254
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 8, Ch. 16]
TEXT 55
दक्षिणां गुरवे दद्यादत्त्विग्म्यश्च यथार्हतः। अन्नाद्येनाश्वपाकांश्च प्रीणयेत्समुपागतान् ॥५५॥
dakṣiṇām gurave dadyād ṛtvigbhyaś ca yathārhataḥ annādyenāśva-pākāṁś ca prīṇayet samupāgatān
dakṣiṇām —some contribution of money or gold;  gurave —unto the spiritual master;  dadyāt —one should give;  ṛtvigbhyaḥ ca —and to the priests engaged by the spiritual master;  yathā-arhataḥ —as far as possible;  anna-adyena —by distributing  prasāda ;  āśva-pākān —even to the  caṇḍālas , persons habituated to eating the flesh of dogs;  ca —also;  prīṇayet —one should please;  samupāgatān —because they have assembled there for the ceremony.
TRANSLATION
One should satisfy the spiritual master and assistant priests by giving them cloth, ornaments, cows and also some monetary contribution. And by distributing  prasāda  one should satisfy everyone assembled, including even the lowest of men, the  caṇḍālas  [eaters of dog flesh].
PURPORT
In the Vedic system,  prasāda  is distributed, as recommended here, without discrimination as to who may take the  prasāda . Regardless of whether one be a  brāhmaṇa ,  śūdra ,  vaiśya ,  kṣatriya , or even the lowest of men, a  caṇḍāla , he should be welcome to accept  prasāda . However, when the  caṇḍālas , the lower class or poorer class, are taking  prasāda , this does not mean that they have become Nārāyaṇa or Viṣṇu. Nārāyaṇa is situated in everyone's heart, but this does not mean Nārāyaṇa is a  caṇḍāla  or poor man. The Māyāvāda philosophy of accepting a poor man as Nārāyaṇa is the most envious and atheistic movement in Vedic culture. This mentality should be completely given up. Everyone should be given the opportunity to take  prasāda , but this does not mean that everyone has the right to become Nārāyaṇa.