When offering food, the following Sanskrit prayers are recited aloud three times each while paying obeisances before a picture of the spiritual master and Lord Caitanya or Radha-Krishna. If acceptable vegetarian food is offered with love and devotion it becomes prasadam.
- The pranam mantra to one's initiating spiritual master. If one is uninitiated he should chant:
nama om vishnu-padayaनम ओम् विस्ह्नुपदयনম ওম বিস্হ্নুপদয়krishna-presthaya bhutaleक्रिस्ह्नप्रेस्थय भुतलेক্রিস্হ্নপ্রেস্থয় ভুতলেsrimate bhaktivedantaस्रिमते भक्तिवेदन्तস্রিমতে ভক্তিবেদন্তsvamin iti namineस्वमिन् इति नमिनेস্বমিন ইতি নমিনে
namas te sarasvate devamनमस् ते सरस्वते देवम्নমস তে সরস্বতে দেবমgaura-vani-pracharineगौरवनिप्रछरिनेগৌরবনিপ্রছরিনেnirvishesha-shunyavadi-निर्विस्हेस्हस्हुन्यवदिনির্বিস্হেস্হস্হুন্যবদিpaschatya-desha tarineपस्छत्यदेस्ह तरिनेপস্ছত্যদেস্হ তরিনে
- The prayer to Lord Caitanya.
namo mahā-vadānyāyaनमो महावदान्यायনমো মহাবদান্যায়kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya teकृष्णप्रेमप्रदाय तेকৃষ্ণপ্রেমপ্রদায় তেkṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanyaकृष्णाय कृष्णचैतन्यকৃষ্ণায় কৃষ্ণচৈতন্যnāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥनाम्ने गौरत्विषे नमःনাম্নে গৌরত্বিষে নমঃ
- The prayer to Lord Krishna.
namo brahmaṇya-devāyaनमो ब्रह्मण्यदेवायনমো ব্রহ্মণ্যদেবায়go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya caगोब्राह्मणहिताय चগোব্রাহ্মণহিতায় চjagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāyaजगद्धिताय कृष्णायজগদ্ধিতায় কৃষ্ণায়govindāya namo namaḥगोविन्दाय नमो नमःগোবিন্দায় নমো নমঃ
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.
Translations
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).
