Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.6.8
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyOffer Food Before Tasting It
“Vikukṣi offered the remnants of the flesh to King Ikṣvāku, who gave it to Vasiṣṭha for purification. But Vasiṣṭha could immediately understand that part of the flesh had already been taken by Vikukṣi, and therefore he said that it was unfit to be used in the śrāddha ceremony.”
What the purport teaches
- Vasiṣṭha understood that Vikukṣi had already eaten some of the flesh. He therefore declared it unfit for the śrāddha ceremony.
- Food meant for offering cannot be tasted before it is offered to the Deity. In the temples, food from the kitchen cannot be eaten before the offering.
- If someone takes food before the offering, the entire preparation becomes polluted and cannot be offered. Those engaged in Deity worship must understand this to avoid offenses.
Try this today
If preparing food for the Deity today, keep the entire preparation untasted until after the offering.
Ask yourself
Am I careful to leave food intended for the Deity untouched until it has been offered?
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.