This series chronicles sweet experiences recounted by the devotees of HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji. These articles are translations from the series, “Madhuramaana Mahaneeyar” by Dr. A Bhagyanathan, personal secretary to Sri Swamiji, that is published every month in Madhuramurali Tamil monthly magazine.
One day Sri Swamiji was talking about Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. At that time, he mentioned that Sri Ramakrishna would be very cautious with food offered by others, and would not take any food offered by sinners as that would affect him. Then Sri Swamiji said that we should always offer the food we eat to God. He said that it was enough even if we offered the food mentally; then all the impurities and negative effects of the food will disappear.
At that time, a devotee who was listening to this, asked, “Some mahans eat the food offered by anybody. How do they do that?”
Swamiji answered, “When we offer food to God, we recite mantras and purify the food, and then offer it. But greater than the power of mantras is the power of love! That is why in “prema pooja” (worship based on love), importance is not given to ritualistic mantras.
In the same manner, when someone offers you food with great love, that love itself will completely cleanse the food of any impurities. “
Then Sri Swamiji added, “However this is hard to understand for those who have a dry heart that does not understand what love is.”
From December 2005 issue of Madhuramurali.
Original Tamil article by Smt. Jayanthi Janakiraman.
Translated by Viji Ramkrishnan Dallas TX
