We say that Shri Krishna is Paramatma, Jains consider Vardhman Mahavir as Paramatma, Christians say, their God Jesus Christ is Paramatma, Muslims say Khuda is God. Who is real among all these? If there is one God, then how come there are so many Gods Shri Krishna, Vardhaman Mahavir, Jesus Christ and Khuda? I believe in Shri Krishna, but how can I explain this to my friends?

'Dharm' is not a topic to be discussed. It is a subject and question of faith. Every dharm accept one thing as a base. That is God. Call him Bhagwan, Paramatma, Ishwar, Khuda or God - They all are different names for Paramatma. Even in this world, one man can have many names, e.g. in your school register your name may be registered as Vishal, your friends may call you by another name, and yet in your house, you may be addressed by some other name. So different people call you by different name - but that does not change you. You remain the same. It is the same with God, which is why one of our devotee poets has written 'Hari tara nam che hazar, kaya name lakhvi kankotri-' God you have so many names, by which name does one should send you an invitation? In our hindu dharm, Shri Krishna alone has so many names, but that does not change Shri Krishna. Whichever name one has faith in and worships God by that name, is not a matter of argument or discussion. For us Shri Krishna is Paramatma and this is the faith we must have.

Jain dharm forbids edible bulbous roots. So jains do not eat potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots etc. because they are bulbous roots. They also do not eat radish, in our Hindu dharm thousands of years ago, our rishi-munis had laid down definite edible and inedible food. These sages have divided fruits, vegetables, cereals etc. into 2 categories. Many foods increase our sattvic nature. Some increase our rajas trait, while some increase our tamas nature. The food we eat forms our blood. That blood creates virility. This in turn provides strength and brilliant luster to all the body organs and the mind. Hence the nutritive nature and essentially good and bad qualities of the food that we eat, has a direct effect in our body, mind and intellect. The food which increase our satvik nature keeps our intellect and organs satvik. Our rajas food makes us more greedy and be merry. Tamas food increases our anger. We become quarrelsome, sometimes even violent. This is exactly why our rishi-munis have said, in order to keep our mind and body healthy, peaceful, pure and strong, to eat satvik food. Onions, garlic, carrots produce more tamas in us. Wateremelon, tomatoes, radish, mogri (kind of radish) also produce combined effect of rajas and tamas in us.

Therefore our rishi-munis have forbidden us to include these items in our meals.

Another reason is that onion, garlic and other such vegetables have an offensive odour, which is unbearable to others. Our Shri Thakorji is a small gentle child and such offensive smelling food can never be tasteful to Shri Thakorji. A 6-8 month child will eat sweets playfully, but he will not eat onion, garlic, carrot. This is why we don't offer these to Shri Thakorji. Potatoes do not contain any such quality, so they are used. Many people argue that doctors recommended onion, garlic and carrot, on the ground that they improve health and vitality. The doctors are right from their view point, but we are Vaishnavs, we are not living only for our health. We do not cook for ourselves, neither do we prepare what we find tasty. We live for Shri Thakorji. We eat the bhojan-meals that Shri Thakorji has eaten. Hence we do not use those items. In order to keep healthy, one can eat the innumerable vegetables which can also be served to Shri Thakorji. So onion, garlic and carrots can be avoided.

You are right on two scores. Both mantras contain Shri Krishna's name. Shri Mahaprabhuji has given first mantra; while the second one has been given by Shri Krishna Chaitnya. There is a whole shastra scripture only on mantras, because our Hindu dharm has many mantras. No one can do any jap as he pleases. If he does so, he will not get the fruit of the jap. Even by doing too many japs, one does not get any significant fruit. In order to do jap one must follow the rules. One must obtain mantra diksha from one's guru. A guru will give it according to one's capacity and that is enough. Then there is no need to do any other mantra's jap. Our guru is Shri Mahaprabhu Shri Vallabhacharya. He has given us 'Shri Krishna Sharnam Mama' this is the ashtakshar mantra. We have accepted that mantra and we wear a tulsi mala. So it becomes necessary for us to do the jap of that mantra. Those who have received the Hare Krishna mantra as may of jap of that mantra. Hence it is not necessary for them to do the ashtakshar mantra jap. This explains why we do the ashtakshar mantra jap in our homes and not the Hare Krishna Mantra.

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