Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.19.24
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyHonor the Guru Before Eating
“Before taking his meal, the husband must first seat the ācārya comfortably, and, along with his relatives and friends, should control his speech and offer prasāda to the guru. Then the wife should eat the remnants of the oblation of sweetrice cooked with ghee. Eating the remnants insures a learned, devoted son and all good fortune.”
What the purport teaches
- Before taking his own meal, the husband should first seat the ācārya comfortably.
- Together with relatives and friends, he should control his speech and offer prasāda to the guru.
- The wife should then eat the remnants of the sweetrice oblation cooked with ghee. The translation describes these remnants as ensuring a learned, devoted son and all good fortune.
Try this today
At one meal today, practice controlling your speech by avoiding unnecessary talk.
Ask yourself
How can controlling my speech help me serve others respectfully?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.