The Vedas describe the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna as “purnam”, meaning Complete. He is completely self-satisfied and hence does not want anything from us. Nevertheless, the Vedas, especially the Bhagavad Gita, on countless occasions have prescribed to offer everything, including food, to the Lord. Why?
In the 26th verse of the 9th chapter of Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Lord Sri Krishna says,
“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit, water, I will accept it.”
This verse clearly portrays that offering food to the Lord is an expression of one’s affection for the Lord. The Lord will never accept the above said things if they are not presented with love and devotion. The underlining factor that determines whether our offering will be accepted by the Supreme Lord is love. Therefore, this activity of offering everything to Lord Sri Krishna helps a devotee to increase his loving relationship with the Lord.
Lord Sri Krishna, in the 13th verse of the 3rd chapter of Srimad Bhagavad Gita says,
“The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.”
Thus, it is very clear that if we want to be free from all sins, we should prepare food for satisfying Lord Sri Krishna, instead of satisfying our own selves. We should prepare food with love and devotion and offer it to Lord Sri Krishna, and then eat the remnants of the food offered to the Lord as His mercy.
While offering Bhoga please chant the following Mantras.
Beginners may chant the maha-mantra three times,
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
For a more elaborate offering, the prayers below are chanted three times each while ringing a bell. Although the offering is made to Krishna, it is done through the spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, so we begin with prayers to his lotus feet:
1. Prayer to Srila Prabhupada:
Nama om visnu-padayakrishna-presthayabhutale,
Srimatebhakti vedanta-swamin iti namine
Namaste sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracharine,
nirvishesha sunyavadi paschyatya desha tarine
2. Prayer to Lord Chaitanya:
Namo maha-vadanyaya, krishna-prema-pradayate
Krishnaya krishna-chaitanya, namne gaura-twishe namah
3. Prayer to Lord Krishna:
Namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagad-dhitaya krishnaya govindaya namo namah