Preparation
- Cook in a clean kitchen, with a clean body and a clean mind, for the Lord's pleasure. Taste nothing while cooking; the Lord tastes first.
- Use only what the Lord accepts: grains, fruits, vegetables, milk preparations, sweets. No meat, fish or eggs, and no onion, garlic or mushrooms.
- Keep a plate, a cup and a spoon for the Lord's use alone, never eaten from by anyone.
- Put a portion of each preparation on the Lord's plate, with a cup of fresh water, and a tulasī leaf on each preparation when available.
- Bathe, or at least wash the hands, feet and mouth, and perform ācamana.
The offering
Set the plate before the Deities, or before pictures of Śrīla Prabhupāda, Lord Caitanya and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Ring the bell with the left hand. Bowing down, ask the spiritual master to accept the offering and present it to the Lord, and say each of the following prayers three times.
To Śrīla Prabhupāda
nama oṃ viṣṇu-pādāyaनम ओं विष्णुपादायనమ ఓం విష్ణుపాదాయநம ஓம் விஷ்ணுபாதாயનમ ઓં વિષ્ણુપાદાયkṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-taleकृष्णप्रेष्ठाय भूतलेకృష్ణప్రేష్ఠాయ భూతలేக்ருஷ்ணப்ரேஷ்டாய பூதலேકૃષ્ણપ્રેષ્ઠાય ભૂતલેśrīmate bhaktivedānta-श्रीमते भक्तिवेदान्तశ్రీమతే భక్తివేదాన్తஶ்ரீமதே பக்திவேதாந்தશ્રીમતે ભક્તિવેદાન્તsvāmin iti nāmineस्वामिन् इति नामिनेస్వామిన్ ఇతి నామినేஸ்வாமிந் இதி நாமிநேસ્વામિન્ ઇતિ નામિને
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
namas te sārasvate deveनमस् ते सारस्वते देवेనమస్ తే సారస్వతే దేవేநமஸ் தே ஸாரஸ்வதே தேவேનમસ્ તે સારસ્વતે દેવેgaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇeगौरवाणीप्रचारिणेగౌరవాణీప్రచారిణేகௌரவாணீப்ரசாரிணேગૌરવાણીપ્રચારિણેnirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-निर्विशेषशून्यवादिనిర్విశేషశూన్యవాదిநிர்விஶேஷஶூந்யவாதிનિર્વિશેષશૂન્યવાદિpāścātya-deśa-tāriṇeपाश्चात्यदेशतारिणेపాశ్చాత్యదేశతారిణేபாஶ்சாத்யதேஶதாரிணேપાશ્ચાત્યદેશતારિણે
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvatī Gosvāmī. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.
An initiated devotee says the praṇāma mantra of his own spiritual master first, then these.
To Lord Caitanya
namo mahā-vadānyāyaनमो महावदान्यायనమో మహావదాన్యాయநமோ மஹாவதாந்யாயનમો મહાવદાન્યાયkṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya teकृष्णप्रेमप्रदाय तेకృష్ణప్రేమప్రదాయ తేக்ருஷ்ணப்ரேமப்ரதாய தேકૃષ્ણપ્રેમપ્રદાય તેkṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-कृष्णाय कृष्णचैतन्यకృష్ణాయ కృష్ణచైతన్యக்ருஷ்ணாய க்ருஷ்ணசைதந்யકૃષ્ણાય કૃષ્ણચૈતન્યnāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥनाम्ने गौरत्विषे नमःనామ్నే గౌరత్విషే నమఃநாம்நே கௌரத்விஷே நமஃનામ્ને ગૌરત્વિષે નમઃ
O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.
To Lord Kṛṣṇa
namo brahmaṇya-devāyaनमो ब्रह्मण्यदेवायనమో బ్రహ్మణ్యదేవాయநமோ ப்ரஹ்மண்யதேவாயનમો બ્રહ્મણ્યદેવાયgo-brāhmaṇa-hitāya caगोब्राह्मणहिताय चగోబ్రాహ్మణహితాయ చகோப்ராஹ்மணஹிதாய சગોબ્રાહ્મણહિતાય ચjagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāyaजगद्धिताय कृष्णायజగద్ధితాయ కృష్ణాయஜகத்திதாய க்ருஷ்ணாயજગદ્ધિતાય કૃષ્ણાયgovindāya namo namaḥगोविन्दाय नमो नमःగోవిన్దాయ నమో నమఃகோவிந்தாய நமோ நமஃગોવિન્દાય નમો નમઃ
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the worshipable Deity for all brahminical men, who is the well-wisher of cows and brāhmaṇas, and who is always benefiting the whole world. I offer my repeated obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, known as Kṛṣṇa and Govinda.
After the offering
- Leave the plate before the Lord for some minutes, chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra softly, and offer obeisances.
- Take the plate down, return the offered food to the pots, and wash the Lord's plate, cup and spoon.
- Everything offered is now prasādam, the Lord's mercy: honor it with the Mahā-prasādam prayer and Prasāda-sevāya, and share it with everyone.
Translations
To Śrīla Prabhupāda
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvatī Gosvāmī. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.
To Lord Caitanya
O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.
To Lord Kṛṣṇa
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the worshipable Deity for all brahminical men, who is the well-wisher of cows and brāhmaṇas, and who is always benefiting the whole world. I offer my repeated obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, known as Kṛṣṇa and Govinda.
The word-for-word meanings and translations are by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, from Songs of the Vaiṣṇava Ācāryas, © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. (www.krishna.com).
