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what does the word 'prasada' mean ?

• Subject: what does the word 'prasada' mean ?
• From: Satish M
• Date: Mon Jan 15 10:55:50 1996
• Message-Id: id698

Dear Satish

Hello! Hare Krishna!

Thanks for visiting my homepage and sending some feedback.

The literal meaning of prasada is "mercy". So Krishna prasada is Krishna's mercy.
It refers to anything that has been enjoyed by Krishna, so the remnants of food
Krishna has tasted is prasada and the garlands that have been offered to the Deity
are prasada.

We don't want to enjoy separately from Krishna, that is "bhoga". Bhoga means sense
gratification/enjoyment, but the bhoga is meant for Krishna. We only want to
relish Krishna prasada. So we try to live our lives like that, doing everything
for Krishna and nothing for our own sense gratification. The amazing thing is even
though we don't try for it, we are very happy and satisfied also. That is how it
works. If you succeed in pleasing Krishna then everyone, including yourself will
be pleased. The analogy is watering the tree or supplying food to the body. To
nourish the whole tree you simply need to supply water to the roots, to nourish
the entire body you supply food to the stomach. So Krishna is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, simply by satisfying Krishna all purposes are served. As
it is not possible to supply water separately to all the individual leaves, twigs,
branches, flowers, etc on the tree, it is also not possible to satisfy everyone in
the material world independently. But simply satisfying Krishna has the effect of
satisfying the entire creation...

Thanks for the question and looking forward to hearing from you again.

Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!

Madhudvisa dasa

>Hi :
>
>I am curious to find out the literal and any philosophical meanings to the word
>- prasada. Please mail me a message.
>
>Thanks
>
>
>
>--

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