If I go to your house and if you want to offer me something to eat, you will ask me what I wish to eat. That is the etiquette. So similarly, we have to offer Krishna what Krishna likes to eat.

The Love Feast

President Obama's favorite food is pie.

Offering our food to Krishna

Now, when you offer something to some respectable person, you ask him, "What can I offer you?" If I go to your house and if you want to offer me something to eat, you will ask me what I wish to eat. That is the etiquette. So similarly, we have to offer Krishna what Krishna likes to eat. So how we can know? In this book we have the things, what Krishna wants. He says, "You give Me foodstuff, patram pushpam phalam toyam [Bhagavad-gita 9.26] fruits, flowers, grains, milk, like that." So our diet is Krishna prasadam. Krishna wants these things. We prepare these things, and we eat the remnants of food. If Krishna says that "You give me meat," then we can offer Krishna meat also. But Krishna does not say that. Krishna says, "Give Me fruits, flowers, grains." So we have no quarrel with the meat-eaters. Let them do whatever he likes. But our concern is that unless Krishna takes, we don't take. So in order to become Krishna conscious, this is necessary, just like an important segment of the work. We cannot accept anything which is not offered to Krishna. Therefore this diet, this sort of diet, as you have tasted in our love feast, that is important. We cannot take outside the scope. So in that sense, diet is important. Besides that, from health point of view also, you require a balanced food—carbohydrate, starch, protein, and fat. That is scientific. So fat we are getting from milk, butter. So if I can get fat from milk and butter, why shall I kill the cow and animal? This is humanity. My necessity is to get some milk and fat. The cow is supplying you milk and fat sufficiently. Why should you kill it? I am going to be Krishna conscious, God conscious, and I am killing another God's creature? So it is very important work to select that: if anyone is serious to become God conscious or Krishna conscious. Therefore in our program meat-eating is forbidden. So that is very important in that sense.

What Krishna likes to eat

Bhoga-arati (from Gitavali)
(at Thakur Bhaktivinoda's home at Surabhi-kuñja in Godruma-dvipa)

Text One
bhaja bhakata-vatsala sri-gaurahari
sri-gaurahari sohi goshtha-bihari
nanda-jashomati-chitta-hari

Just worship Sri Gaurahari, who is always affectionate toward His devotees. He is the same Supreme Godhead, Krishna, who sported in the cowherd pastures of Vraja and stole the hearts of Nanda and Yashoda.

Text Two
bela ho'lo damodara aisa ekhano
bhoga-mandire bosi' koraho bhojana

Mother Yashoda calls to Krishna, "My dear Damodara, it is very late. Please come right now, sit down in the dining hall, and take Your lunch."

Text Three
nandera nideshe baise giri-bara-dhari
baladeva-saha sakha baise sari sari

On the direction of Nanda Maharaja, Krishna, the holder of Govardhana Hill, sits down, and then all the cowherd boys, along with Krishna's elder brother, Sri Baladeva, sit down in rows to take their lunch.

Text Four
shukta-shakadi bhaji nalita kushmanda
dali dalna dugdha-tumbi dadhi moca-khanda

They are then served a feast of shukta and various kinds of green leafy vegetables, then nice fried things, and a salad made of the green leaves of the jute plant. They are also served pumpkin, baskets of fruit, small square cakes made of lentils and cooked-down milk, then thick yogurt, squash cooked in milk, and vegetable preparations made from the flower of the banana tree.

Text Five
mudga-bora masha-bora rotika ghritanna
shashkuli pishtaka khir puli payasanna

Then they receive fried squares of mung dahl patties, and urad dahl patties, capatis, and rice with ghee. Next, sweets made with milk, sugar, and sesamum; rice flour cakes; thick cooked-down milk; cakes floating in milk; and sweet rice.

Text Six
karpura amrita-keli rambha khira-sara
amrita rasala, amla dwadasha prakara

There is also sweet rice that tastes just like nectar due to its being mixed with camphor. There are bananas, and cheese which is nectarean and delicious. They are also served twelve kinds of sour preparations made with tamarinds, limes, lemons, oranges, and pomegranates.

Text Seven
luchi chini sarpuri laddu rasabali
bhojana korena krishna ho'ye kutuhali

There are puris made with white flour and sugar; puris filled with cream; laddus; and dahl patties boiled in sugared rice. Krishna eagerly eats all of the food.

Text Eight
radhikara pakka anna vividha byañjana
parama anande krishna korena bhojana

In great ecstasy and joy Krishna eats the rice, curried vegetables, sweets, and pastries cooked by Srimati Radharani.

Text Nine
chale-bale laddu khay sri-madhumangala
bagala bajay ara drya hari-bolo

Krishna's funny brahmana friend Madhumangala, who is very fond of laddus, gets them by hook or by crook. Eating the laddus, he shouts, "Haribol! Haribol!" and makes a funny sound by slapping his sides under his armpits with his hands.

Text Ten
radhikadi gane heri' nayanera kone
tripta ho'ye khay krishna jashoda-bhavane

Beholding Radharani and Her gopi friends out of the corners of His eyes, Krishna eats at the house of mother Yashoda with great satisfaction.

Text Eleven
bhojanante piye krishna subasita bari
sabe mukha prakhaloy ho'ye sari sari

After lunch, Krishna drinks rose-scented water. Then all of the boys, standing in lines, wash their mouths.

Text Twelve
hasta-mukha prakhaliya jata sakha-gane
anande bishrama kore baladeva-sane

After all the cowherd boys wash their hands and mouths, in great bliss they take rest with Lord Balarama.

Text Thirteen
jambula rasala ane tambula-masala
taha kheye krishna-candra sukhe nidra gela

The two cowherd boys Jambula and Rasala then bring Krishna pan made with betel nuts, fancy spices, and catechu. After eating that pan, Sri Krishnachandra then happily goes to sleep.

Text Fourteen
bishalakha shikhi-puccha-chamara dhulaya
apurba shayyaya krishna sukhe nidra jaya.

While Krishna happily takes His rest on an excellent bedstead, His servant Vishalaksha cools Him with a fan of peacock feathers.

Text Fifteen
jashomati-ajña pe'ye dhanishtha-anito
sri-krishna-prasada radha bhuñje ho'ye prito

At mother Yashoda's request the gopi Dhanishtha brings remnants of food left on Krishna's plate to Srimati Radharani, who eats them with great delight.

Text Sixteen
lalitadi sakhi-gana avashesha paya
mane mane sukhe radha-krishna-guna gaya

Lalita-devi and the other gopis then receive the remnants, and within their hearts they sing the glories of Radharani and Krishna with great joy.

Text Seventeen
hari-lila ek-matra jahara pramoda
bhogarati gay thakur bhakativinoda

Thakur Bhaktivinoda, whose one and only joy is the pastimes of Lord Hari, sings this Bhoga-arati song.