(3/7) Offering Bhoga on Ekadasi

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata—Worldwide, 24 January 2021, part 3

Today is a very auspicious day – I see so many devotees are here. Today is also an ekadasi day. Everybody must follow ekadasi. Is everybody following ekadasi?

Question: When we offer bhoga to the Deities on ekadasi, should we offer something that is non-ekadasi (grains, etc.) as well?

Yes, it is necessary to do that. If somebody lives with you and does not follow ekadasi, what can you do? You can give them some sweets or some ekadasi savoury. Sometimes, devotees live in their houses – if they offer rice, dal or khichuri on ekadasi, how will they take it? They do not want to throw away food, so they do not offer grains on this day. If you offer non-ekadasi preparations, then you must give what you cannot take to somebody else, you must think of some place. However, if it is a temple with Deities, then we must offer everything, both ekadasi and non-ekadasi preparations. The same applies to the places where Gurudev’s Deity is established. For example, I have installed Gurudev’s Deity in Venezuela, Govardhan, Nabadwip and Siliguri, and we offer Gurudev rice, dal, subji, etc. even on ekadasi.

Whether you do it on your personal altar or not, it is not a problem. Both ekadasi and non-ekadasi must be offered to Deities, it is a strict rule, but if you have an altar where you keep a photograph of the Deities, then there is no emergency to follow this rule so strictly. You can offer rice, dal and subji, and if you have some small children in the house who cannot follow the rules and regulations properly, you can give it to them (the children who cannot follow ekadasi can take it). That is also possible.

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Increasing Preaching Scope
2) Distribute Krishna Consciousness!
3) Offering Bhog on Ekadasi
4) Sri Jagadish Pandit
5) Be Strong and Straight
6) Mission's Sustenance
7) Learn to Tolerate