Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrita Madhya 9.53

apavitra anna eka thālite bhariyā

prabhu-āge nila 'mahā-prasāda' baliyā

SYNONYMS

apavitra — polluted; anna — food; eka — one; thālite — plate; bhariyā — filling; prabhu-āge — in front of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nila — brought; mahā-prasāda baliyā — calling it mahā-prasādam.

TRANSLATION

Having made their plot, the Buddhists brought a plate of untouchable food before Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and called it mahā-prasādam.

PURPORT

The word apavitra anna refers to food that is unacceptable for a Vaishnava. In other words, a Vaishnava cannot accept any food offered by an avaishnava in the name of mahā-prasādam. This should be a principle for all Vaishnavas. When asked, "What is the behavior of a Vaishnava?" Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "A Vaishnava must avoid the company of an avaishnava [asat]." The word asat refers to an avaishnava, that is, one who is not a Vaishnava. Asat-sańga-tyāga, — ei vaishnava-ācāra (Cc. Madhya 22.87). A Vaishnava must be very strict in this respect and should not at all cooperate with an avaishnava. If an avaishnava offers food in the name of mahā-prasādam, it should not be accepted. Such food cannot be prasādam because an avaishnava cannot offer anything to the Lord. Sometimes preachers in the Krishna consciousness movement have to accept food in a home where the householder is an avaishnava; however, if this food is offered to the Deity, it can be taken. Ordinary food cooked by an avaishnava should not be accepted by a Vaishnava. Even if an avaishnava cooks food without fault, he cannot offer it to Lord Vishnu, and it cannot be accepted as mahā-prasādam. According to Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.26):

patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktyā prayacchati

tad aham bhakty-upahritam aśnāmi prayatātmanah

"If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it."

Krishna can accept anything offered by His devotee with devotion. An avaishnava may be a vegetarian and a very clean cook, but because he cannot offer Vishnu the food he cooks, it cannot be accepted as mahā-prasādam. It is better that a Vaishnava abandon such food as untouchable.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness