Verse 2.1.162

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.1.162:

महा-प्रसाद-संज्ञं च तत् स्पृष्टं येन केनचित् ।
यत्र कुत्रापि वा नीतम् अविचारेण भुज्यते ॥ १६२ ॥

mahā-prasāda-saṃjñaṃ ca tat spṛṣṭaṃ yena kenacit |
yatra kutrāpi vā nītam avicāreṇa bhujyate || 162 ||

mahā-prasāda-samjñam–known as mahā-prasāda; ca–and; tat–that; spṛṣṭam–touched; yena kenacit–by anyone; yatra kutra api–from anywhere; vā–or; nītam–brought; avicāreṇa–without consideration; bhujyate–it is worthy of being eaten.

“These remnants of the Lord are known as mahā-prasāda. Mahāprasāda is beyond consideration of whether anyone has touched it or not touched it. Even though touched by any person or taken anywhere, anyone can honor it without question.”

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Śrī Gopa-kumāra says, “This form of the Lord’s mercy is called mahā-prasāda. Since the nectar of the Lord’s lips has touched this mahā-prasāda, it is famous as being supremely rare, even for the demigods. Anyone can accept mahā-prasāda without apprehension, for it never loses its spiritual potency, even if touched by the lowest class of person or by an unknown person. Mahā-prasāda may be taken anywhere, even to a distant land. That is to say, even if it is taken to an unfit or impure place, still it can be eaten without any consideration. The purpose of saying ‘without any consideration’ is that mahā-prasāda is transcendental to all considerations of purity or impurity, proper or improper time, untouched or touched (by an unfit or unknown person), and so on. Mahā-prasāda’s divinity and glory never diminishes, and its spiritual potency is never destroyed for any reason. Therefore, everyone can honor it without consideration.”

The scriptures state:

यद् अन्नं पाचयेल् लक्ष्मीर् भोक्ता च पुरुषोत्तमः
स्पृष्टास्पृष्टं न मन्तव्यं यथा विष्णुस् तथैव तत्

yad annaṃ pācayel lakṣmīr bhoktā ca puruṣottamaḥ
spṛṣṭāspṛṣṭaṃ na mantavyaṃ yathā viṣṇus tathaiva tat

Lakṣmī-devī herself cooks this food and Bhagavān Śrī Puruṣottama personally eats it. Therefore, it is improper to consider whether this mahā-prasāda has been touched by an unfit or unknown person. Just as the Supreme Lord Śrī Viṣṇu is worshipable and worthy of respect in all conditions, so His mahā-prasāda is honorable and worshipable in all situations.

It is stated in the Skanda Purāṇa (Vaiṣṇava-khaṇḍa 2.38.16):

चिर-स्थम् अपि संशुष्कं नीतं वा दूर-देशतः
यथा-यथोपभुक्तं सत् सर्व-पापापनोदनम्

cira-stham api saṃśuṣkaṃ nītaṃ vā dūra-deśataḥ
yathā-yathopabhuktaṃ sat sarva-pāpāpanodanam

By accepting even completely dry, stale mahā-prasāda prepared long before and brought from a distant land, all sins are very easily dissipated and one obtains bhakti.

It is stated in the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa:

अन्त्य-वर्णैर् हीन-वर्णैः सङ्कर-प्रभवैर् अपि
स्पृष्टं जगत्-पतेर् अन्नं भुक्तं सर्वाघ-नाशनम्

antya-varṇair hīna-varṇaiḥ saṅkara-prabhavair api
spṛṣṭaṃ jagat-pater annaṃ bhuktaṃ sarvāgha-nāśanam

Even if mahā-prasāda is touched by a low class person (antyaja), an outcaste (hīna-varṇa), or persons of mixed caste outside the four social divisions (varṇa-saṅkara), it never loses its potency. Rather by accepting that mahāprasāda, all types of sins are destroyed.

It is also stated in the Tattva-yāmala:

नास्ति तत्रैव राजेन्द्र स्पृष्टास्पृष्ट-विवेचनम्
यस्य संस्पृष्ट-मात्रेण यान्त्य् अमेध्याः पवित्रताम्

nāsti tatraiva rājendra spṛṣṭāspṛṣṭa-vivecanam
yasya saṃspṛṣṭa-mātreṇa yānty amedhyāḥ pavitratām

O King! When even the most impure person becomes sanctified by the touch of mahā-prasāda, how can mahāprasāda become contaminated by contact?

It is also stated in the Garuḍa Purāṇa:

न काल-नियमो विप्रा व्रते चान्द्रायणे यथा
प्राप्त-मात्रेण भुञ्जीत यदीच्छेन् मोक्षम् आत्मनः

na kāla-niyamo viprā vrate cāndrāyaṇe yathā
prāpta-mātreṇa bhuñjīta yadīcchen mokṣam ātmanaḥ

Persons desiring liberation should eat mahā-prasāda as soon as they receive it, abandoning all rules regarding time, observance of vows of austerity like the cāndrāyaṇa fast, etc.