9.53
apavitra anna eka thalite bhariya
prabhu-age nila ’maha-prasada’ baliya
SYNONYMS
apavitra—polluted; anna—food; eka—one; thalite—plate; bhariya—filling; prabhu-age—in front of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; nila—brought; maha-prasada baliya—calling it maha-prasada.
Having made their plot, the Buddhists brought a plate of untouchable food before Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and called it maha-prasada.
PURPORT
The word apavitra anna refers to food that is unacceptable for a Vaisnava.
In other words, a Vaisnava cannot accept any food offered by an avaisnava in the name of maha-prasada.
This should be a principle for all Vaisnavas.
When asked, “What is the behavior of a Vaisnava?” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “A Vaisnava must avoid the company of an avaisnava (asat).” The word asat refers to an avaisnava, that is, one who is not a Vaisnava.
Asat-sanga-tyaga,-ei vaisnava-acara (Cc.Madhya 22.87).
A Vaisnava must be very strict in this respect and should not at all cooperate with an avaisnava.
If an avaisnava offers food in the name of maha-prasada, it should not be accepted.
Such food cannot be prasada because an avaisnava cannot offer anything to the Lord.
Sometimes preachers in the Krsna consciousness movement have to accept food in a home where the householder is an avaisnava; however, if this food is offered to the Deity, it can be taken.
Ordinary food cooked by an avaisnava should not be accepted by a Vaisnava.
Even if an avaisnava cooks food without fault, he cannot offer it to Lord Visnu, and it cannot be accepted as maha-prasada.
According to Lord Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita (9.26):
patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.” Krsna can accept anything offered by His devotee with devotion.
An avaisnava may be a vegetarian and a very clean cook, but because he cannot offer the food he cooks to Visnu, it cannot be accepted as maha-prasada.
It is better that a Vaisnava abandon such food as untouchable.