Prasāda (Sanskrit: प्रसाद), prasād/prashad (Hindi), Prasāda in (Kannada) or prasādam (Tamil) Prasadam (Telugu) is both a mental condition of generosity, as well as a material substance that is first offered to a deity (in Hinduism) and then consumed (Hinduism and Sikhism). ^[1] The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Hindi ( , Devanagari: or , IAST: , IPA: ), an Indo-European language spoken mainly in northern and central India, is the official language of the Union along with English. ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... Telugu (తెలుగు) is a Dravidian language primarily spoken in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where it is the official language. ...

Prasadam offered on Banana leaves after Puja ceremony at a home in Guntur, India

Literally, a gracious gift. Anything, usually edible, given by a saint, Perfect Master or the Avatar to their followers. Anything, usually edible, that is first offered to a deity, saint, Perfect Master or the Avatar and then distributed in His name. ^[2] Hindus believe that the prasad has the deity's blessing residing within it. In contemporary Hindu religious practice in India, the desire to get prasada and have darshan are the two major motivations of pilgrimage and temple visits. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... A puja as performed in Ujjain during the Monsoon on the banks of the overflowing river Shipra. ... Guntur   (గుంటూరు in Telugu) is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. ... A Hindu ( , Devanagari: हिन्दु), as per modern definition, is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, and the religious, philosophical and cultural system that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... Darshan is a Sanskrit and Hindu (also used to some extent in Urdu) term meaning sight (in the sense of an instance of seeing something or somebody), vision, apparition, or a glimpse. ...

As a mental condition, prasāda has a rich history of meanings in the Sanskrit tradition from Vedic literature onwards. In this textual tradition, prasada is a mental state experienced by gods, sages, and other powerful beings which is marked by spontaneous generosity and the bestowing of boons. Prasāda is understood in this sense of a mental state from the earliest literature (Rig Veda) onwards -- not as an aspect of ritual practice. In later texts such as the Shiva Purāna, references to prasada as a material substance begins to appear alongside this older meaning. The Vedas (Sanskrit: वेद) are a large corpus of texts originating in Ancient India. ... The Rig Veda ऋग्वेद (Sanskrit ṛc praise + veda knowledge) is the earliest of the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas. ... The Shiva Purana is one of the purāṇas dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva. ...

In its material sense, prasada is created by a process of giving and receiving between a human devotee and the divine god. For example, a devotee makes an offering of a material substance such as flowers, fruits, or sweets -- which is called 'naivedya'. The deity then 'enjoys' or tastes a bit of the offering, which is then temporarily known as 'bhogya'. This now-divinely invested substance is called 'prasāda", and is received by the devotee to be ingested, worn, etc. It may be the same material that was originally offered, or material offered by others and then re-distributed to other devotees.

As a 'leftover substance', prasada is special because it is understood as being invested with divine grace or blessing. This is in stark contrast to the status of any leftover portions of ordinary foods as they are considered ritually impure (jūṭhā). According to orthodox Hindu religious practice, a wife might eat the food tasted by her husband, but in contrast to other South Asian religious practices, Hindus do not take food communally (as among Sikhs) or share from the same plate (as among Muslims). Therefore, in contrast to the restrictions on food sharing between people in Hinduism, when a material substance is leftover by a god, it is not thought of as being 'impure' (jūṭhā), but as full of divine blessing (prasãda) and karmically beneficial to its recipient. The offering and distribution of prasãda is particularly central to the Vaishnava tradition, but is also central for members of other Hindu sects, such as the Shaktas. A Sikh man wearing a turban The adherents of Sikhism are called Sikhs. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (i. ... Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, the Divine Mother, in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity. ...

References

1. ^ Glossary of Sanskrit Terms in Integral Yoga Literature
2. ^ Natu, Bal; "Glimpses of the God-Man, Meher Baba", Sheriar Press, 1987

External links

• Hindu Sanskrit Dictionary
• Prasada-yoga
• Prasadam Ontology A Vaishnava view

Other uses

• Prasads IMAX, a multiplex theatre in Hyderabad
• Lalu Prasad Yadav, a controversial Indian Politician from Bihar.