmukhe—to one engaged in His service; hi—certainly; jihvā-ādau—beginning with the tongue; svayam—personally; eva—certainly; sphurati—become manifest; adaḥ—those (Kṛṣṇa’s name, form, qualities and so on).

TRANSLATION

“‘Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṇa really is.’

PURPORT

This verse is recorded in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.234).

SB 3.4.29, Purport:

By practical experience also, it is seen, up to the present day, that the Lord's transcendental form is worshiped by devotees in different temples, and all the devotees of the Lord factually realize that the form of the Deity in the temple is nondifferent from the form of the Lord. This inconceivable performance of the internal potency of the Lord is described in Bhagavad-gītā (7.25): nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ. The Lord reserves the right of not being exposed to everyone. In the Padma Purāṇa it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). The name and form of the Lord cannot be perceived by the material senses, but when He appears within the vision of the mundane people He assumes the form of the virāṭ-rūpa. This is an additional material exhibition of form and is supported by the logic of a subject and its adjectives. In grammar, when an adjective is taken away from the subject, the subject it modifies does not change. Similarly, when the Lord quits His virāṭ-rūpa, His eternal form does not change, although there is no material difference between Himself and any one of His innumerable forms. In the Fifth Canto it will be seen how the Lord is worshiped in different planets in His different forms, even now, and how He is worshiped in different temples of this earth also.

Srila Prabhupada has given an amazing lecture in 1969 in Hamburg: http://www.prabhupadavani.org/main/Lectures/110.html

(at the time this lecture  was given by Srila Prabhupada  I lived 100 miles away on the Danish side by the German border, not knowing who Srila Prabhupada was , just an ignorant 9 year old child, crying over the loss of my mother to cancer so close by but so far away ....)

In his Padyavali ,Srila Rupa Goswami has given the mood how a pure vaisnava offered prasadam to Krsna:

Naivedyarpane vijnaptih

Prayers for Offering  Prasadam

TEXT  117

dvija-strinam bhakte  mriduni viduranne vraja-gavam

dadhi-kshire sakhyuh  sphuöa-cipita-mushöau mura-ripo

yashodayah stanye  vraja-yuvati-datte madhuni te

yathasid amodas tam  imam upahare ‘pi kurutam

dvija—of the brahmanas;  strinam—of the wives; bhakte—in the foodstuff; mriduni—palatable; vidura—offered  by Vidura; anne—in the foodstuff; vraja—of Vraja; gavam—of the cows; dadhi—the  yogurt; kshire—and milk; sakhyuh—of Your friend Sudama Vipra; sphuta—manifested;  cipita—of chipped rice; mustau—a handful; mura—of the Mura demon; ripo—O enemy;  yasodayah—of Yasoda; stanye—in the breast-milk; vraja—of Vraja; yuvati—by the  young gopis; datte—presented; madhuni—palatable foods; te—to You; yatha—just as;  asit—was; amodah—happiness; tam—this; imam—this; upahare—in the offering;  api—also; kurutam—may be done.

O  Lord Murari, as You enjoyed the palatable food presented by the wives of the  brahmanas, the meal offered by Vidura, the milk and yogurt of the cows in Vraja,  the handful of chipped rice from Your friend Sudama Brahmana, the breast-milk of  Mother Yashoda, and the delicious foods prepared by the young girls of Vraja, I  hope the offering I now place before You, You will also enjoy in the same  way.

—Shri Ramanuja

TEXT  118

ya pritir vidurarpite  madhu-ripo kunty-arpite yadrishi

ya govardhana-murdhni  ya ca prithuke stanye yashodarpite

bharadvaja-samarpite  shabarika-datte ‘dhare yoshitam

ya va te  muni-bhamini-vinihite ‘nne ‘trapi tam arpaya

ya—which;  pritih—pleasure; visura—by Vidura; arpite—offered; madhu—of the Madhu demon;  ripo—O enemy; kunti—by Kunti-devi; arpite—offered; yadrishi—like which;  ya—which; govardhana—of Govardhana Hill; murdhni—on the summit; ya—which;  ca—also; prthuke—in the chipped rice; stanye—in the breast-milk; yasoda—by  Yasoda-devi; arpite—offered; savarika—by Sabarika; datte—presentede; adhare—in  the lips; yositam—of the gopis; ya—which; va—or; te—of You; muni—of the sages;  bhamini—by the wives; vinihite—presented; anne—in the foods; atra—here;  api—also; tam—that; arpaya—please place.

O  Lord Madhusudana, as You enjoyed the meal offered by Vidura, the foods presented  by Kunti, Your lunch on the peak of Govardhana Hill, the chipped rice of Sudama  Brahmana, the breast-milk offered by Mother Yashoda, the meal offered by  Bharadvaja Muni, the food offered by Shabarika, the many dishes presented by the  wives of the brahmanas, as well as the taste of the gopis’ lips, I hope the  offering of food I now place before You, You will enjoy in the same  way.

—author unknown

TEXT  119

kshire shyamalayarpite  kamalaya vishranite phanite

datte ladòuni bhadraya  madhu-rase somabhaya lambhite

tushöir ya bhavatas  tatah shata-gunam radha-nideshan maya

nyaste ‘smin puratas  tvam arpaya hare ramyopahare ratim

kshire—in the milk;  shyamalaya—by Syamala; arpite—presented; kamalaya—by Kamala;  visranite—presented; phanite—the phanita; datte—given; ladduni—the laddus;  bhadraya—by Bhadra; madhu-rase—the madhu-rasa; somabhaya—by Candravali;  lambhite—presented; tustih—pleasure; ya—which; bhavatah—of You; tatah—then;  sata—a hundred times; gunam—multiplied; radha—of Radha; nidesat—from the  instruction; maya—by me; nyaste—placed; asmin—in this; puratah—in Your presence;  tvam—You; arpaya—please place; hare—O Lord Hari; ramya—delicious; upahare—in the  presentation; ratim—pleasure.

O  Lord Hari, You greatly enjoyed the kshira presented by Shyamala, the phanita  presented by Kamala, the laòòus given by Bhadra, and the madhurasa offered by  Candravali. I hope that the delicious food I have prepared under Radharani’s  guidance, and I now place before You, You will enjoy a hundred times more that  what was offered by these other gopis.

—Shri Rupa  Gosvami

Is there qualification to offering Krsna bhoga ?

Bhagavad-gita As It Is 9.26

patram pushpam phalam toyam

yo me bhaktya prayacchati

tad aham bhakty-upahritam

asnami prayatatmanah

SYNONYMS

patram -- a leaf; pushpam -- a flower; phalam -- a fruit; toyam -- water; yah -- whoever; me -- unto Me; bhaktya -- with devotion; prayacchati -- offers; tat -- that; aham -- I; bhakti-upahritam -- offered in devotion; asnami -- accept; prayata-atmanah -- from one in pure consciousness.

TRANSLATION

If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.

But Lord Caitanya only accepted prasadam at the house of devotees that would chant    64 rounds daily!

In Caitanya Bhagavad we find these statements by Lord Caitanya:

sri  caitanya-bhagavate

(1) prabhu  bale,-"jana, 'laksesvara' bali kare?

prati-dina  laksa-nama ye grahana kare"

In the  Caitanya-bhagavata Madhya Khanda 9.121-122, Lord Caitanya

Mahaprabhu  instructed us on whose worship and service He will accept:

"Do you know  who is a laksesvara? He is someone who chants one

laksa, or one  hundred thousand holy names (sixty-four rounds of the

Hare Krsna  maha-mantra) everyday."

sri  gaurasundera balibena - "jini pratidina laksanama grahana

karibena,  tanharai grhe bhagavan sevita hana."

Sri  Gaurasundara spoke as follows - "The Supreme Personality of

Godhead  accepts service only in the home of those who chant one

hundred  thousand names daily.

bhagavan  tanharai nikate bhoga-dravyadi grahana karena.

"The Lord  accepts bhoga (foodstuffs) and other ingredients only from

such  personalities.

se janera nama ami bali 'laksesvara' tatha bhiksa amara, na yai

anya  ghara"

"I call such a  person a laksesvara. I only accept meals in that

person's  house. I never go anywhere else."

In the Antya lila of the Caitanya Caritamrta, Srila Krsna das Kaviraja has revealed so many

glories of Mahaprasadam and Maha Mahaprasadam.

Prasadam should be honored not just "eaten".

We should be as eager to chant Hare Krsna as to take prasadam and even more.

Srila Rupa Goswami has stated in his Upadesamrta:

syāt kṛṣṇa-nāma-caritādi-sitāpy avidyā-

pittopatapta-rasanasya na rocikā nu

kintv ādarād anudinaḿ khalu saiva juṣṭā

svādvī kramād bhavati tad-gada-mūla-hantrī

TRANSLATION

The holy name, character, pastimes and activities of Kṛṣṇa are all transcendentally sweet like sugar candy. Although the tongue of one afflicted by the jaundice of avidyā [ignorance] cannot taste anything sweet, it is wonderful that simply by carefully chanting these sweet names every day, a natural relish awakens within his tongue, and his disease is gradually destroyed at the root.

TEXT  93

asvadyam  pramada-radacchadam iva shravyam navam jalpitam

balaya iva drishya  uttama-vadhu-lavanya-lakshmir iva

prodghoshyam  cira-viprayukta-vanita-sandesha-vaniva me

naivedyam caritam ca  rupam anisham shri-krishna namastu te

asvadyam—to be tasted;  pramada—of a woman; radacchadam—the lips; iva—like; shravyam—to be heard;  navam—new; jalpitam—conversation; balayah—of a young girl; iva—like; drishyam—to  be seen; uttama—supreme; vadhu—of a wife; lavanya—of beauty; lakshmih—the  opulence; iva—like; prodghoshyam—to be spoken aloud; cira—for a long time;  viprayukta—separated; vanita—of a woman; sandesha—in a letter; vani—the  statement; iva—like; me—for me; naivedyam—the remnants of foodstuff;  caritam—pastimes; ca—and; rupam—form; anisham—day and night; shri-krishna—O Shri  Krishna; nama—the name; astu—may become; te—of You.

O  Lord Krishna, I pray that the remnants of Your foodstuff may become as palatable  for to me as a woman’s lips are palatable for a materialist. I pray that the  narration of Your pastimes may become as sweet to my ears as the words of a  young girl are sweet for a materialist. I pray that the sight of Your  transcendental form may become as pleasing to my eyes as the beauty of a young  bride is pleasing to her husband. I pray that I may always chant Your holy name  in the same way a lover reads aloud a letter from his long-separated  beloved.

—author  unknown

mugdham mam nigadantu  niti-nipuna bhrantam muhur vaidikah

mandam bandhava-sancaya  jada-dhiyam muktadarah sodarah

unmattam  viveka-chaturah kamam maha-dambhikam

moktum na kshamate  manag api mano govinda-pada-spriham

mugdham—illusioned;  mam—me; nigadantu—may say; niti—in morality; nipunah—the experts;  bhrantam—misled; muhuh—continually; vaidikah—experts in Vedic activities;  mandam—a fool; bandhava—of friends and relatives; sancayah—hosts; jada—stunted;  dhiyam—whose intelligence; mukta—without; adarah—respect; sodarah—brothers;  unmattam—mad; dhaninah—the wealthy; viveka-chaturah—learned philosophers;  kamam—to their hearts content; maha-dambhikam—very proud; moktum—to abandon;  na—not; kshamate—is able; manak—slightly; api—even; manah—my mind; govinda—of  Lord Krishna; pada—of the feet; sprham—the desire.

Let the sharp moralist  accuse me of being illusioned; I do not mind. Experts in Vedic activities may  slander me as being misled, friends and relatives may call me frustrated, my  brothers may call me a fool, the wealthy mammonites may point me out as mad, and  the learned philosophers may assert that I am much too proud; still my mind does  not budge an inch from the determination to serve the lotus feet of Govinda,  though I be unable to do it.*

—Shri Madhavendra  Puri

Vaisnava das anu das

Paramananda das