Significance of Prasadam

Prasädam is transcendental

Prasädam is transcendental, and there are no transformations or contaminations, just as there are no contaminations or transformations in the body of Lord Viñëu Himself. [CC Madhya 3.99 Purport]

In the Båhad-viñëu Puräëa it is stated that one who considers mahä-prasädam to be equal to ordinary rice and dhal certainly commits a great offense. Ordinary edibles are touchable and untouchable, but there are no such dualistic considerations where prasädam is concerned.

In this material world we are all very much attached to tasting various types of food. Therefore, Kåñëa eats many nice varieties of food and offers the food back to the devotees, so that not only are one’s demands for various tastes satisfied, but by eating prasädam one makes advancement in spiritual life. Therefore, we should never consider ordinary food on an equal level with mahä-prasädam. [CC Antya 11.20]

Prasädam: The Diet for Material Disease

Çréla Prabhupäda proclaims:

Our chanting is medicine and our Prasadam is the diet for curing material disease. [Letter to: Dayananda, Seattle, October 17, 1968]

A diseased person needs both proper medicine and a proper diet, and therefore the Kåñëa consciousness movement supplies materially stricken people with the medicine of the chanting of the holy name, or the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra, and the diet of prasädam. [CC Ädi 10.51 Purport]

When there is an epidemic disease, an antiseptic vaccine protects a person from the attack of such an epidemic. Similarly, food offered to Lord Viñëu and then taken by us makes us sufficiently resistant to material affection, and one who is accustomed to this practice is called a devotee of the Lord. Therefore, a person in Kåñëa consciousness, who eats only food offered to Kåñëa, can counteract all reactions of past material infections, which are impediments to the progress of self-realization. On the other hand, one who does not do so continues to increase the volume of sinful action, and this prepares the next body to resemble hogs and dogs, to suffer the resultant reactions of all sins. The material world is full of contaminations, and one who is immunized by accepting prasädam of the Lord (food offered to Viñëu) is saved from the attack, whereas one who does not do so becomes subjected to contamination. [BG 3.14 Purport]

Potency of Prasädam

Anyone who has received a small particle of the prasädam, mercy of the Lord, he can understand the Lord. [Lecture: BG: 2.3, Hyderabad, Novemeber 18, 1972]

If we want a happy and tranquil political situation, we must select leaders who eat kåñëa-prasädam. [CC Antya 1.92 Purport]

When the people take to eating only prasädam offered to the Deity, all the demons will be turned into Vaiñëavas. [CC Madhya 4.93]

When remnants of prasädam food are offered to forefathers by descendants, the forefathers are released from ghostly or other kinds of miserable life. [BG: 1.41 Purport]