JAYRAMBATI

March, 1913
Dr. Lalit of Shyambazar and Prabodh Babu arrived. At about four o’clock in the afternoon they came to the Holy Mother and saluted her. The following, conversation took place :

Lalit Babu : Mother, what rules and regulations should one observe regarding food ?

On pure and impure food

Mother: One should not eat the food given at funeral obsequies (Sraddha ceremony).It does harm to devotional life. Sri Ramakrishna used to forbid it. Besides, first offer to God whatever you eat. One must not eat unoffered food. As your food is, so will be your blood. From pure food you get pure blood, pure mind and strength. Pure mind begets ecstatic love (Prema Bhakti).

Lalit Babu: Mother, we are householders. What shall we do at the Sraddha ceremony of our relatives ?

Mother: Supervise the ceremony and give help to your relatives so that they may not be offended ; but try somehow to avoid taking meals on that day. If you cannot do that, then on the day of the Sraddha ceremony eat what is offered to Vishnu or other gods. The devotees can partake of the food of the Sraddha ceremony if it is offered to God.

Lalit Babu : Many a time there remains an excess of unused food-stuff procured for the Sraddha ceremony. Can one cook and eat that ?

Mother : Yes, you can. That will not injure you, my child. A householder cannot help it.

Prabodh Babu: Mother, the Master loved renunciation, but how little we practice it!