What is Prasad

[@kiranjoshi2025]

Namaste
We here in India call it " sanskara " ( intentions, emotions and karmic imprints ) which are transferred in food.
I feel food must be offered to hungry animals, birds, insects first. Blessings you earn from this are millions times powerful than offering to deity.
Thanks 🙏🙏

[@rimantasgenys-english]

Namaste. Very good comment.
There are various levels how we can practice sharing.
For example:
1) Share prasad with deities.
2) Share prasad with masters, guru, teachers, saint people.
3) Share prasad with usual normal people.
4) Share prasad with animals (lower plane than people).
5) Share prasad with lower planes than animal.
The best way to share prasad with the maximum highest consciousness level (deities, masters, guru, teachers, saint people, yogis, sadhus, somebody who do spiritual practice).
When we help such people, then they can do many good things in their sadhana and also for other people in life.
It's also very good to share prasad with usual normal people because it uplifts their consciousness.
Now a few interesting moments about animals. If we share food with animals, we create karmic relation and it could lead us to being born (in future lives) in the body of animal.
So if you're willing to grow from life to life, then it's better to orientate to higher planes, not lower.
For example:
If there is possibility to share food with animal or human, it's better to share with human.
If there is possibility to share food with human or with spiritual master (or any other saint person), it's better to share it with spiritual master.
I hope you will get the idea.

[@kiranjoshi2025]

@@rimantasgenys-english
With Due respect I totally disagree with this approch which I think is Dualistic & Non vedantic
not only every animate but even non animated beings are having same atman , there is no lower , higher planes as such.
Realised sages ( Neem karoli baba or sai Baba etc) on the other hand have never called anyone of lower plane.
If they are of lower value then who has created them ?
No saint has ever called anyone lower as they have realised god in every sentinel being.
I am wondering how by feeding animals create karmic relations rather exactly opposite is true
By offering prasad to every hungry creatures we are releasing many lifetimes karmic debts ( runanubandh)
and helping innocent creature by gaining immense blessings .A single blessing has trillions of times more power than offering prasad to any deity or
any guru for lifetime.
On the other hand there are thousands of incidents of those who do all superficial rituals & are killed in accidents
while returining from such pilgrimage or those who have practiced all these rituals but have not been spared by divine wrath.
Creator is not so cheap that by offering something which he himself has created will become happy .
There is no sacred prasad than which is offered to any & every type of hungry soul.
Here is a famous story from Mahabharat which lord krishna himself has witnessed
Story of the Golden Squirrel who taught Yudhisthira a lesson in charity
Dharmaraya or Yudhisthira was the eldest of the Pandavas. He used to give all his wealth to charity. Nobody returned empty handed after seeing him. He was very proud about that.
One day, he gave food to ten thousand people. When many of them had taken food and were washing their hands, Lord Krishna and Yudhisthira witnessed a strange sight. A squirrel which had half its back of golden colour was rolling in the water used for washing hands. After every roll, it used to see its back.
Lord Krishna called the squirrel and asked him, “Your conduct is strange. Can you tell us what you are doing?” The squirrel replied, “Not far away from here there lives a very poor Brahmin, his wife and son. They work very hard throughout the day. With whatever they earned they would buy food. They would divide this food in to three parts for each of them.
One day when they were about to take food, they heard a knock at their door. When they opened, they found a poor starving man. He said he was very hungry and wanted some food. They called the poor hungry man inside. They then divided their food in to four parts and they gave one part to the poor man. But after eating that food the poor man said he was still hungry. Then the father gave his portion. After eating the portion, the poor hungry man said, he was still hungry. Then the mother gave her share. After eating this too, the poor man said, he was still hungry. Then the son who was a young boy gave his share too.
After eating that, the poor man said, his belly was full and washed his hands. That water fell on my back. Wherever it touched it became golden. Unfortunately it was not sufficient to make my entire back, golden.
I know that Yudhisthira is famous for his charity. That is why I came here. But my back is not turning into golden.” Then Krishna told Yudhisthira, “Cousin, see the difference. You are giving since you have a lot. But the poor Brahmin family was giving even if they did not have.”