(“favor”) Prasad is food or drink that is presented to a god as part of routine worship and then distributed to worshippers as a sign of the deity's favor after being sanctified by the deity's power.
The god is said to have "consumed" a portion of
the food offering during this procedure, and therefore "imprinted"
the meal with its essence, in accord with ordinary conceptions about the
contaminating power of saliva.
This material is presented to devo ants (bhakta) as a
representation of the deity's favor since it has been "charged" with
divine presence, and devotees drink it in the belief that it sanctifies them.
Prasad is regarded differently than normal food because of
its religious qualities: it cannot be denied and can never be thrown away.
If you can't eat it, the best way to get rid of it is to
give it to a cow.
Also see jutha.
