Prasada- Naivedya
The food articles offered to God during worship are called Naivedya (to offer) , that food which is blessed by the divinity and is returned to be shared by the devotees is called Prasada (grace, blessing)
Food offered to God, a Deity, a Saint is considered Prasada. In the prsence of a holy being, it is believed that the vibrations of the food become positive and bring positive change in the receiver. [2]
Nagendranath Bhaduri
Food and other articles can become 'Prasad' in three ways:
- Through God's or any holy man's eating of the food
- Through his using of any article
- Through mere looking at the food and the articles
The offerings to God become Prasad when the devotee offers them with faith and devotion. You may wonder how anything can remain the same even after it has been used, but this can happen. For example, take a bunch of flowers and enjoy its fragrance as long as you can. the flowers remain exactly the same even after this. Similarly, the offerings remain exactly the same even after God has accepted and enjoyed them. When someone eats prasad, his mind and body are purified and he receives the blessings of god. [1]
The mind and the body of a holy man are steeped in the quality of Sattva (spirit of renunciation and purity). Consequently, the aura emanating from him is sattvik and anyone or anything coming into contact with this aura receives quality of sattva. The food and the articles touched or used by saints and sages thus become prasad and has the power to infuse goodness, purity and joy. [2]
There is a difference between food left over by an ordinary person and the food partaken and left by a holy man. The former should not be eaten, it is harmful but the latter if eaten with faith, purifies both the mind and the body. [3]
Before you eat, first offer the food to God and then eat. Such offering purifies the food. Prahlad was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. His demon father, Hiranyakaashipu, offered him poisoned food, but since Prahlad first offered the food to his God Nara Hari, it was purified and nothing happened to him even though he ate it. [4]
Sources
- One hundred and eight messages from Maharshi Nagendranath, message 52, page 30
- One hundred and eight messages from Maharshi Nagendranath, message 53, page 31
- One hundred and eight messages from Maharshi Nagendranath, message 54, page 31
- One hundred and eight messages from Maharshi Nagendranath, message 100, page 44