Pt. Shri. Vedavyasacharya
Food / Eating
Elders say that while eating, one should not leave ghee on the leaf (plate). Why should it not be left? Is there any scriptural authority for this? We should understand it in this way.
Ghee has Goddess Lakshmi as its presiding deity (abhimana devata). There is a special divine presence of Lakshmi Devi in ghee. Vadiraja Tirtha, in his stotra Sri Shagunadarpana Stotra, refers to Lakshmi Devi as “Ghrita-pratika,” meaning that ghee itself represents her form.
Since ghee is a symbol of Lakshmi Devi, just as the Lord does not accept naivedya without placing Tulasi leaves, similarly naivedya should not be offered without performing abhigara (adding ghee). One should обязательно add ghee before offering the food as naivedya.
Because Lakshmi Devi has a special presence in ghee, it should be fully consumed and not left over. The scripture says:
“Sarvam sashesham ashniyat, nishesham ghrita-payasam.”
This means that ghee and payasa (sweet pudding) should be consumed completely without leaving any remainder, because both contain the special presence of Lakshmi Devi.
If they are left uneaten, it is considered disrespectful to Lakshmi Devi. Therefore, ghee and payasa should always be accepted and consumed completely.
