Category:Maha-prasadam
Theme Analysis
The category of maha-prasadam reveals the absolute, spiritual nature of food offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Prabhupada teaches that such remnants are not material substances like ordinary rice or dhal but are nondifferent from Krsna Himself. The analysis highlights the transformative power of honoring these remnants, which can liberate a conditioned soul from material contamination and awaken dormant love for God. Furthermore, a clear distinction is drawn between the remnants of the Lord and the remnants of His pure devotees, the latter being elevated to the status of maha-maha-prasadam.
- Spiritual Identity: Maha-prasadam is the spiritual mercy of the Lord and is nondifferent from Him; viewing it as ordinary material food is a sign of ignorance.
- The Remnants of Pure Devotees: When a pure Vaisnava or a great devotee like Lord Siva honors maha-prasadam, the remnants become maha-maha-prasadam, possessing immense potency to purify the consumer.
- Transcendental Etiquette: One must honor maha-prasadam immediately upon receipt, regardless of time, place, or the condition of the food (whether dry or stale), as it transcends mundane hygiene and regulations.
- Prohibition for Non-Devotees: Food offered by an avaisnava cannot be accepted as maha-prasadam because a person lacking devotion has no access to the Lord; thus, such food remains material and untouchable.
- Consequences of Offense: Considering maha-prasadam to be mundane or making dualistic distinctions regarding it constitutes a severe offense, leading to spiritual degradation and suffering.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Transcendental Nature of Mahā-prasādam.
Subcategories
This category has only the following subcategory.
Pages in category "Maha-prasadam"
The following 48 pages are in this category, out of 48 total.
A
- A pure Vaisnava, or a person on the paramahamsa stage, accepts the remnants of food as spiritual. He does not consider it to be material or sense gratificatory. He accepts maha-prasadam not as ordinary dhal and rice but as spiritual substance
- Actually, by eating such maha-prasadam (the remnants of food left by a pure Vaisnava), one is freed from all the contaminations of the material condition. That is the verdict of the sastra
- After paying Him respectful obeisances, Krsnadasa offered maha-prasadam to Advaita Acarya. He then informed Him of the news of Lord Caitanya in complete detail
- Also in that chapter, the glories of maha-prasadam are explained, and a verse is tasted describing the effect of nectar from the lips of Krsna
- An avaisnava may be a vegetarian and a very clean cook, but because he cannot offer Visnu the food he cooks, it cannot be accepted as maha-prasadam. It is better that a Vaisnava abandon such food as untouchable
B
- By eating or touching such maha-prasadam (the remnants of food left by a pure Vaisnava), a brahmana is not degraded. There is no question of being polluted by touching the remnants of such food
- By eating prasadam one makes advancement in spiritual life. Therefore, we should never consider ordinary food on an equal level with maha-prasadam
G
I
- I have not finished chanting my regular number of rounds. How, then, can I eat? But you have brought maha-prasadam, and how can I neglect it
- If an avaisnava offers food in the name of maha-prasadam, it should not be accepted. Such food cannot be prasadam because an avaisnava cannot offer anything to the Lord
- Immediately upon arrival at the holy place, they (the devotees of Lord Caitanya) went to see Lord Caitanya, and by His order they took maha-prasadam without following the regulations governing holy places
- In the Brhad-visnu Purana it is stated that one who considers maha-prasadam to be equal to ordinary rice and dhal certainly commits a great offense
- In the garden, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sat down with the other devotees. Vaninatha Raya then came and brought all kinds of maha-prasadam
- Indeed, Vaninatha has already gone to the residence of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and has taken a huge quantity of maha-prasadam. Please let me know the reason for this
- It is said here (in CC Antya 11.20), karila vandana, “he offered prayers.” When taking maha-prasadam, one should not consider the food ordinary preparations. Prasada means favor. One should consider maha-prasadam a favor of Krsna
- It is said that a Vaisnava does not accept anything eatable that is not offered to Lord Visnu, but on Ekadasi a Vaisnava should not touch even maha-prasadam offered to Visnu, although such prasadam may be kept for being eaten the next day
- It is said that among all the devotees of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Siva is the greatest. Thus the remnants of foodstuff left by him are accepted by other devotees as maha-prasada, or great spiritual foodstuff
O
- One should take prasadam with great faith and should chant the holy name of the Lord and worship the Deity in the temple, always remembering that the Deity, maha-prasadam and the holy name do not belong to the mundane platform
- Ordinary food cooked by an avaisnava should not be accepted by a Vaisnava. Even if an avaisnava cooks food without fault, he cannot offer it to Lord Visnu, and it cannot be accepted as maha-prasadam
S
- Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya made arrangements to bring various kinds of maha-prasadam from the Jagannatha temple. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then accepted lunch with great happiness
- Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya said, "Understanding that all the devotees have come, Lord Caitanya gave the sign, and therefore Vaninatha and the others have brought such great quantities of maha-prasadam"
- Saying this, he offered prayers to the maha-prasadam, took a little portion, and ate it
- Sometimes devotees are promised a plate of maha-prasadam for the biggest distributer. There is no harm
- Svarupa Damodara Gosvami then said, "Just take a little of this maha-prasadam, and see how it is that Lord Jagannatha has accepted it"
T
- The Bhattacarya informed all of them, "Please take your midday baths immediately. Today I shall offer you maha-prasadam, the remnants of food offered to Lord Jagannatha"
- The Bhattacarya said, "One should eat the maha-prasadam of the Lord immediately upon receiving it, even though it is dried up, stale or brought from a distant country. One should consider neither time nor place"
- The Lord always reserves the right of not being exposed to everyone. The devotees, however, are always engaged in the service of the Lord, serving with the tongue by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra and tasting maha-prasadam
- The remnants of food left by a pure Vaisnava are called maha-maha-prasadam. This is completely spiritual and is identified with Lord Visnu. Such remnants are not ordinary
- The remnants of food offered to Lord Krsna are called maha-prasadam. After this same maha-prasadam has been taken by a devotee, the remnants are elevated to maha-maha-prasadam
- The remnants of foodstuff offered to Lord Krsna are called prasada, but when the same prasada is eaten by a great devotee like Lord Siva, it is called maha-prasada
- The smarta-brahmanas reject the fact that maha-prasadam (food offered to the Deity) is transcendental and materially uncontaminated
- The word apavitra anna refers to food that is unacceptable for a Vaisnava. In other words, a Vaisnava cannot accept any food offered by an avaisnava in the name of maha-prasadam. This should be a principle for all Vaisnavas
- Then the Lord told Kasi Misra and the temple superintendent, "As for the remnants of food left by Jagannatha, let them be delivered to Vaninatha Raya's charge, for he can take care of all the Vaisnavas and distribute maha-prasadam to them"
- Then Vallabha Bhatta brought in a great quantity of Lord Jagannatha's maha-prasadam and sumptuously fed Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates
- There are people who are opposed to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s accepting a Vaisnava belonging to a lower caste. Such people do not consider maha-prasadam transcendental, and therefore they are described as murkha (foolish) and dusta - mischievous
- Those who are not pious cannot understand the value of maha-prasadam or the holy name of the Lord. Both prasadam and the Lord's name are on the Brahman platform, or spiritual platform
- Throngs of people came from different villages to see the Deity of Gopala, and they took maha-prasadam sumptuously. When they saw the superexcellent form of Lord Gopala, all their lamentation and unhappiness disappeared