Will Krishna accept if we use Packet Milk for abhishek & Pujas?
A Girl devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna. Should we use Packet dairy milks for deity Abhishek?”
REPLY:
I know that many private milk brands make the milk strong by adding milk powders, fat, cream, etc.
So, they are not original milk. Though they add only the permitted ingredients, they are not suitable for using in Pujas / Abishek.
You can find the quality of a milk brand by seeing the quality of the curd. If the curd sets like a cake, it is not pure milk. It has extra additives.
I think that the government coop societies clearly mention if they add cream, fat, etc in milk. They have different colours of milk packets to differentiate pure milk and creamed milk of different standards.
In most of the Govt Co-op milk societies, they have a brand that has no additives and less fat content.
Let it be. let us come to your question of using Packet milk in Pujas.
It depends on whether there are individual suppliers of the cow’s milk in your area.
In my area, I buy milk from an individual milkman who is supplying cow’s milk within an hour after it was drawn by him from the cow he is maintaining.
(Why milk is allowed, egg is not though both have animal sources? READ HERE!)
He is supplying Cow’s milk for the past three decades.
His cost is slightly higher than the Packet milk supplied by the Government Coop Societies and Private brands in different states of India.
He says the reason that Cow usually gives less milk than buffalo that increases its cost.
Yes, we can’t expect that the government or private societies supply only cow’s milk in the packets. It may have the mix of buffalo’s milk and cow’s milk. However, we should atleast ensure that no prohibited contents are not added to the milk.
These individual milkmen are not available in all areas though they are available in most of the areas.
In the cities and flats life, it is not possible to own and maintain the cows.
So, No other way. We have to use the best available resource in our area.
If you can buy cow’s milk supplied by any milkman, buy it. There are many milkmen who maintain cows in their houses and sell cow’s milk.
If not available, search whether any Government or Private brand claim that they sell only Cow’s milk and if available, buy it.
We need to just trust. No other way. If they add buffalo’s milk to the cow’s milk and sell as pure cow’s milk, it is their karma, not ours.
Moreover, though you buy a packet milk that claims as the Cow’s milk, they might have added some extra vegetable fats in that milk to keep the fat content to the optimum level.
(Who are our Seven mothers? Why cow is a mother and given importance? READ HERE!)
Or, most of the brands add Milk powder and cream to the milk to make it strong.
So, we can’t ascertain whether we are using pure milk.
If they sell milk, they should sell only pure milk without any additives.
If they add any products to the pure milk, it is their karma.
We will get pardon because we use that milk with no other way.
So, my advice is that you should use the best available in your area.
In general, it is better to buy from individual milkmen who sell cow’s milk. If it is not possible, you can consider Government owned brands.
If your state government does not sell milk, consider the most reliable private brands.
What else we can do?
Krishna is our best friend and He sees only the love with which we offer anything to Him.
We have no other way than using Packet Milk for abhishek to the deities and Pujas if no other good choices are available.
Krishna will understand. Don’t worry.
(Should we avoid cow’s milk since Cows are exploited commercially? READ HERE!)