Bhagwan Shree Hari serves various types of items in meals to saints.
Suvrat said:-
O King, with Shri Hari‘s order, all the ascetics and sages washed their hands and feet and came quickly to have food. 1
O King, as instructed by Shri Hari, Muktanand made all the sages and others to get their appropriate seats. 2
The sages, who observed discipline while sitting in rows, while dining, the Brahmins wearing tight dhotis, served water to all of them. 3
Then the Lord ordered his attendants, and other hundreds of Brahmins to serve the food. 4
They first served the plates of leaves and then served bowls made of stiff leaves. Then they started serving vegetables in proper sequence. 5
Having taken a bath and wearing a silk dhoti, He also walked in the lines serving food to sages. 6
Some (people) who were serving food were not used to it, but only wise Muktanand started serving the food as he was expert in serving. 7
Brahmanand also immediately showed his skill to Hari, all the devotees started laughing at him. 8
Then as Mahanubhavanand started uttering the names of different food items in strange ways, all started laughing. 9
Nityanand and Shukanand served much skilfully; so Shri Hari and others praised them. Anandanand pleased Shri Hari and others by serving the food equally in all the lines with much expertise. 10-11
Blackish complexioned Swayamprakashanand, who was immersed devotedly in meditation served without any proper order. 12
Though very thin, Atmanand, with much skill in serving, quickly filled the bowls. 13
Mukundananda and other devotees started serving poories (roties) and other sweets as they wished to please Shri Hari. 14
All different food items and sweets were served in all the plates and bowls, without mixing in each other. 15
When Shri Hari saw that everything was served in all the plates, he asked all his devotees to start taking food. 16
O King, then with the consent of the Lord, and with mutual approval, all the sages and saints started to eat the food, praising the qualities of food many a times. 17
All the food was very delicious. As it was served in a sequence, it tasted more and more delicious. 18
As the men started serving Poories, ghee and other items again and again, the sages who were eating, started denying with hands and contradicting with them. 19
As with the denial and contradiction, when the men serving food started going back without serving, the Lord smiled and told them softly, ‘you should serve them, who are denying with the notes like ‘ha ha’ and ‘hu hu’; and to them who are denying with hand gesture and to them, who are denying by nodding their heads. You may not serve them only when they are denying by roaring like a lion’. 20-21
King, after listening these sages, started serving Laddus, looking like pearls, to all even to them, up to roaring like a lion. 22
O King, then the Lord himself got up eagerly, tightened His silk dhoti for serving the sages and pleased all his devotees. That was really an exceptional sight. 23
By understanding the Lord, who was serving the food and holding the serving bowls full of sweets and desserts in hand, the Brahmins started running behind Him and went near Him, in great confusion. 24
With great speed, He served two Laddus to each in every row. In this way, He fulfilled everyone’s wish of attaining His merciful grace (Prasadam) by going in every row. 25
All the men, who were serving, were watching Him with great astonishment as though He was not used to serving, He was doing it with great speed and expertise. 26
In this way, Hari served everyone and with a smile asked everyone to eat at ease, and as per their desire and then he washed His own hands. 27
Mukundananda, holding a pot of ghee and serving it liberally in the bowls of porridge, gave a smile to Hari. 28
Then with the understanding of Hari’s mind, holding high, the pot of sweets, he only asked everyone in loud voice. 29
O great sages, as per the order of the Lord, nobody should leave any food item in the plate, which is in the form of mercy of the Lord. 30
Then Brahmanand, showing much respect to the words uttered by (Muktanand), repeated the same to all who were eating. 31
With the fear of those words, (of Mukundanand) all of them, looking at each other timidly, slowly finished with their food completely. 32
Then the Lord served all the Brahmins rice, buttermilk, curry and plenty of ghee and pleased them all. 33
Very much contented with the food, they all took a little water for rinsing their mouth. The Lord then ordered them all, to return to their respective places. 34
O King, even though ordered by the Lord, the assemblies of sages were eager to see the Lord. So they stayed there itself till Shri Hari took His seat. 35
Thus ends the twentieth chapter entitled, ‘Narration of worship of the Ascetics,’ in the third prakaran of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra, (the rules of the code of conduct). 20