Serve Deity Properly

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Speaking online to devotees in Caracas
28 June 2018, part 3

I have told many stories before—Arjun Misra, Mukunda Prabhu's son and others...

Mukunda Prabhu had only one son, his name was Raghunandan. Mukunda Prabhu and his wife were very pure devotees and served their Deities properly—they offered the bhog, did the mangal-arati, etc. They did everything in their house properly just like at the temple. One day, Mukunda's wife and Mukunda wanted to go to the market for the Deities (to get some dress, etc.). Mukunda Prabhu told his wife, "I will not manage alone, if you come with me to the market you can choose everything nicely." That day, Mukunda's wife cooked very nicely, kept the bhog in a plate for the Deities, but they had to leave early that day and they thought, "Who will do the offering for the Deities?" So, the mother told her son, "Raghunandan, we are going to the market. You must offer the bhog to the Deities at 12 o'clock." Raghunandan was just ten years old, he said, "Mother, I do not know any mantras, or anything, how do I offer it?" She said, "No mantras are necessary, just chant Hare Krishna maha-mantra only and offer it with Tulasi leaves to the Deities."

At twelve o'clock, noon time, Raghunandan took the plate to the Deities' room. He did not offer it politely ("O Deities, please take it), he said it in a rude way, "Take it!" When Raghunandan saw that the Deity was not taking it, he said, "My mother gives You food every day and You take it. I guess because I am a child, some naked boy, You do not like me. If You do not take it, I will beat You! I will break Your head!" The Deity (Gaura Nitai) got scared, "Please do not beat Me! I am taking, I am taking!" Raghunandan said, "Yes, You must take everything, all of it!" The Deity took everything and Raghunandan kept the empty plate in the kitchen.

Later on, his parents returned at one or two o'clock. Raghunandan's mother asked, "Raghunandan, where is our prasadam?" Raghunandan said, "Mother, perhaps you cooked little today—the Deity has taken everything." His mother did not believe it; she thought that he had taken it, or given it to some friends, or maybe he had just thrown it away, wasted the food somehow. Raghunandan tried to assure his mother, "Please, mother, you must believe me. I did not take anything, I did not waste anything! I did not give anything to my friends. The Deities have taken everything."

His mother was quite puzzled, so she decided to test her son and see what had happened. At four o'clock, they opened the temple. She prepared some fruit, sweets, etc. for the afternoon offering and gave the offering to Raghunandan saying, "So, you say you have not taken anything. I want to see how the Deities eat it." Raghunandan went went inside the temple room again and said, "Hey Deity! Take this!" The Deity answered, "I took so much at noon time, I am not hungry now. How will I take it now?" "Oh, so You cannot? My mother will not believe me. If You do not take it again now, I will beat you! You must take it all now!" Hearing some noise from the altar room, his mother was surprised and wondered, "Who is that talking with Raghunandan?" She looked into a hole in the door and saw the Deity was taking a sweet—half of it was in the Deity's hand and the other half was the Deity's mouth. When she saw it, she became like senseless, overwhelmed with ecstasy, and asta-satvik-vikar (eight ecstatic transformations) appeared in her body.

So, you must serve the Deities properly. Those who are doing this service to the Deity must believe it and do this service properly, that is good for you.

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