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| APPENDIX 1What foodstuffs can be offered? |
"Krishna is offered foodstuff in goodness. The foodstuffs in the mode of goodness are wheat, rice, pulse (beans and peas), sugar, honey, butter, all milk preparations, vegetables, flowers, fruit and grains. So these foods can be offered in any shape, but prepared in various ways by the intelligence of the devotees. The ingredients are always the same as above, whether you fry them, boil them, bake them, powder them, or whatever way they are combined or cooked, the idea is that they
must come from this group of foodstuffs. So you can make your own recipe
if you like, so long as the ingredients are within this group." |
"So far as explaining my
letter to Kris, I have listed the ingredients for preparing prasada but
these various varieties of foodstuffs may be prepared either in the given
recipes or if you like you may invent nice new formulas for offering. The
important thing is that your preparations be palatable for Lord Krishna
and that the ingredients be within the groups of ingredients listed. You
have asked me about sassafras and yes, it may be offered. Mushrooms are
generally not offered, but there is no prohibition; there is no harm in
them." |
"Because mushrooms grow in a filthy place they are not usually offered
to Krishna" |
Some items, like mushrooms, while not considered suitable for offering to Lord Krishna are not harmful and there is no prohibition against their being offered. If we have our own preferences for preparing foods, as long as the foodstuffs come from the group listed above, they can be offered to Lord Krishna. But as we gain experience, we may become more concerned with "making the preparations palatable for Lord Krishna" than preparing our own favorites.
"Regarding purchasing things in the market, these things
are considered as purified when we pay the price for them. That is the
general instruction. But when we know something is adulterated, we should
avoid it. But unknowingly if something is purchased, that is not our fault.
Things which are suspicious, however, should be avoided." |
Regarding the lollipops,
there is nothing wrong. It is something attractive I can understand, an
introduction of friendship. What is the wrong? It is sugar, so it can be
offered to the Deity. Just like we can offer sweets purchased from the
marketplace. It is stated in the sastras that if you pay something for
it, it is purified even if there is some fault in it." |
This instruction is interesting because Srila Prabhupada here condones the offering of a food to the Deity which has been prepared by non-devotees. He does so on the grounds that the devotee is offering it for the Deity's pleasure "It is something attractive I can understand, an introduction of friendship." and not for his sense-gratification. Therefore it is a loving exchange. Also, it is just sugar, which is an extremely simple food compared with, say, a grain. That it was paid for also purifies it, implying that there would be some sinful reaction involved if it were given free.
"Ice cream purchased from the market may not be
offered, because ice cream contains sometimes undesirable things, which
we should not offer. We must offer to Krishna only first-class prepared
foodstuff, especially made at home." |
"No, it is not very good to use yeast in preparing prasadam. It is better
to prepare bread in the process you have seen done in the temple." |
"So far the cucumber pickles:
as far as possible we should not offer to the Deity things which are prepared
by non-devotees.....And aside from this, vinegar is not good; it is tamasic,
in the darkness, nasty food." |
"Regarding frozen vegetables, they are not bad, but if
they are twice boiled, then they should not be used. I do not know exactly,
but I do not think it is twice boiled. Anyway, if it is, it should not
be used." |
Elsewhere, Srila Prabhupada advises against the use of tinned (canned) foods.
"Milk and salt should never be mixed. It is improper and will cause
leprosy. But salt can be mixed with yougurt" |
"Yes, before offering anything to the
Deity you must be satisfied that it is a first class offering and there
is no objection if you taste it by smelling. But you should not smell for
other purposes. The whole idea is that devotional service should always
be immune from sense gratification." |
"......And nothing should ever be eaten
before offering to the Lord." |