Guru engages disciples in preparing, offering, distributing prasada

[Bhakti Vikasa Swami]

Following in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, a Vaisnava should be
fully satisfied simply to see a variety of food offered to the Deity of
Jagannatha or Radha-Krsna. A Vaisnava should not hunger for a variety of food
for his own sake; rather, his satisfaction is in seeing various foods being
offered to the Deity. In his Gurv-astaka, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
writes:
catur-vidha-sri-bhagavat-prasada-
svadv-anna-trptan hari-bhakta-sanghan
krtvaiva trptim bhajatah sadaiva
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
"The spiritual master is always offering Krsna four kinds of delicious food
(analyzed as that which is licked, chewed, drunk and sucked). When the
spiritual master sees that the devotees are satisfied by eating
bhagavat-prasada, he is satisfied. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the
lotus feet of such a spiritual master."
The spiritual master's duty is to engage his disciples in preparing varieties
of nice food to offer the Deity. After being offered, this food is distributed
as prasada to the devotees. These activities satisfy the spiritual master,
although he himself does not eat or require such a variety of prasada. By
seeing to the offering and distribution of prasada, he himself is encouraged in
devotional service.
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Srila Prabhupada's purport to
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 14.36