Do you worship Thakurji at home? "Yes, Swamiji." So you must be offering bhog.
"Yes, I do." How do you offer bhog? "Swamiji, it is
so simple. I take one thali (plate), I put all the food in it and I put the plate on the
altar and then I ring a bell. Close the eyes." Then? "Open the eyes."
Then? "I take away the plate, and start eating." But tell me, when you close the
eyes and then you open the eyes, did you see how many rotis did God eat today?
Which subji got minused from the plate? Which dahl did he select more today? Did he eat
the sweet or not? Did you see all this? "No, Swamiji." Why not?!
"God doesn't eat." if God doesn't eat, then why are you offering it? If it is your
decision that God is not going to eat then why are you offering? You are very
correct in saying, God does not need to eat. The Vedas define Him,
Sanskrit verse
God neither feels thirst nor feels hunger nor does He become old
nor does He become sick. This is the Vedic definition of God. However, when it comes
to the love of the devotee, the bhav of the devotee, then God does become hungry.
Then you go and see in Vrindavan. Shri Krishna's going Himself to the houses of
the gopis and stealing the butter, how hungry He has become!
He is eating the half-eaten berries of Shabri, that is His hunger. He went
Himself to the house of Vidurani. You may have heard of that episode from the
Mahabharat. When the battle of Mahabharata was becoming imminent, Lord Krishna
went to try and forge a treaty. And he went to the assembly of the
Kauravas and said, "Duryodhan, the Pandavas are your brothers."
Duryodhan said, "absolutely". They have the right to live? "Absolutely." In order to
live, they need some land because they are warriors? Duryodhan
said, "absolutely". Lord Krishna said in that case let them have five small
villages. They will be contented, and we will avert this war. Duryodhan said,
"absolutely not." (Sanskrit verse)
"Ohh Keshav, the amount of land on the tip of a needle, even that much I will not give without war."
So Shri Krishna realized, it's futile to explain to him. As a last
recourse, He showed Duryodhan His Virat roop, His cosmic Universal form, the
one that He will subsequently show Arjun on the battleground of kuruksetra during
the dialogue of Bhagavad-Gita. he showed that same form to the evil Duryodhan.
But Duryodhan was still not impressed. Some people say, "Chamatkar ko Namaskar."
But Duryodhan did not do any such Namaskar. He said, who's the Joker and
what is he doing? Tie Him up in a rope and throw Him in the cellar.
Dhritarashtra had to intervene. Dhritarashtra said, "look Duryodhan, enough
is enough. Don't mess with Keshav or you will have to pay for it. Duryodhan
came to his senses. He said, "all right, all right Shri Krishna. Forget all this
discussion. Let's have a meal. I have got 'chapan byanjan' ready (56 kinds of food items)."
Lord Krishna answered very aptly. He said,
Sanskrit verse
"Look Duryodhan, a person eats for one of two reasons. Either he eats because he is
hungry or he eats because it is offered with love."
I have to eat many times because of this. have filled my stomach.
"Swamiji, I've got rasgulla with so much love, please eat." Ok ok.
"I've got gulab jamun with so much love." Ok ok. So Shri Krishna says,
"Look Duryodhan if it is offered with love we eat it or if we are hungry we eat."
In this case neither am I hungry nor do you have any love. Besides I have an
invitation from Vidur's house. Now Vidur was sitting in the assembly when his name
got announced. He was no longer minister. He had been taken out of that
post. He was sitting at the back. He got up, what Krishna is going to come to my
house and I have got no arrangements for Him? He ran to the market to see what he
can get. In the meantime, Krishna had already
reached his house and He started banging on the door
Darwaja Kholo (open the door). Vidurani, Vidur's wife was bathing when Krishna started banging.
Vidurani said, "who's there?" Kaki, I am very hungry. Please open.
Vidurani realized that God has come to my door and God is hungry. Huh! This is my chance to serve Him.
How did God become hungry? Because for many many years
Vidurani used to meditate. If Krishna comes to my house I will make Him sit here. No
no no. This is not good enough. I'll make Him sit here. No no no no. I will feed Him
this. No, I will feed Him that. She used to meditate in her mind and Krishna, sitting
in everybody's hearts, knows everybody's thoughts. He knew all the devotion that
Vidurani had done. So without being asked, he landed up. Now Vidurani lost her senses.
"My Lord has come!" She ran out. She was an old lady.
She didn't even realize, she's not wearing clothes. She opened the door. Krishna came
to know, kaki has lost her consciousness. He took His Pitamber and put it on her.
He said, will you not call me inside? Vidurani said, come.
Now she made Him sit. What to offer Him? She had a few options, but she was
not able to think because she was overwhelmed in loving devotion.
The nearest were the bananas. She took those and in her absorption, she's dropping the
fruit and the banana peels she's putting it in Krishna's mouth.
Krishna is eating that banana peel, enjoying, wow I've never tasted anything
like this. You will say you've never tasted anything like this, like banana peels?!
I heard your Golok, Divine Abode, has got so many tasty things. No no no I am
tasting the love of the devotee. Gods says
Hindi verse
Hindi versea
God was relishing the bhav, with which Vidurani was
offering those banana peels. In the meantime with, Vidurji came. He had come from
the market. "Listen, what happened today."
Krishna offered so much respect in front of everybody. He announced my name. He is
going to come. Let us prepare. And then he looked inside, Vidurani was sitting
with Krishna, putting banana peels in His mouth. Vidurji really lost his temper.
What, God has come to our house this is where you treat Him? So he brought
the halwa, Pudi etc., which he had purchased." Krishna, please forgive me."
"Take this. She doesn't think properly." Krishna ate the halwa, pudi. But He said,
Vidurji don't mind. The sweetness in those banana peels is not in this halwa, pudi.
God relishes the love of the giver, not the gift of the lover.
So when you offer bhog to the lord, meet the sentiment that he is going to
eat it. After offering, when you open your eyes, at least think for a moment, even
today He did not come to eat!
He came for so many, for Dhannajhat and for Sanna Kasai etc. That means, I don't
have any devotion. Thinking like that if we feel a little remorse, we will get a
few numbers. But we decide in the beginning itself that he cannot come.
Then, where is that faith?