Offering Food To Krishna (Prasadam)
The Srimad Bhagavatam says that if someone eats prasadam unknowingly, sinful reactions of seven lifetimes are counteracted. If someone does that knowingly, sinful reactions of one million lifetimes are counteracted. The Vishnu Purana says that simply by honoring prasadam once, one gets the credits of fasting for 6 months. The Brahma Vaivarta Purana says that when a person is full with prasadam and he walks on the earth, he purifies the earth; when he goes to holy place, he purifies the holy places; when he touches someone, that person is purified. Honoring prasadam is equivalent to performing millions of horse sacrifices.
Once Ramanujacarya, while walking on the banks of the river Kaveri along with his disciples, washed his hands in the river after honoring prasadam. Two fishes after eating the remnants from his hands immediately attained four handed Vishnu forms and went back to the spiritual world. Ramanujacarya then told his surprised disciples why prasadam acted so effectively on the fishes. First of all, the fishes never offended prasadam by making distinctions as to its quality. Secondly the fishes were totally dependent on the prasadam.
Srila Prabhupada gave 5 important reasons for the importance of prasadam distribution :
1) It is a fundamental aspect of preaching. No program is complete without it. Prasadam distribution replaces distribution of money (which used to be done at ceremonies) in Kaliyuga.
2) It is our secret weapon. How it effects cannot be figured out. It's like a combination of diet and medicine.
3) Prasadam distribution is giving people Krishna . It's a means by which we can help people purify their existence and gain pious credits. Gradually, they will then be able to understand Krishna .
4) It is Grihastha dharma. Srila Prabhupada tells five different ways by which a Grihastha has to spend his money – use money to worship Krishna at home, use money to receive devotees at home, give them Prasad, give Prasad to other living entities and to oneself.
5) Prasadam for distribution should be nicely offered. There is a protocol that has to followed during prasadam distribution. First the Vaishnavas and Brahmanas have to be fed, then the children, followed by the old people, women and finally all others. It is important to understand that first of all devotees have to be given nice prasadam. Charity begins at home. In 1977 when Prabhupada was in Vrindavan, he would take care of the prasadam of devotees even though he himself could not eat anything.
Source – http://connect.krishna.com/node/71
