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Prabhupada’s Kitchari

19 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: cooking for Krishna, family, food, kitchari, kitri, Prasadam, recipe, recipes, srila-prabhupada-cooking, Vegetarian Cooking

We share this memory from Nara Narayan dasa, of Srila Prabhupada’s extraordinary cooking abilities. Also at bottom of post a nice recipe for Kitchari or as it is also referred to as Kitri.

Nara Narayan : Once, in the Los Angeles La Cienega temple, on the occasion of his spiritual master’s appearance day, Srila Prabhupada cooked a pot of kitchari. He said that kitchari was his spiritual master’s favorite dish.

Prabhupada cooked it using polished urad dahl, and it had a creamy consistency. There were thirty of us at that celebration, and there were many other dishes besides kitchari.

Since it was a holiday, everyone was in a jolly mood, talking and chatting, and we all got a dab of Prabhupada’s kitchari on our plates. By this time the kitchari was cold, and Prabhupada had already gone to his quarters. We popped the kitchari into our mouths, and all of sudden the conversation died out everywhere.

As soon as that prasadam touched our tongues we fell silent. We sat there in dead silence tasting grain after grain of it until it was all gone. Then we searched for stray grains on our plates. Then everybody began crawling towards the pot in the middle of the room where there was still a little bit left.

We were taking little pieces out of the pot. No one spoke a word until there was nothing left. Then we all went back and sat down in silence. Something about that prasadam was charged with what must have been Gopi-bhava. There was ecstasy involved in that prasadam. We were struck by it. Every exquisite feeling that Prabhupada had for his spiritual master was present, and we had a chance to experience that; we realized that Prabhupada had given us an extra special benediction he had allowed us to open the door a little and peek into what his world was like.

Reference: Memories Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint – Volume 1 by Siddhanta Dasa

Prabhupada Memories

Parenthood (Vatsalya-rasa)

25 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Rasa's (relationships), Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, family, Krishna, Krsna, love, mental-health, Mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja, parenthood, relationships, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada, The Nectar of Devotion, vatsalya rasa

So we are continuing our series on the five types of relationships (rasa’s) with the Lord. Today we are exploring the Paternal Devotional stage of Love of God (Vatsalya-rasa) as explained in chapter 43 of “The Nectar of Devotion”.

When ecstatic love develops into the relationship of parenthood and becomes steadily established, the relationship is called vatsalya-rasa. The exhibition of this vatsalya-rasa standard of devotional service can be found in the dealings of Krishna with His devotees who represent themselves as superior personalities like father, mother, teacher, etc.

Learned scholars have described the impetuses of parental love for Krishna, existing in the elderly personalities who are in relation with Him, as follows: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose bodily complexion is just like a bluish, new-grown lotus flower, whose body is very delicate and whose lotus eyes are surrounded by scattered hair as black as bees, was walking on the streets of Vrindavan when Mother Yasoda, the beloved wife of Nanda Mahārāj, saw Him. Immediately the milk began to flow from her breasts, soaking her body.” Some specific provocations for parental love of Krishna are listed as His blackish bodily hue, which is very attractive and pleasing to see, His all-auspicious bodily features, His mildness, His sweet words, His simplicity, His shyness, His humility, His constant readiness to offer respect to the elderly, and His charity. All of these qualities are considered ecstatic provocations for parental love.

Hare Krishna & Happy Holidays

25 Dec 2024 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Christmas Tags: Christmas, family, family-and-friends, gift-giving, Hare Krishna, holiday, holidays, love, Nectar of Devotion, Prasadam

click on image to enlarge

In many parts of the world people are celebrating Christmas. Some see it as a spiritual celebration, putting on their Sunday best and attending Christmas mass at their local church. While others view it as a fantasy holiday, with the focus on Santa Claus and the elves, and reindeer. But either way, for me it is a time focused on family, peace, love and charity.

Gift giving, sharing and receiving gifts, is for the most part, a loving exchange, and it brings joy to those giving, and to those recieving.

Also food is involved. There is always a Christmas dinner, and people spend hours in the kitchen preparing favorite dishes to share with their loved ones. And often a prayer or grace is said in thanks.

And sometimes there is singing. I remember as a child my father used to love to sing by the piano, with my mother or sister playing. As devotees we all love kirtan, or sit down for a melodious bhajan.

But any way that people decide to celebrate Christmas and the Holiday Season, it is a good thing in my mind. Its a celebration of life and love family and friends, and all the gifts God has given us.

There is one nice quote I am reminded of from the Nectar of Devotion

Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one’s mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasadam (spiritual food) and offering prasada are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another. (Nectar of devotion text 4)