Hare Krishna Recipes

Learn the secret to creating delicious Hare Krishna recipes straight from the heart.

Hare Krishna Recipes

Welcome to Hare Krishna Recipes, a place where love, devotion, and spirituality blend seamlessly with the culinary arts. Here, we offer you a deeper understanding of how preparing and offering food with bhakti can bring you closer to the divine.

The key ingredient in all our Hare Krishna recipes is Love. Love, simply put, is devotional service, what we call Bhakti in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.

Bhakti: Devotional Service, Charity, Love

Bhakti, a Sanskrit term, signifies devotion and love towards God. In the Hare Krishna tradition, bhakti is not just a concept but the core of our spiritual practice. Through bhakti, we connect with the Supreme Lord, offering our hearts in humble service and seeking a personal relationship with Him.

Bhakti is beautifully embodied in devotional service. This service is performed not out of duty but out of an overflow of love. Engaging in devotional service means offering our actions, thoughts, and intentions to God, seeking to please Him with a pure and sincere heart. This is the true definition of love—selfless, unconditional, and pure.

Insights from the Bhagavad Gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam

The principles of bhakti and the types of foods that are offerable to the Lord are also beautifully explained in the Bhagavad Gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam.

Bhagavad Gita 9:26

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्य‍ा प्रयच्छति ।
तदहं भक्त्य‍ुपहृतमश्न‍ामि प्रयतात्मन: ॥ २६ ॥

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

Synonyms:
patram — a leaf; puṣpam — a flower; phalam — a fruit; toyam — water; yaḥ — whoever; me — unto Me; bhaktyā — with devotion; prayacchati — offers; tat — that; aham — I; bhakti-upahṛtam — offered in devotion; aśnāmi — accept; prayata-ātmanaḥ — from one in pure consciousness.

Translation:
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.

This verse underscores the simplicity and purity of what can be offered to the Lord. It’s not the opulence of the offering that matters, but the devotion and love with which it is presented.

To understand the whole nature of what can be offered and why, you have to look a little deeper into scripture and into Srila Prabhupada’s purport of Srimad Bhagavatam 1:13:47.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:13:47

अहस्तानि सहस्तानामपदानि चतुष्पदाम् ।
फल्गूनि तत्र महतां जीवो जीवस्य जीवनम् ॥ ४७ ॥

ahastāni sahastānām
apadāni catuṣ-padām
phalgūni tatra mahatāṁ
jīvo jīvasya jīvanam

Synonyms:
ahastāni — those who are devoid of hands; sa-hastānām — of those who are endowed with hands; apadāni — those who are devoid of legs; catuḥ-padām — of those who have four legs; phalgūni — those who are weak; tatra — there; mahatām — of the powerful; jīvaḥ — the living being; jīvasya — of the living being; jīvanam — subsistence.

Translation:
Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands; those devoid of legs are prey for the four-legged. The weak are the subsistence of the strong, and the general rule holds that one living being is food for another.

Purport:
A systematic law of subsistence in the struggle for existence is there by the supreme will, and there is no escape for anyone by any amount of planning. The living beings who have come to the material world against the will of the Supreme Being are under the control of a supreme power called māyā-śakti, the deputed agent of the Lord, and this daivī māyā is meant to pinch the conditioned souls by threefold miseries, one of which is explained here in this verse: the weak are the subsistence of the strong. No one is strong enough to protect himself from the onslaught of a stronger, and by the will of the Lord there are systematic categories of the weak, the stronger and the strongest. There is nothing to be lamented if a tiger eats a weaker animal, including a man, because that is the law of the Supreme Lord. But although the law states that a human being must subsist on another living being, there is the law of good sense also, for the human being is meant to obey the laws of the scriptures. This is impossible for other animals. The human being is meant for self-realization, and for that purpose he is not to eat anything which is not first offered to the Lord. The Lord accepts from His devotee all kinds of food preparations made of vegetables, fruits, leaves and grains. Fruits, leaves and milk in different varieties can be offered to the Lord, and after the Lord accepts the foodstuff, the devotee can partake of the prasāda, by which all suffering in the struggle for existence will be gradually mitigated. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.26). Even those who are accustomed to eat animals can offer foodstuff, not to the Lord directly, but to an agent of the Lord, under certain conditions of religious rites. Injunctions of the scriptures are meant not to encourage the eaters of animals, but to restrict them by regulative principles.

The living being is the source of subsistence for other, stronger living beings. No one should be very anxious for his subsistence in any circumstances because there are living beings everywhere, and no living being starves for want of food at any place. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is advised by Nārada not to worry about his uncles’ suffering for want of food, for they could live on vegetables available in the jungles as prasāda of the Supreme Lord and thus realize the path of salvation.

Exploitation of the weaker living being by the stronger is the natural law of existence; there is always an attempt to devour the weak in different kingdoms of living beings. There is no possibility of checking this tendency by any artificial means under material conditions; it can be checked only by awakening the spiritual sense of the human being by practice of spiritual regulations. The spiritual regulative principles, however, do not allow a man to slaughter weaker animals on one side and teach others peaceful coexistence. If man does not allow the animals peaceful coexistence, how can he expect peaceful existence in human society? The blind leaders must therefore understand the Supreme Being and then try to implement the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God, or Rāma-rājya, is impossible without the awakening of God consciousness in the mass mind of the people of the world.

There are several references in the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Chaitanya Charitamrita regarding food that can give you greater insight into bhakti (devotional service, i.e., Love). Here are a few to get you started:

Bhagavad Gita 17:7

आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रिय: ।
यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं श‍ृणु ॥ ७ ॥

āhāras tv api sarvasya
tri-vidho bhavati priyaḥ
yajñas tapas tathā dānaṁ
teṣāṁ bhedam imaṁ śṛṇu

Synonyms:
āhāraḥ — eating; tu — certainly; api — also; sarvasya — of everyone; tri-vidhaḥ — of three kinds; bhavati — there is; priyaḥ — dear; yajñaḥ — sacrifice; tapaḥ — austerity; tathā — also; dānam — charity; teṣām — of them; bhedam — the differences; imam — this; śṛṇu — hear.

Translation:
Even the food each person prefers is of three kinds, according to the three modes of material nature. The same is true of sacrifices, austerities and charity. Now hear of the distinctions between them.

Purport:
In terms of different situations in the modes of material nature, there are differences in the manner of eating and performing sacrifices, austerities and charities. They are not all conducted on the same level. Those who can understand analytically what kind of performances are in what modes of material nature are actually wise; those who consider all kinds of sacrifice or food or charity to be the same cannot discriminate, and they are foolish. There are missionary workers who advocate that one can do whatever he likes and attain perfection. But these foolish guides are not acting according to the direction of the scripture. They are manufacturing ways and misleading the people in general.

Bhagavad Gita 17:8

आयु:सत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धना: ।
रस्या: स्‍निग्धा: स्थिरा हृद्या आहारा: सात्त्विकप्रिया: ॥ ८ ॥

āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-
sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ
rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā
āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ

Synonyms:
āyuḥ — duration of life; sattva — existence; bala — strength; ārogya — health; sukha — happiness; prīti — and satisfaction; vivardhanāḥ — increasing; rasyāḥ — juicy; snigdhāḥ — fatty; sthirāḥ — enduring; hṛdyāḥ — pleasing to the heart; āhārāḥ — food; sāttvika — to one in goodness; priyāḥ — palatable.

Translation:
Foods dear to those in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one’s existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy, fatty, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart.

Bhagavad Gita 17:9

कट्‌वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिन: ।
आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दु:खशोकामयप्रदा: ॥ ९ ॥

kaṭv-amla-lavaṇāty-uṣṇa-
tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ
āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā
duḥkha-śokāmaya-pradāḥ

Synonyms:
kaṭu — bitter; amla — sour; lavaṇa — salty; ati-uṣṇa — very hot; tīkṣṇa — pungent; rūkṣa — dry; vidāhinaḥ — burning; āhārāḥ — food; rājasasya — to one in the mode of passion; iṣṭāḥ — palatable; duḥkha — distress; śoka — misery; āmaya — disease; pradāḥ — causing.

Translation:
Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease.

Bhagavad Gita 17:10

यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत् ।
उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् ॥ १० ॥

yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ
pūti paryuṣitaṁ ca yat
ucchiṣṭam api cāmedhyaṁ
bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam

Synonyms:
yāta-yāmam — food cooked three hours before being eaten; gata-rasam — tasteless; pūti — bad-smelling; paryuṣitam — decomposed; ca — also; yat — that which; ucchiṣṭam — remnants of food eaten by others; api — also; ca — and; amedhyam — untouchable; bhojanam — eating; tāmasa — to one in the mode of darkness; priyam — dear.

Translation:
Food prepared more than three hours before being eaten, food that is tasteless, decomposed and putrid, and food consisting of remnants and untouchable things is dear to those in the mode of darkness.

Bhagavad Gita 3:13

यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषै ।
भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ॥ १३ ॥

yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo
mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ
bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā
ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt

Synonyms:
yajña-śiṣṭa — of food taken after performance of yajña; aśinaḥ — eaters; santaḥ — the devotees; mucyante — get relief; sarva — all kinds of; kilbiṣaiḥ — from sins; bhuñjate — enjoy; te — they; tu — but; agham — grievous sins; pāpāḥ — sinners; ye — who; pacanti — prepare food; ātma-kāraṇāt — for sense enjoyment.

Translation:
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.

Shrimad Bhagavatam 3:29:15

निषेवितेनानिमित्तेन स्वधर्मेण महीयसा ।
क्रियायोगेन शस्तेन नातिहिंस्रेण नित्यश: ॥ १५ ॥

niṣevitenānimittena
sva-dharmeṇa mahīyasā
kriyā-yogena śastena
nātihiṁsreṇa nityaśaḥ

Synonyms:
niṣevitena — executed; animittena — without attachment to the result; sva-dharmeṇa — by one’s prescribed duties; mahīyasā — glorious; kriyā-yogena — by devotional activities; śastena — auspicious; na — without; atihiṁsreṇa — excessive violence; nityaśaḥ — regularly.

Translation:
A devotee must execute his prescribed duties, which are glorious, without material profit. Without excessive violence, one should regularly perform one’s devotional activities.

Purport:
One has to execute his prescribed duties according to his social position as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra. The prescribed duties of the four classes of men in human society are also described in Bhagavad-gītā. The activities of brāhmaṇas are to control the senses and to become simple, clean, learned devotees. The kṣatriyas have the spirit for ruling, they are not afraid on the battlefield, and they are charitable. The vaiśyas, or the mercantile class of men, trade in commodities, protect cows and develop agricultural produce. The śūdras, or laborer class, serve the higher classes because they themselves are not very intelligent.

From every position, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya: one can serve the Supreme Lord by performing one’s prescribed duty. It is not that only the brāhmaṇas can serve the Supreme Lord and not the śūdras. Anyone can serve the Supreme Lord by performing his prescribed duties under the direction of a spiritual master, or representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No one should think that his prescribed duties are inferior. A brāhmaṇa can serve the Lord by using his intelligence, and the kṣatriya can serve the Supreme Lord by using his military arts, just as Arjuna served Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna was a warrior; he had no time to study Vedānta or other highly intellectual books. The damsels in Vrajadhāma were girls born of the vaiśya class, and they engaged in protecting cows and producing agriculture. Kṛṣṇa’s foster father, Nanda Mahārāja, and his associates were all vaiśyas. They were not at all educated, but they could serve Kṛṣṇa by loving Him and by offering everything to Him. Similarly, there are many instances in which caṇḍālas, or those lower than śūdras, have served Kṛṣṇa. Also, the sage Vidura was considered a śūdra because his mother happened to be a śūdra. There are no distinctions, for it is declared by the Lord in Bhagavad-gītā that anyone engaged specifically in devotional service is elevated to the transcendental position without a doubt. Everyone’s prescribed duty is glorious if it is performed in the devotional service of the Lord, without desire for profit. Such loving service must be performed without reason, without impediment, and spontaneously. Kṛṣṇa is lovable, and one has to serve Him in whatever capacity one can. That is pure devotional service.

Another significant phrase in this verse is nātihiṁsreṇa, “with minimum violence or sacrifice of life.” Even if a devotee has to commit violence, it should not be done beyond what is necessary. Sometimes the question is put before us: “You ask us not to eat meat, but you are eating vegetables. Do you think that is not violence?” The answer is that eating vegetables is violence, and vegetarians are also committing violence against other living entities because vegetables also have life. Nondevotees are killing cows, goats and so many other animals for eating purposes, and a devotee, who is vegetarian, is also killing. But here, significantly, it is stated that every living entity has to live by killing another entity; that is the law of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam: one living entity is the life for another living entity. But for a human being, that violence should be committed only as much as necessary.

A human being is not to eat anything which is not offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santaḥ: one becomes freed from all sinful reactions by eating foodstuffs which are offered to Yajña, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A devotee therefore eats only prasāda, or foodstuffs offered to the Supreme Lord, and Kṛṣṇa says that when a devotee offers Him foodstuffs from the vegetable kingdom, with devotion, He eats that. A devotee is to offer to Kṛṣṇa foodstuffs prepared from vegetables. If the Supreme Lord wanted foodstuffs prepared from animal food, the devotee could offer this, but He does not order to do that.

We have to commit violence; that is a natural law. We should not, however, commit violence extravagantly, but only as much as ordered by the Lord. Arjuna engaged in the art of killing, and although killing is, of course, violence, he killed the enemy simply on Kṛṣṇa’s order. In the same way, if we commit violence as it is necessary, by the order of the Lord, that is called nātihiṁsā. We cannot avoid violence, for we are put into a conditional life in which we have to commit violence, but we should not commit more violence than necessary or than ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

CC Madhya 4:93

অন্ন, ঘৃত, দধি, দুগ্ধ, — গ্ৰামে যত ছিল ।
গোপালের আগে লোক আনিয়া ধরিল ॥ ৯৩ ॥
anna, ghṛta, dadhi, dugdha, — grāme yata chila
gopālera āge loka āniyā dharila

Synonyms
anna — food grain; ghṛta — ghee, or clarified butter; dadhi — yogurt; dugdha — milk; grāme — in the village; yata — as much; chila — as there was; gopālera āge — before the Deity Gopāla; loka — all people; āniyā — bringing; dharila — placed.

Translation
The inhabitants of the village brought to the Deity of Gopāla as much food grains, ghee, yogurt and milk as they had in their village.

ŚB 6.18.49

नोच्छिष्टं चण्डिकान्नं च सामिषं वृषलाहृतम् ।
भुञ्जीतोदक्यया द‍ृष्टं पिबेन्नाञ्जलिना त्वप: ॥ ४९ ॥

nocchiṣṭaṁ caṇḍikānnaṁ ca
sāmiṣaṁ vṛṣalāhṛtam
bhuñjītodakyayā dṛṣṭaṁ
piben nāñjalinā tv apaḥ

Synonyms:
na — not; ucchiṣṭam — leftover food; caṇḍikā-annam — food offered to the goddess Kālī; ca — and; sa-āmiṣam — mixed with flesh; vṛṣala-āhṛtam — brought by a śūdra; bhuñjīta — must eat; udakyayā — by a woman in her menstrual period; dṛṣṭam — seen; pibet na — must not drink; añjalinā — by joining and cupping the two palms; tu — also; apaḥ — water.

Translation:
Never eat leftover food, never eat prasāda offered to the goddess Kālī [Durgā], and do not eat anything contaminated by flesh or fish. Do not eat anything brought or touched by a śūdra nor anything seen by a woman in her menstrual period. Do not drink water by joining your palms.

Bhagavad Gita 6:16

नात्यश्न‍तस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्न‍त: ।
न चातिस्वप्‍नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन ॥ १६ ॥

nāty-aśnatas tu yogo ’sti
na caikāntam anaśnataḥ
na cāti-svapna-śīlasya
jāgrato naiva cārjuna

Synonyms:
na — never; ati — too much; aśnataḥ — of one who eats; tu — but; yogaḥ — linking with the Supreme; asti — there is; na — nor; ca — also; ekāntam — overly; anaśnataḥ — abstaining from eating; na — nor; ca — also; ati — too much; svapna-śīlasya — of one who sleeps; jāgrataḥ — or one who keeps night watch too much; na — not; eva — ever; ca — and; arjuna — O Arjuna.

Translation:
There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogī, O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.

CC Madhya 14.36

এইমত জগন্নাথ করেন ভোজন ।
এই সুখে মহাপ্রভুর জুড়ায় নয়ন ॥ ৩৬ ॥

ei-mata jagannātha karena bhojana
ei sukhe mahāprabhura juḍāya nayana

Synonyms:
ei-mata — in this way; jagannātha — Lord Jagannātha; karena bhojana — accepts His food; ei sukhe — in this happiness; mahāprabhura — of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; juḍāya — become fully satisfied; nayana — the eyes.

Translation:
Indeed, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was fully satisfied just to see how Lord Jagannātha accepted all the food.

Three Modes of Material Nature

The Bhagavad Gita talks in detail about the three modes of material nature. It is an interesting read to learn about these three modes. The three modes are relevant here because they trickle down into food, how we consume it, and what eating the wrong foods (as mentioned in some of the verses above) does to our consciousness, affecting our spirituality.

Here are some verses about these things:

This first one, to get you started, talks about the mode the majority of the world now operates in primarily. This is the mode of passion.

Passion sounds romatic and in fact it starts with the natural attraction between sexes. A long time ago passion wasn’t near as prominent as the mode of mode of goodness, but that’s another story, for another day. For now, let’s understand where most of us are at regarding these three modes; namely, the mode of passion:

Bhagavad Gita 14:7

रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भ‍वम् ।
तन्निबध्‍नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ॥ ७ ॥

rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi
tṛṣṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam
tan nibadhnāti kaunteya
karma-saṅgena dehinam

Synonyms:
rajaḥ — the mode of passion; rāga-ātmakam — born of desire or lust; viddhi — know; tṛṣṇā — with hankering; saṅga — association; samudbhavam — produced of; tat — that; nibadhnāti — binds; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; karma-saṅgena — by association with fruitive activity; dehinam — the embodied.

Translation:
The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kuntī, and because of this the embodied living entity is bound to material fruitive actions.

Purport:
The mode of passion is characterized by the attraction between man and woman. Woman has attraction for man, and man has attraction for woman. This is called the mode of passion. And when the mode of passion is increased, one develops the hankering for material enjoyment. He wants to enjoy sense gratification. For sense gratification, a man in the mode of passion wants some honor in society, or in the nation, and he wants to have a happy family, with nice children, wife and house. These are the products of the mode of passion. As long as one is hankering after these things, he has to work very hard. Therefore it is clearly stated here that he becomes associated with the fruits of his activities and thus becomes bound by such activities. In order to please his wife, children and society and to keep up his prestige, one has to work. Therefore, the whole material world is more or less in the mode of passion. Modern civilization is considered to be advanced in the standard of the mode of passion. Formerly, the advanced condition was considered to be in the mode of goodness. If there is no liberation for those in the mode of goodness, what to speak of those who are entangled in the mode of passion?

Here’s another one for you. This one goes into more explanation about the competition that exists between the three modes:

Bhagavad Gita 14:10

रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत ।
रज: सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तम: सत्त्वं रजस्तथा ॥ १० ॥

rajas tamaś cābhibhūya
sattvaṁ bhavati bhārata
rajaḥ sattvaṁ tamaś caiva
tamaḥ sattvaṁ rajas tathā

Synonyms:
rajaḥ — the mode of passion; tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance; ca — also; abhibhūya — surpassing; sattvam — the mode of goodness; bhavati — becomes prominent; bhārata — O son of Bharata; rajaḥ — the mode of passion; sattvam — the mode of goodness; tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance; ca — also; eva — like that; tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance; sattvam — the mode of goodness; rajaḥ — the mode of passion; tathā — thus.

Translation:
Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance, O son of Bharata. Sometimes the mode of passion defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy.

Purport:
When the mode of passion is prominent, the modes of goodness and ignorance are defeated. When the mode of goodness is prominent, passion and ignorance are defeated. And when the mode of ignorance is prominent, passion and goodness are defeated. This competition is always going on. Therefore, one who is actually intent on advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has to transcend these three modes. The prominence of some certain mode of nature is manifested in one’s dealings, in his activities, in eating, etc. All this will be explained in later chapters. But if one wants, he can develop, by practice, the mode of goodness and thus defeat the modes of ignorance and passion. One can similarly develop the mode of passion and defeat goodness and ignorance. Or one can develop the mode of ignorance and defeat goodness and passion. Although there are these three modes of material nature, if one is determined he can be blessed by the mode of goodness, and by transcending the mode of goodness he can be situated in pure goodness, which is called the vasudeva state, a state in which one can understand the science of God. By the manifestation of particular activities, it can be understood in what mode of nature one is situated.

Here’s a verse that explains all three modes:

Bhagavad Gita 14:9

सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रज: कर्मणि भारत ।
ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तम: प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत ॥ ९ ॥

sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati
rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata
jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ
pramāde sañjayaty uta

Synonyms
sattvam — the mode of goodness; sukhe — in happiness; sañjayati — binds; rajaḥ — the mode of passion; karmaṇi — in fruitive activity; bhārata — O son of Bharata; jñānam — knowledge; āvṛtya — covering; tu — but; tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance; pramāde — in madness; sañjayati — binds; uta — it is said.

Translation
O son of Bharata, the mode of goodness conditions one to happiness; passion conditions one to fruitive action; and ignorance, covering one’s knowledge, binds one to madness.

Purport
A person in the mode of goodness is satisfied by his work or intellectual pursuit, just as a philosopher, scientist or educator may be engaged in a particular field of knowledge and may be satisfied in that way. A man in the mode of passion may be engaged in fruitive activity; he owns as much as he can and spends for good causes. Sometimes he tries to open hospitals, give to charity institutions, etc. These are signs of one in the mode of passion. And the mode of ignorance covers knowledge. In the mode of ignorance, whatever one does is good neither for him nor for anyone.

Maybe you’re wondering how these three modes fit into spiritual life -and, the answer is “A lot”. You see these three modes all relate to material nature. To advance spiritually you want to get to a place where you transcend these three modes and become elevated to the platform of Brahman. The process to get there is bhakti-yoga (devotional service to the Lord, Krishna or His expansions).

Here are some verses that detail what this looks like:

Bhagavad Gita 14:26

मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते ।
स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥ २६ ॥

māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

Synonyms
mām — unto Me; ca — also; yaḥ — a person who; avyabhicāreṇa — without fail; bhakti-yogena — by devotional service; sevate — renders service; saḥ — he; guṇān — the modes of material nature; samatītya — transcending; etān — all these; brahma-bhūyāya — elevated to the Brahman platform; kalpate — becomes.

Translation:
One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

Purport:
This verse is a reply to Arjuna’s third question: What is the means of attaining to the transcendental position? As explained before, the material world is acting under the spell of the modes of material nature. One should not be disturbed by the activities of the modes of nature; instead of putting his consciousness into such activities, he may transfer his consciousness to Kṛṣṇa activities. Kṛṣṇa activities are known as bhakti-yoga – always acting for Kṛṣṇa. This includes not only Kṛṣṇa, but His different plenary expansions such as Rāma and Nārāyaṇa. He has innumerable expansions. One who is engaged in the service of any of the forms of Kṛṣṇa, or of His plenary expansions, is considered to be transcendentally situated. One should also note that all the forms of Kṛṣṇa are fully transcendental, blissful, full of knowledge and eternal. Such personalities of Godhead are omnipotent and omniscient, and they possess all transcendental qualities. So if one engages himself in the service of Kṛṣṇa or His plenary expansions with unfailing determination, although these modes of material nature are very difficult to overcome, one can overcome them easily. This has already been explained in the Seventh Chapter. One who surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa at once surmounts the influence of the modes of material nature. To be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or in devotional service means to acquire equality with Kṛṣṇa. The Lord says that His nature is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, and the living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme, as gold particles are part of a gold mine. Thus the living entity, in his spiritual position, is as good as gold, as good as Kṛṣṇa in quality. The difference of individuality continues, otherwise there would be no question of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means that the Lord is there, the devotee is there, and the activity of exchange of love between the Lord and the devotee is there. Therefore the individuality of two persons is present in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual person, otherwise there would be no meaning to bhakti-yoga. If one is not situated in the same transcendental position with the Lord, one cannot serve the Supreme Lord. To be a personal assistant to a king, one must acquire the qualifications. Thus the qualification is to become Brahman, or freed from all material contamination. It is said in the Vedic literature, brahmaiva san brahmāpy eti. One can attain the Supreme Brahman by becoming Brahman. This means that one must qualitatively become one with Brahman. By attainment of Brahman, one does not lose his eternal Brahman identity as an individual soul.

Finally we are getting somewhere. What’s the final destination though. Here we go:

Bhagavad Gita 8:14

अनन्यचेता: सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यश: ।
तस्याहं सुलभ: पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिन: ॥ १४ ॥

ananya-cetāḥ satataṁ
yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ
tasyāhaṁ su-labhaḥ pārtha
nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ

Synonyms:
ananya-cetāḥ — without deviation of the mind; satatam — always; yaḥ — anyone who; mām — Me (Kṛṣṇa); smarati — remembers; nityaśaḥ — regularly; tasya — to him; aham — I am; su-labhaḥ — very easy to achieve; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; nitya — regularly; yuktasya — engaged; yoginaḥ — for the devotee.

Translation:
For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Pṛthā, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.

Purport:
This verse especially describes the final destination attained by the unalloyed devotees who serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead in bhakti-yoga. Previous verses have mentioned four different kinds of devotees – the distressed, the inquisitive, those who seek material gain, and the speculative philosophers. Different processes of liberation have also been described: karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga and haṭha-yoga. The principles of these yoga systems have some bhakti added, but this verse particularly mentions pure bhakti-yoga, without any mixture of jñāna, karma or haṭha. As indicated by the word ananya-cetāḥ, in pure bhakti-yoga the devotee desires nothing but Kṛṣṇa. A pure devotee does not desire promotion to heavenly planets, nor does he seek oneness with the brahma-jyotir or salvation or liberation from material entanglement. A pure devotee does not desire anything. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta the pure devotee is called niṣkāma, which means he has no desire for self-interest. Perfect peace belongs to him alone, not to them who strive for personal gain. Whereas a jñāna-yogī, karma-yogī or haṭha-yogī has his own selfish interests, a perfect devotee has no desire other than to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Lord says that for anyone who is unflinchingly devoted to Him, He is easy to attain.

A pure devotee always engages in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa in one of His various personal features. Kṛṣṇa has various plenary expansions and incarnations, such as Rāma and Nṛsiṁha, and a devotee can choose to fix his mind in loving service to any of these transcendental forms of the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee meets with none of the problems that plague the practitioners of other yogas. Bhakti-yoga is very simple and pure and easy to perform. One can begin simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. The Lord is merciful to all, but as we have already explained, He is especially inclined toward those who always serve Him without deviation. The Lord helps such devotees in various ways. As stated in the Vedas (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23), yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas/ tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām: one who is fully surrendered and engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord can understand the Supreme Lord as He is. And as stated in Bhagavad-gītā (10.10), dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam: the Lord gives such a devotee sufficient intelligence so that ultimately the devotee can attain Him in His spiritual kingdom.

The special qualification of the pure devotee is that he is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa without deviation and without considering the time or place. There should be no impediments. He should be able to carry out his service anywhere and at any time. Some say that the devotee should remain in holy places like Vṛndāvana or some holy town where the Lord lived, but a pure devotee can live anywhere and create the atmosphere of Vṛndāvana by his devotional service. It was Śrī Advaita who told Lord Caitanya, “Wherever You are, O Lord – there is Vṛndāvana.”

As indicated by the words satatam and nityaśaḥ, which mean “always,” “regularly,” or “every day,” a pure devotee constantly remembers Kṛṣṇa and meditates upon Him. These are qualifications of the pure devotee, for whom the Lord is most easily attainable. Bhakti-yoga is the system that the Gītā recommends above all others. Generally, the bhakti-yogīs are engaged in five different ways: (1) śānta-bhakta, engaged in devotional service in neutrality; (2) dāsya-bhakta, engaged in devotional service as servant; (3) sakhya-bhakta, engaged as friend; (4) vātsalya-bhakta, engaged as parent; and (5) mādhurya-bhakta, engaged as conjugal lover of the Supreme Lord. In any of these ways, the pure devotee is always constantly engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord and cannot forget the Supreme Lord, and so for him the Lord is easily attained. A pure devotee cannot forget the Supreme Lord for a moment, and similarly the Supreme Lord cannot forget His pure devotee for a moment. This is the great blessing of the Kṛṣṇa conscious process of chanting the mahā-mantra – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

The Importance of Pure, Vegetarian Food

In the Hare Krishna tradition, we emphasize the preparation and consumption of pure vegetarian food. This diet is not just about avoiding meat but also about maintaining the spiritual and physical purity of what we consume.

No Onion and No Garlic: Onions and garlic, though commonly used in cooking, are considered to have properties that can agitate the mind and senses. To maintain a calm and clear mind essential for meditation and devotion, we avoid these ingredients.
Freshly Prepared Food: The food offered to the Lord should be freshly prepared, reflecting our dedication and care. Fresh food carries a higher vibrational energy, pleasing to the Lord and beneficial for our spiritual and physical well-being.
Pure Vegetarianism: By abstaining from meat, fish, and eggs, we show compassion to all living beings. This non-violence aligns with the principle of ahimsa (non-harming), a cornerstone of bhakti. It is a way of respecting life created by the Lord and avoiding harm to His creatures.

Preparing and Serving Food with Love (Bhakti)

In our tradition, cooking is not just a mundane task; it is a sacred act of devotion. Here’s how you can infuse your culinary practices with bhakti:

Meditate and Pray: Before you start cooking, take a moment to meditate and offer a prayer. Seek the Lord’s blessings and guidance, and dedicate the activity to Him. This sets a spiritual tone for your cooking.
Use Pure Ingredients: Choose the best quality ingredients you can find. The purity of the ingredients reflects your dedication and respect for the Lord.
Cook with Love and Attention: As you prepare the food, focus your mind on the Lord. Chant His holy names or sing devotional songs. Let your heart be filled with love and gratitude.
Offer the Food: Once the food is prepared, place it on a clean plate and offer it to the Lord with a prayer. This act transforms the food into prasadam, or sanctified food, which carries the Lord’s blessings.
Share with Others: Distribute the prasadam to family, friends, and those in need. Sharing this sanctified food is an act of charity and love, spreading the blessings and grace of the Lord to others.

A Path of Love and Devotion

At Hare Krishna Recipes, we invite you to embrace the principles of bhakti through the simple yet profound act of preparing and offering food. This practice allows you to connect with the divine, transforming your kitchen into a place of worship.

Remember, bhakti is not just about rituals but about the intention and love behind each action. Whether you are cooking a simple meal or a grand feast, let your heart be filled with gratitude and devotion. In this way, you can transform your everyday activities into acts of worship and bring the divine into every aspect of your life.

May your path be blessed with love, peace, and spiritual fulfillment. Hare Krishna!