OFFERING FOOD TO GOD, GUESTS AND THE PANCHA-PRANAS
Before sitting for food, the place is purified, a seat is put and in a leaf the articles of food are
served. Before taking the food, a little water is sprinkled making a line all round the leaf repeating
some Vedic Mantras. This repetition purifies the food. Then a little water is sipped. According to
science as well as medicine, a little water, if drunk before the food is taken, is highly beneficial.
Then the food is offered to the five Pranas and Brahman seated in the heart, by repeating Om
Pranaya Svaha, Apanaya Svaha, Vyanaya Svaha, Udanaya Svaha, Samanaya Svaha, and lastly,
Brahmane Svaha. Just mark the importance of this offering. The person who takes the food offers it
to the deities who dwell in the body in the form of Prana, Apana, etc. He does not eat for himself.
The physical body is not the eater. It is the Pancha Prana that takes the food. Thus, taking food also
can be converted into an act of Yoga or sacrifice.
One should daily offer to the Lord the food that he has prepared, before he partakes of it. He
should say: “Tvadiyam Vastu Govinda Tubhyameva Samarpaye—I offer to Thee, O Govinda, this
(food) which belongs to Thee only.” The custom of the Hindus is that they should feed the guest
who comes to their house before they take food. The guest is a representative of the Lord. The Srutis
say: “Athhi Devo Bhava.”
BELLS, LIGHTS, DHUPA, CAMPHOR AND SANDAL PASTE
Bells are rung in temples while doing Puja, to shut out the external sounds and to make the
mind inward and concentrated.
Lights are waved before the Deity. This denotes that the Lord is Jyotis-Svarupa. He is
all-light. The devotee says: “O Lord! Thou art the self-effulgent Light of the universe. Thou art the
light in the sun, moon and fire. Remove the darkness in me by bestowing your divine light. Maymy
intellect be illumined.” This is the significance of waving lights.
Dhupa or scented sticks are burnt before the Deity. The smoke spreads the whole room. It
acts as a disinfectant. Burning of Dhupa denotes that the Lord is all-pervading and that He fills the
whole universe by His living presence. It is to remind this fact that Dhupa is burnt. The devotee
prays: “O Lord! Let the Vasanas and Samskaras dormant in me vanish like the smoke of this Dhupa
and become ashes. Let me become stainless.”
Burning of camphor denotes that the individual ego melts like the camphor and the
Jivatman becomes one with the supreme Light of lights.
The sandal paste reminds the devotee that he should, in his difficulties, be as patient as the
sandal. Sandal emanates sweet odour when it is rubbed on a hard surface and made into a paste. So
also the devotee should not murmur when difficulties arise, but on the other hand, remain cheerful
and happy and emanate sweetness and gentleness like the sandal. He should not hate even his
enemy. This is another precept we learn from this. Though the sandalwood is crushed and made into
a paste, it silently wears out emanating only very sweet odour. One should not wish evil even to his
enemy.
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PRASADA—ITS SACREDNESS AND GLORY
Prasada is that which gives peace. Prasada is the sacred food offering of the Lord. During
Kirtana, worship, Puja, Havan and Arati, the devotee offers sweet rice, fruits, jaggery, milk,
coconut, plantain and such other articles to the Lord, according to his ability. After offering them to
the Lord, they are shared between the members of the house or the Bhaktas in a temple.
Water, flowers, rice, etc., are offered to the Lord in worship. This denotes that the Lord is
pleased with even the smallest offering. What is wanted is the heart of the devotee. The Lord says in
the Gita: “Patram Pushpam Phalam Toyam Yo Me Bhaktya Prayacchati; Tadaham
Bhaktyupahritamasnami Prayatatmanah—Whoever offers a leaf, a flower, a fruit or even water,
with devotion, that I accept, offered as it is with a loving heart.” It is not necessary that one should
offer gold, silver and costly dress to the Lord. The devotee offers these according to his ability and
position in life, thereby denoting that the whole wealth of the world belongs to the Lord. A rich man
offers costly things to the Lord. He feeds the poor and serves the sick, seeing the Lord in his
fellow-beings.
Puja is done with Bael leaves, flowers, Tulasi, Vibhuti and these are given as Prasada from
the Lord. Vibhuti is the Prasada of Lord Siva. It is to be applied on the forehead. A small portion can
be taken in. Kumkuma is the Prasada of Sri Devi or Sakti. It is to be applied at the space between the
eyebrows (Ajna or Bhrumadhya). Tulasi is the Prasada of Lord Vishnu, Rama or Krishna. It is to be
taken in. They are charged with mysterious powers by the chanting of Mantras during Puja and
Havan.
The mental Bhava of the devotee offering Bhog to the Lord has a very great effect. If an
ardent devotee of the Lord offers anything to the Lord, that Prasada, if taken, would bring very great
change even in the minds of atheists. The Grace of the Lord descends through Prasada. Go through
the life of Narada. You will realise the greatness of the sacred leavings of the Lord as well as those
of advanced Sadhakas and saints.
Namadeva offered rice, etc., to Panduranga Vitthala and He ate the food and shared it with
Namadeva as well. If the food is offered with an yearning heart, sometimes, the Lord takes that food
assuming a physical form. In other cases, the Lord enjoys the subtle essence of the food offered, and
the food remains as it is in the shape of Prasada. While feeding Mahatmas and the poor people, that
which is left behind is taken as Prasada. When a sacrifice is performed, the participants share the
Prasada which bestows the blessings of the gods. When Dasaratha performed Putrakameshti (a
sacrifice performed wishing for son), he got a vessel full of sweetened rice which he gave to his
queens, by taking which they became pregnant. Prasada is the most sacred object for a devotee. One
should consider himself lucky to take the Prasada, and there is no restriction of any kind in taking
Prasada. Time and place, and the condition in which one is placed—all these do not affect him in
any way. Prasada is all-purifying.
The benefits of Prasada and Charanamrita are beyond description. They have the power to
change entirely the outlook of a man’s life. Prasada and Charanamrita have the power to cure
diseases and even bring back to life dead persons. There had been ever so many instances in the past
in this holy land of ours which bear witness to the potency and efficacy of Prasada. Prasada destroys
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all pains and sins. It is an antidote for misery, pain and anxiety. Faith is the important factor in
testing the accuracy of this statement. For faithless persons, it brings very little effect.
Those who are brought up in modern education and culture have forgotten all about the
glory of Prasada. Many English-educated persons do not attach any importance to Prasada when
they get it from Mahatmas. This is a serious mistake. Prasada is a great purifier. As they are brought
up in the western style of living, they have imbibed the spirit of westerners and forgotten the spirit
of the true children of Indian Rishis of yore. Live for a week in Vrindavana or Ayodhya or Varanasi
or Pandharpur. You will realise the glory and the miraculous effects of Prasada. Many incurable
diseases are cured. Many sincere devotional aspirants get wonderful spiritual experiences from
mere Prasada alone. Prasada is a panacea. Prasada is a spiritual elixir. Prasada is the Grace of the
Lord. Prasada is a cure-all and an ideal pick-me-up. Prasada is an embodiment of Sakti. Prasada is
Divinity in manifestation. Prasada energises, vivifies, invigorates and infuses devotion. It should be
taken with great faith.
THE JAPA MALA
Significance of the Number of Beads
Generally, the rosary or Mala used for Japa contains 108 beads. A man breathes 21,600
times every day. If one does 200 Malas of Japa, it becomes 21,600; thereby, he does one Japa for
every breath. If he does 200 Malas of Japa every day, that amounts to remembrance of God
throughout the day. Malas may contain beads which form divisions of 108 also, so that the same
calculation can be maintained. The Meru (the central bead in the Mala) denotes that you have done
your Japa 108 times. This also denotes that every time you come to the Meru bead, you have gone
one step further on the spiritual path and crossed over one obstacle. A portion of your ignorance is
removed. A rosary or Mala is a whip to goad you to do Japa. Mohammedans also have a rosary
(Tasbi) in their hands when they repeat their prayers. They roll the beads and repeat the name of
Allah. Christians have their paternoster.
THE RAKSHA STOTRA
Before sitting for Japa and meditation, the Raksha Stotra is generally repeated. It means:
“May the Lord protect me, staying in every part of my body.” Each part is separately named and a
particular Name of the Lord is repeated for the protection of that part. Anganyasa and Karanyasa
also have the same effect. They drive away the evil effects of evil spirits, if any. The obstacles that
stand in the way of concentration and meditation are removed. Evil thoughts will not enter the
mind. This is a prayer to remove obstacles in Japa and meditation.
THE OCHRE CLOTH AND THE SHAVEN HEAD
Symbols of Renunciation
The ochre colour (Gerua) of the dress of a Sannyasin indicates that he is as pure as fire itself.
He shines like the burnt gold, free from all impurities of desires and Vasanas. It denotes purity. It
stands for purity. For an aspirant who has taken to the path of Nivritti Marga, it is a help. He will
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swerve and shrink from evil actions. This cloth will remind him that he is not entitled to worldly
enjoyments. Gradually his nature will be moulded. This coloured cloth serves as an external
symptom to show that one is a Sannyasin.
A Sannyasin s