Consecrated food. (Glossary for the Vahinis)

By offering food to ‘Brahman’ it becomes the ‘Prasada’.

aham vaisvanaro bhutva

praninam deham asritah

pranapana-samayuktah
pacamy annam catur-vidham

The purpose of our thinking of the l4th verse in l5th Chapter of the Gita is to get success in the worldly matters and to get over the obstacles in the matter of pursuing a spiritual path. Here, the food we eat determines in many ways what we are going to get in future for ourselves. The food we eat will determine the type of ideas that sprout in us. While taking our food, if we use exciting words, ideas which are related to these exciting words will sprout in us also. The lesson we should learn is that when we take a bath, when we sit for dhyana, or when we take our food, we should not think of other activities and other ideas. Too much talk while we take our food will also cause harm to us. We should not give room to any kind of talk when we take our food. With a happy heart and with a sacred word, we must undertake to utter this particular verse and then take our food. In this way, whatever has been offered to ‘Brahman’ will become the ‘Prasada’, which comes to us as a gift of Brahman.

The meaning of the verse is that God Himself, who is in a human form in you, is taking the food. Therefore, this changes our food into food for God. While taking food, we should not be excited and we should not get into passion but we should eat very peacefully. Even if we cannot perform ‘Japa’ or ‘Yagas’, at least if we take care to see that we eat in this manner, we will develop good ideas. The nature of the fire will determine the type of smoke that comes out. The kind of smoke that comes out will determine the type of cloud that it forms. The type of cloud that is formed will determine the type of rain which the cloud yields. The type of rain determines the harvest. The kind of harvest determines the food that we get out of it. The kind of food we eat will determine our ideas. For all our ideas, it is our food that is responsible. If we eat ‘Sattvika’ food, sitting in a clean place, we will have clean ideas by eating that food.

There will thus be a good possibility of our getting spiritual ideas. In the matter of food, there are three aspects in which we should take great care as regarding its cleanliness One is the cleanliness of the pot in which we want to cook the food. We can certainly clean the materials which constitute the food and also clean the pot in which it is cooked. The third aspect relates to the cleanliness of the process of cooking. This is not easily possible. Until the material is completely cooked, our ideas should be good. Even if there are lapses in these aspects of cleanliness, namely the pot, the materials, used in the cooking, and the process of cooking, if we offer the food to Paramatma before we eat, then the food becomes clean. By thus offering to the Lord the food that we eat, we introduce these different kinds of cleanliness, and so our ancestors have told us that these are the steps which we must observe regarding our food. Unfortunately, today when one is hungry, one does not care about what he eats, or in what hotel he eats, or what kind of food he eats. He eats anything.

Selfishness is growing while selflessness and help to others is diminishing. The heart is becoming harsher and harsher. Intelligence is on the rise but good qualities are diminishing. Thus all the agitation and lack of peace in the world may be traced to our food habits.

You may be hungry. In spite of your hunger, you must make an attempt to find a clean place and clean food to eat. When such clean food is available, you must first offer it to God and then eat it. Wherever you may go, when you take your food, you should remember the following three verses, utter them while offering the food to God and then take the food. Recite them and become worthy citizens of Bharat.

brahmarpanam brahma havir

brahmagnau brahmana hutam

brahmaiva tena gantavyam

brahma-karma-samadhina

(Bhagavad Gita 4:24)

aham vaisvanaro bhutva

praninam deham asritah

pranapana-samayuktah
pacamy annam catur-vidham

(Bhagavad Gita l5:l4)

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
Om Asato Maa Sad Gamaya |

Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya |

Mrtyor-Maa Amrtam Gamaya |

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantih.

(SSB 1977)