10 The Nectar of Instruction

krsna bada dayamaya, karibare jihva jaya,
sva-prasdda-anna dila bhai

sei anndmrta khao, radha-krsna-guna gdo,
preme daka caitanya-nitai

*O Lord! This material body is a lump of ignorance, and the
senses are a network of paths leading to death. Somehow or
other we have fallen into the ocean of material sense enjoy-
ment, and of all the senses the tongue is the most voracious
and uncontrollable. It is very difficult to conquer the tongue
in this world, but You, dear Krsna, are very kind to us. You
have sent this nice prasdda to help us conquer the tongue;
therefore let us take this prasdda to our full satisfaction and
glorify Your Lordships Sri Sri Radha and Krsna and in love
call for the help of Lord Caitanya and Prabhu Nityananda.”’

There are six kinds of rasas (tastes), and if one is agitated
by any one of them, he becomes controlled by the urges of
the tongue. Some persons are attracted to the eating of meat,
fish, crabs, eggs and other things produced by semina and
blood and eaten in the form of dead bodies. Others are at-
tracted by eating vegetables, creepers, spinach or milk prod-
ucts, but all for the satisfaction of the tongue’s demands.
Such eating for sense gratification —including the use of ex-
tra quantities of spices like chili and tamarind—is to be
given up by Krsna conscious persons. The use of pan,
haritaki, betel nuts, various spices used in pan-making,
tobacco, LSD, marijuana, opium, liquor, coffee and tea is in-
dulged in to fulfill illicit demands. If we can practice accept-
ing only remnants of food offered to Krsna, it is possible to
get free from maya’s victimization. Vegetables, grains,
