Prasang 94

“I do not need any other taste”

Mahant Swami Maharaj’s meals are completely devoid of taste—no salt, no spices. For years, he has eaten only boiled food, without pepper or seasoning, and the same meal every day. There has been no variety in his diet for decades!

In the year 2000, a group of balaks and kishores from North America visited India on a spiritual journey. During their visit, they saw Mahant Swami Maharaj eating in Bochāsan. Curiously, the children asked, “What are you eating?”

Swamishri pointed toward his pattar (wooden bowl) and asked, “Would you like to taste it?”

The children were delighted, expecting to experience something delicious. Swamishri took a small portion of parvalnu shāk (pointed gourd curry) from his plate and gave it to one of the balaks on a spoon.

Excitedly, the child took a bite, but the moment it touched his tongue, he spat it out, blurting out, “Thoo… Thoo…!” The shāk was completely tasteless!

Shocked, the balak asked, “How do you enjoy eating something so utterly flavorless?” With enthusiasm, Mahant Swami Maharaj replied, “I have had the joy of meeting Yogi Bapa and Pramukh Swami Maharaj. That itself is enough—I do not need any other taste.”

Most people seek variety in food, but Mahant Swami Maharaj never even thinks about it. He never makes requests or complaints. His meals follow a strict routine—same food, same portion, same order, every day. Through Mahant Swami Maharaj, we witness true detachment from taste, because his joy does not come from food, but from Bhagwān. He eats only to sustain the body, but his true nourishment comes from devotion to Bhagwān’s murti.