Prasada

Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Prasad (disambiguation).

Khichdi prasāda in ecofriendly Areca-leaf traditional Indian Donna at ISKCON Temple Bangalore.

Prasāda (Sanskrit pronunciation: [pɽɐsaːdɐ], Sanskrit: प्रसाद), variantly spelled as Prasādam, Prasād and Prasāda, is a material substance of vegetarian food that is a religious offering in both Hinduism and Sikhism. It is normally consumed by worshippers after worship. Mahaprasāda (also called Bhandārā) in Hinduism, similar to the langar in Sikhism, is the consecrated food offered to the deity in a Hindu temple which is then shared and eaten by the masses without discrimination. Sometimes this vegetarian offering will exclude the prohibited items such as garlic, onion, roots, etc.

Etymology

Prasadam offered on banana leaves after Puja ceremony at a home in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India

Prasāda is derived from the verb prasād which consists of the verb सद् (sad - to sit, dwell) which is prefixed with प्र (pra - before, afore, in front) and used as finite verb प्रसीदति (prasīdati - dwells, presides, pleases or favours etc). It denotes anything, typically an edible food, that is first offered to a deity, saint, Perfect Master or an avatār, and then distributed in His or Her name to their followers or others as a good sign.

'Prasāda' is sometimes translated as gift or grace.

Various meanings

Thaal offered to Nar Narayan at a Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad

As a spiritual state prasāda has a rich history of meanings in the Sanskrit tradition from Vedic literature onwards. In this textual tradition, prasāda is a mental state experienced by gods, sages, and other powerful beings and is marked by spontaneous generosity and the bestowing of boons. In the earliest literature (Rig Veda) onwards prasāda is understood in this sense of a mental state, not as an aspect of ritual practice. In later texts such as the Shiva Purāna, references to prasāda as a material substance begins to appear alongside this older meaning.

In its material sense, prasāda is created by a process of giving and receiving between a human devotee and the divine god. For example, a devotee makes an offering of a material substance such as flowers, fruits, or sweets. The deity then 'enjoys' or tastes a bit of the offering. This now-divinely invested substance is called prasāda and is received by the devotee to be ingested, worn, etc. It may be the same material that was originally offered or material offered by others and then re-distributed to other devotees. In many temples, several kinds of prasāda (e.g., nuts, sweets) are distributed to the devotees.

Practices

Any food that is offered either physically to the image of God or silently in prayer is considered prasāda.

In Sikhism, karah parshad is served to the congregation after prayer and reading of scripture. Parshad represents the same values as langar in that it is served indiscriminately.

See also

• Naivedya
• Bhog
• Kripa