Re: offering bhoga to the deity

chatur-vidha-sri-bhagavat-prasada svadv-anna-trptanhari-bhakta-sanghan krtvaiva trptirh bhajatah sadaiva vande guroh sri-charanaravindam

(4)    I worship the lotus feet of the Divine Master,
who fully satisfies the devotees of Sri Krishna with four types of nectarean prasadam foodstuffs that are chewed, sucked, licked, and drunk (that is, he brings about the dispellation of mundanity and the awakening of the joy of love that develops from respecting prasadam), and he is thereby himself satisfied.

onions, shallots, leeks, scallions and herbs such as garlic and chives are not offerable

The Portuguese brought tomatoes and chilies to India in the sixteenth century.

Asian. Tropical cauliflower used in China and India. Developed in India during the 19th century from the now-abandoned Cornish type.[3] Includes old varieties Early Patna and Early Benaras.
These vegetables are not mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam

(Bihar Times) Some years ago it was discovered that owners of Vanaspathi oils were putting cow and pig lard into the oil.
There was a furore which died down after a few months and no one knows till today what happened to the Jains who
owned the enterprise � but I have little doubt that they got off and a few bureaucrats and policemen are richer.


Forbidden foods
Conrmon forbidden foods include meat, fish, eggs, onions, mushrooms,garlic,masur-dal(red lentils), burned rice, white eggplant, hemp (marijuana), citron,+ saps from trees (if not boiled first), buffalo- and goat-milk products, and milk with salt in it.

Also. one should not offer canned or frozen foods to the Deity, and it is best to avoid offering foods containing
unhealthy substances such as yeast and white sugar.

Conceming the use of sour cream in the temple, it should be stopped immediately. Nothing should be offered to the
Deities which is purchased in the stores. Things produced by the karmis should not be offered to Radha-Krishna.
Ice cream, if you can prepare, is O.K., but not otherwise. letter from Srtla Prabhup6da, 6 April 19761 Unpolished rice which  looks like brown can be used. . .
We do not mind polished or unpolished, but doubly-boiled* [siddha rice] mustn't be used. Doubly-boiled rice is considered
impure. Sunbaked rice (atapa) is all right. [letter from Srtla Prabhupdda,   1967.

Soya beans and lentils are unofferatrle.

Frozen rneans nasty. I never take fiozen. AII rotten, rather the same vegetable, as we have got in India practice,
we dry it and keep it. That is tasteful'

So far the cucumber pickles: As far as possible we should not offer to the Deity things which are prepared by
nondevotees.

We can accept from them raw fruits, grains, or similar raw things. So far cooking and preparing' that
should be strictly limited to the initiated devotees.

And aside from this, vinegar is not good; it is tamasic, in the darkness, nasty food. [letter from Srila Prabhupada  24 March 1969

Conceming the use of sour cream in the temple, it should be stopped immediately.

Nothing should be offered to the Deities which is purchased in the stores. Things produced by the karmis should not be offered to Radha-Krishna.

Ice cream, if you can prepare, is O.K., but not otherwise. Letter from Srtla Prabhupada, 6 April 19761


The Hari-bhakti-vilasa
kirn ca
mahisam varjayen mahyarh ksirarh dadhi ghrtarh yadi
kirn ca-furthermore; mahisam-from a buffalo; varjayet-should avpid; mahyam-to Me; ksiram-milk; dadhi-yogurt; ghrtam-ghee; yadi-if.
The Lord Himself says:
"One should not offer to Me milk, yogurt, or ghee that have come from a buffalo."


VRNTAKAM JALISAKAM KUSUMBHA SMANTAKAM TATHA
PALANDU LASUNAM SUKLAM NIRYASAN CAIVA VARJAYET
GRJANAM KINSUKAN CAIVA KUKUNDANCA TATHAIVA CA
UDUMBARAM ALAVUN CA JAGDHVA PATATI VAI DVIJAH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA  8/158, 159 KURMA PURANA)


        One  should  not eat eggplant, banana  leaves,  sunflower leaves and asmantaka leaves, onions, garlic.  One should not  eat sour  gruel  (a thin watery pouriage) or the juice of  the  tree.  One should also give up turnips and beetroots, carrots,  kinsuka, forest  figs, and white pumpkin.  If the twice born  persons  eat these things, they all become fallen. 

YO BHAKSATI BRNTAKAM TASYA DURATARO HARIH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA  8/161  SKANDA PURANA)


                Anyone  who eats eggplants, Lord Sri Hari always stays  a far distance from him.


VARTANKUM URHATIN CAIVA DAGDHAM ANNAM MASURAKAM
YASYA UDARE PRAVARTETA SASYA DURATARO HARIH

(HARI BHAKTI  VILASA 8/162)


        Beetroot,  eggplant,  burnt grains  (rice)  masura  (pink dal),  whoever  has  these foods in his stomach,  Lord  Sri  Hari remains a long distance from him.


YATRA MADYAM TATHA MANSAM TATHA VRNTAKA MULAKE
NIVEDAYEN NAIVA TATRA HARER AIKANTIKI RATIH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA  8/164 quoted from YAMALA)


        Any  food  which is mixed with wine, meat,  eggplant  and beetroot,  if  it is offered by someone to the  Lord,  he  cannot receive unalloyed devotion to Lord Janardana.


NA BHAKSAM NAIVEDYARTHE BHAKSESU APY AJA MAHISI
KSIRAM PANCA NAKHA MATSYAS CA

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 8/152 HARITA SMRTUI)


        Uneatable  food  should not be offered to  the  Lord  and   among those foods which are  eatable, milk from the goat and milk from  the  buffalo,and milk from animals which  have  five  nails (tigers,  lions  and  elephants, etc.) and  fish  should  not  be offered to the Lord.


MAHISAN CA VIKAM CA AJAM AYAJNIYAM UDAHRTAM
MAHISAM VARJEYEN MAHYAM KSIRAM DADHI GHRTAM YADI

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA  8/155 VARAHA PURANA)


        Ghee made from sheep and goats is unusable in the worship of  the  Lord.  If someone offers Me (the Lord) yogurt,  milk  or ghee,  one  should not offer me these items  made  from  buffalo, sheep or goats.
...............................................................................

Offerable foods
The Hari-bhakti-vilasa lists some of the foods that may be offered: bilva, amalaki, dates, coconut, jackfruit, grapes, tala fruit,lotus root, leafy vegetablesc, owmilk products,a nd items
made from grains, ghee, and sugar. Grains, especiaily rice, should always be offered with ghee.

Rice without ghee is considered asuric. The Lord is pleased when offered items made with ghee, sugar, yogurt, guda jaggery), and honey; chickpea preparations,dals, soups (wet sabji's),varieties of cakes,and other items that can be licked, chewed, sucked, or drunk are all pleasing as well.
One may aiso offer drinks such as sugar cane juice, yogurt drinks, sweetened lemon water, water flavored with cinnamon, camphor, or cardamom, and fruit drinks of various scents and colors.

Many passagesi in the Caitanya-caritamrta describe reparations that please Krsna. Here is a sample, from Antya-Lila, describing hat Lord Caitanya's associate  would prepared or Him: They offered Him preparations made with black pepper,sweet-and-sour preparation ginger,salty preparations,
limes,milk, yogurt,cheese two or four kinds of spinach, soup made with bitter melon (Sukta), eggplant mixed wtth nimba flowers, and fried patola. Cc. Antya 10.135-36


respects to all

lowerthanarat

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