WAVES 2018 conference paper

1. Beyond Nourishment: A Vedic Perspective on Food
Authors
Arushi Agrawal: Freshman, B.S. Candidate in Computer Science, ​University of Texas at Dallas
Anukriti Singh: Sophomore, B.A Candidate in Kinesiology, ​Rice University
A paper presented at the 13th International World Association for Vedic Studies Conference,
August 2-5, 2018 at Brookhaven College, Texas, USA
Abstract
Food in Hinduism is not just “any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink
or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth” (Oxford Dictionary). According to the
Vedic scriptures, food is beyond what is eaten through the mouth and digested by the body. In
Hinduism, food is understood to affect one’s thoughts, emotions, and mind, and food can lead to
God-realization. Food is sacred in Hindu culture and is considered a blessing of Goddess
Annapurna. According to Vedic literature it should be considered as prasad, or food blessed by
the Divine. A common event in Vedic life is called Anna-danam, wherein Hindus distribute food
to society as Narayan seva, or serving the Divine. Eating prasad that has been cooked and offered
with devotion to the Divine inclines the mind toward spirituality.
Food is classified into three types: sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic, according to its effect on
the mental state of a person. It is believed that the consciousness of the cook enters the food and
influences the mind of the eater. Food is further defined as not just what is physically eaten, but
as whatever the five senses receive, as well as every thought entering the mind.
In a discussion of food in Vedic culture, it is important to note that food is only a means
to an end. Food is essential to maintain the body, but its greater purpose is to facilitate
God-realization. We argue that food is not limited to its physical aspect in Hinduism; rather, it
includes mental, emotional, and spiritual facets as well. We will examine food in Hinduism,
beginning with Vedic literature and ending with current Hindu attitudes toward food.
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2. Introduction
In Hinduism and in the Vedas, food is treated not merely as a physical substance
necessary for the sustenance of the body, as it is in Western thought. Rather, in Vedic thought,
the essence of food is the perceptible form of the supreme Brahm(an). It is divided into three
types according to the three gunas (tendencies of the mind, body, and consciousness).
This paper will begin by exploring how various scriptures depict that the essence of food
is Brahm(an). Then, we will discuss Hindu practices of offering food to God, food and
self-control, and the gunas. Finally, we will examine food and purity, the koshas, and prasad.
Food in its essence is Brahm(an)
Bhagavad Gita
In Hindu scriptures, such as the Bhagavad Gita spoken by Sri Krishna, food is recognized
as the essence of the Supreme Brahm(an). A common prayer chanted before mealtime by Hindus
is the “​Bhram-arpanam Shloka​” from the fourth chapter of the Gita.
ापणं हिव ा ौ णा हुतम् | ैव तेन ग ं कमसमा धना ||24||
“The means of offering is Brahm(an). The oblation is Brahm(an), offered by Brahm(an) in the
fire that is Brahm(an). Indeed, Brahm(an) is to be reached by one who sees everything as
Brahm(an)” [​Bhagavad Gita​ 4.24]
Paramahamsa Yogananda interpreted this to mean that since the individual atman is not
different from Brahm(an), Brahm(an) is the giver and acceptor of all ​yajnas​ [Yogananda 477].
This verse is chanted before meals because the process of eating food is also considered a ​yajna​,
and feeding the power of God that is digesting it in the body is called ​vaishwanara agni.​ Thus,
Krishna says that Brahm(an) is the oblation of the food, the eater of the food, and the goal of this
inner ​yajna​.
A supplementary verse of the Gita is also chanted before meals:
अहं वै ानरो भू ा ा णन देहमा त: | ाणापानसमायु : पचा ं चतु वधम् ||14||
“Having become ​vaishwanara agni​, I exist in the body of living creatures. Going outward
(prana) and inward (apana), I digest food that is eaten in four ways” [​Bhagavad Gita​ 15.14]
The ​vaishwanara agni​ is the fire of digestion which corresponds to the ​manipura chakra
near the navel of the body [Hariharananda 117]. There are seven holy fires in the human body:
dakshina agni​ (fire of desire), ​grihapati agni​ (fire of passion), ​vaishwanara agni​ (fire of food
desire), ​ahavaniya agni ​(emotional fire), ​samidbhavanama agni ​(religious/creative fire), ​brahma
agni​ (soul-fire), and ​visvarupa-maha agni​ (all-pervading fire of Brahm(an)) [Hariharananda
387]. The ​vaishwanara agni ​works with prana and apana to digest foods in ​four ways:
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3. masticating (charvya), sucking (chosya), licking (lehya), and swallowing (peya) [Hariharananda
118]​. This ​vaishwanara agni​ comes from the ​purusa​ (Supreme Lord) by which food that is eaten
is digested [Kasmiri, ​Realization of the Ultimate Truth​]. Prana and apana (two of the five pranas)
are offerings to the fire of God within, so food is like fuel for our internal fire [Hariharananda
118].
Upanishads
According to the Upanishads, food is not literally the ​atman​, although in essence, they
are the same [Sivananda, ​Upanishads on Food​]. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad it is written
that “Some say that food is Brahm(an). This is not correct. For food rots without life (within)”
[​Brihadaranyaka Upanishad ​5.12]. Thus, it is incorrect to say that the food we literally eat is
Brahm(an). Rather, the essence of the food is Brahm(an).
The changing world of elements is a modification of the universal consciousness
(Brahm(an)) [Sivananda, ​Mind and Food​]. Since food is composed of these elements, it is not an
overstatement to say that food is that consciousness. Thus, the human body, too, is a form that
the all-pervading consciousness takes. Food, then, is the crucial connection in the equation
Atman = Brahm(an). Brahm(an) becomes the elements, plants, and finally food that forms the
bodies in which our limited self-consciousness resides. But that is not all that we are. Food
reminds us that Brahm(an) is within our bodies, and food is the pivot point where we can begin
looking to find our innermost, unrestricted Self [Janaka, ​Understanding Food Through the
Koshas​].
Hindu Practices: Offering Food to God
The Gita conveys that the proper method of eating food is to offer food to God before
eating:
य श ा शन: स ो मु े सविक षै: | भु जते ते घं पापा ये पच ा कारणात् ||13||
“The saintly persons get relief from all kinds of sins by partaking the food that has been first
offered to gods as ​yajna​.” [​Bhagavad Gita​ 3.13]
The import of this verse is that when one offers food to God before one eats, the act
becomes free of binding ​karma​ [Yogananda 324]. But, those who eat for their own enjoyment,
ignorant of God within, stay bound to the law of karma, and must return to the world through
reincarnation and suffering [Yogananda 324].
Hindus observe the principles of this verse by offering food to their personal gods or the
devatas​ before eating. The purpose of offering food to the deities and God is that it renders the
act of eating as a form of ​yajna​ and signifies the internalization of ​yajna,​ by making one’s body
an altar. Additionally, it is believed that offering food to God is a mark of self-surrender and
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4. devotion. One who eats food after offering it to gods or God will not come to any harm from
rajasic or tamasic substances hidden in the food, since they will be neutralized by the positive
energies and blessings of the ​devatas​ [​Hinduism and food​].
Annapurna Devi
Food is such an important aspect of Hinduism that there is a specific Goddess for food
and nourishment—Annapurna Devi (​Anna​ = food, ​Purna​ = complete) who is considered a form
of Parvati Devi herself. There is even an ​Annapurna Sahasranama​ dedicated to her and praises
her with a thousand names. Another mantra, ​Annapurna Shatanama Stotram​ praises her 108
names.
The following story related to Annapurna Devi illustrates the importance of respecting
food. Once, Bhagavan Shiva told Parvati that the world is illusory and food is also ​maya​ (cosmic
illusion). Parvati Devi got angry and said that she would depart with her power from the world.
However, then, all the living beings began to starve and cry for food. Seeing this, Bhagavan
Shiva learned his lesson. Mother Parvati, out of compassion, returned as Annapurna Devi and
started preparing food in Kashi. Shiva Bhagavan was the first person to come to her for food,
with a begging bowl outstretched. He repented, saying that he now understood that food cannot
be disregarded as​ maya ​[P. Arundhati 45]​.​ Until this day, the famous Annapurna Devi Mandir
exists in Kashi, along with the Vishwanath Mandir of Bhagavan Shiva.
Annapurna Devi is mentioned in many places in the ​Shastras and poetries.​ A partial list
follows:
● Rudrayamala
● Sivarahasya
● Annapurnamantratsava
● Kumara Sambhavam by Kalidasa
● Devi Bhagavata
● Skanda Purana
● Annapurna Stotra by Adi Sankara
● Kumara Sambhava in Telugu literature, by Nannechola
Food and Self Control
Controlling one’s diet is mentioned as a method to control the pranas in order to approach
God. In the Gita, it is said:
अपरे िनयताहारा: ाणा ाणेषु जु त | सवऽ ेते य िवदो य िपतक षा: ||30||
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5. “​Other devotees, by a scheme of proper diet, offer all the different kinds of prana and their
functions as oblations in the fire of the one common prana” [​Bhagavad Gita​ 4.30]
In this verse, Sri Krishna says that some devotees fast and strictly regulate their diet in
order to control the five pranas (​prana, apana, vyana, udana, and samana)​ and their functions to
recharge the body with health and energy [Yogananda 507]. As mentioned previously, two of the
five pranas come into play during digestion: ​Prana​ and ​Apana​ [​Bhagavad Gita​ 15.14]. ​Apana​ is
the air and fluid discharges from the two lower chakras of the body, ​samana​ is the digestive
breath of fire that transforms food into energy, ​vyana​ is the “mid” breath of air that controls
passion and anger, ​prana​ is the “out” breath of the water element, and ​udana​ is the spiritual “up”
breath of ether in the nostrils [Hariharananda 386]. Through this method, yogis become less
dependent on food for energy, making the five pranas more dependent on the Divine source for
energy. Eventually, growth and decay of the body slow down and the yogi gains life control and
realizes the ultimate essence of the body as ​prana​ [Yogananda 508].
The Taittiriya Upanishad also highlights how food should be taken in controlled amounts,
like medicine: “Food is the most important of all things for the body; therefore, it is the best
medicine for all the body’s ailments.” [​Taittiriya Upanishad​ 2.2]. Food should not be eaten with
passion and greed since it is simply a method to sustain the body [Sivananda, ​Upanishads on
Food​]. Thus, one should eat the minimum quantity to satisfy hunger and not indulge in greed to
satisfy the palate.
Charitable aspect of food
Charity in the form of sharing food with guests and the needy is mentioned in many
places in Vedic literature. The Rig Veda Hymn CXVII verses 1-7 has one of the earliest known
mention of charity in food.
Since time immemorial Hindus have made ​Anna-danam​ (​anna​ = food, ​danam​ =
donation/giving) an important part of their lives. ​Anna-danam​ is generally performed during
major life milestones, like the birth of a child, death of a family member, passing with good
grades, marriage, etc. In the Taittiriya Upanishad it is said, “Refuse not food to those who are
hungry. When you feed the hungry, you serve the Lord” [​Taittiriya Upanishad​ 10.1]. Thus, when
Hindus feed the needy, they do not just perform a charity service. Rather, they see the living
presence of God in the poor and consider that they are feeding God Himself. There are many
temples all over India dedicated solely to the Goddess Annapurna.
The following is a partial list of ​shastra​s where ​Anna-danam​ is highlighted as an
important part of one’s spiritual journey:
● Vishnu Dharamottara Purana
● Agni Purana
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6. ● Padma Purana
● Kurma Purana
● Nandi Purana
● Vayu Purana
Tula Daan - a variation of Anna-danam
A practice among Hindus, since the time of Sri Krishna until the present day is ​tula daan​,
in which a person’s weight is matched with grains and food, which will then be donated to needy
people. Sri Krishna had his own tula daan conducted. He had two principal queens, Rukmini and
Satyabhama, but Satyabhama was proud of her relationship with Krishna. When Krishna sat on
one end of the weighing scale, Satyabhama loaded the other with heaps of gold, emptying out the
treasury, but the scale did not move at all. Finally, she surrendered, and Rukmini put one tulsi
leaf, which immediately equaled the weight of Krishna, showing the power of her devotion.
Thus, until this day, people carry on this tradition on special occasions, by conducting tula daan
and donating food to the needy.
Food and the Gunas
The scriptures classify all food into three types: sattva, rajas and tamas. As is the person,
so is the food and vice versa. The existing gunas in a person attract him toward food with similar
gunas. Furthermore, the type of gunas in the food lead to the respective gunas in the person.
Thus, there is a cyclic relationship between the gunas of the food and the gunas of the person.
Those who are sattvic like sattvic foods like milk, fruits, grains and vegetables. The
Bhagavad Gita teaches that only juicy, soothing, wholesome, and agreeable foods should be
taken for one’s physical and spiritual well-being. Excessively bitter, sour, too salty, too hot,
pungent, dry and burning foods should be avoided; as should stale, tasteless, rotten and impure
foods [Bhaskarananda 61-62]. The following verse from the Gita describes food liked by a
sattvic person:
आयु:स बलारो सुख ी तिववधना: | र ा: ा: रा ा आहारा: सा कि या: ||8||
“Foods that promote life and longevity, vitality, virtue, intelligence, strength and vigor, health,
happiness, and satisfaction are juicy, soft, firm, pleasant to the stomach, and naturally agreeable.
These foods are dear to the good and spiritual person” [​Bhagavad Gita​ 17:8]
Sattvic diet was originally devised for the practice of Yoga and development of higher
consciousness [Frawley 189]. Sattvic diet means food rich in Prana (life-force) like organic fresh
fruit and vegetables. Sweet is the primary sattvic taste because it is nurturing and harmonizing,
reflecting the energy of love.
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7. The Gita describes food liked by rajasic people:
क लवणा ु ती ण िवदा हन: |आहारा राजस े ा दु:खशोकामय दा: ||9||
“Foods that are pungent, sour, salty, excessively hot, sharp, harsh, dry and burning, and cause
pain, grief, and disease are loved by rajasic people” [​Bhagavad Gita ​17.9]
Pungent, sour, and salty tastes are rajasic (stimulant-irritant) because they activate the
senses and make the mind extroverted [Frawley 190].
Finally, tamasic people like these kinds of food:
यातयामं गतरसं पू त पयुिषतं च यत् |उ मिप चामे ं भोजनं तामसि यम् ||10||
“Foods that are overcooked, stale, putrid, polluted, and impure are dear to persons in the mode of
ignorance” [​Bhagavad Gita​ 17.10]
Examples of this are old food, those that have lost their flavor or are putrid like meat,
fish, fowl, eggs, wine, alcohol. Bitter and astringent tastes are tamasic in the long term because
their effect is to deplete the vital fluids. Rajasic and tamasic foods disturb or dull the mind and
produce unrest and disease. Canned and artificial food tend to be tamasic [Frawley 194].
The three gunas are mainly psychological in nature [Frawley, ​Ayurveda and the Mind​].
For example, a rajasic person is more susceptible to ego-driven impulses, while a tamasic person
is likely to suffer from deeper emotional blockages. These make the doshas (the energies
believed to circulate in the body) hard to control as they can create attitudes that resist the change
in one’s diet.
Sattvic food activates the qualities of consciousness like love, clarity, and peace. Rajasic
food activates qualities like passion and agitation. Tamasic food activates qualities of
insensitivity, ignorance, and inertia. “Food, like all things in the universe, consists of the three
cosmic qualities of sattva (balance), rajas (agitation), and tamas (resistance)” [Frawley 190].
It should be noted that everyone has a mix of all three gunas in them, as per the Vedas. It
is the preponderance of one ​guna ​versus the others that determines the disposition of a person.
Ethical Aspect of Food
​Food procured through unethical/adharmic means is not considered sattvic. In cases
where the consumer is not able to verify the legitimacy of the procurement method, offering it as
prasad and asking for the Divine blessing before meals is a way to have the food 'cleansed' of all
impurities—known and unknown.
The Mahabharata, describes the effect of unethical procurement of food through the
following story. During the time of Bhishma’s departure from the earth, Yudhisthira asked
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8. Bhisma to discourse on Dharma and morality [Prajnananda 307]. After listening to Bhishma’s
brilliant exposition, Draupadi came to Bhishma and asked, “You are talking so nicely about
Dharma and morality now, but why did you not speak of this when you were living with the
Kauravas, and especially when they tried to disrobe me?” Bhishma replied, “Although I lived a
life of morality, one mistake I made was living with the Kauravas and eating their food. Through
eating their food, my mind got polluted, leading to my improper behavior. Now, at the time of
lying on a bed of arrows all of my blood has drained out and I am fasting, so my mind is pure.
Thus, I can expound on Dharma.” Through this story, it is apparent that the type of cook, the way
the money was earned to buy the food, and the place of eating, impact our minds.
Another, more recent story related to this topic comes from the life of Swami Rama
Tirtha [Prajnanananda 56]. Once, Swami Rama Tirtha stayed at a man’s house for a few days.
Suddenly, he felt the strong urge to read a newspaper, which he had never done since he was a
sannyasin​. After a few days, he found out that the house cook read a newspaper while cooking,
which lead to his urge of reading a newspaper. This story illustrates that the thought of the cook
enters the food and subsequently, the mind of the eater. This is also the reason why many Hindus
chant shlokas or bhajans while cooking.
Food and Purity
Devout Hindus observe some rituals before eating food, which are listed as follows
[​Annam or Food in Hinduism​]. The place where food will be eaten must be cleaned, since the
Smritis​ proscribe eating food in unclean places. When food is served, water should be sprinkled
around it, accompanied by some mantras or prayers. This is meant to purify the food and make it
worthy for the gods. Some water is also sipped following this act, in order to clear the throat.
Food is then offered to five ​pranas ​mentally​ ​(​prana, apana, vyana, udana, samana​) and then to
Brahm(an) seated in the heart.
In addition to these, the Vedas advise people to perform five sacrifices, offering food
every day to different entities. These entities are: ​Ahuta​ (not offered to the fire but with Vedic
mantras instead), ​Huta​ (burned oblation offered to the gods), ​Prahuta​ (food grains offered by
scattering on the ground), ​Bali ​(sacrificial offering given to the ​Bhutas​ or ghosts), ​Brahmya-huta
(food offered to the digestive fires of Brahmins and house-guests), and ​Prasita ​(offered to
ancestors) [​Hinduism and Food​].
In ancient India, young students who were initiated into Brahmacharya were expected to
beg for their food and then cook it themselves. Cooking food is prohibited for those who have
entered Sannyas. While self-mortification was not suggested, they were expected to gradually
reduce their dependence on food in order to set themselves free from the cravings of the body
and the mind.
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9. Food and the ​Koshas
Everybody is encased in one or more of the five ​koshas​ (sheaths) which, in order of
decreasing​ subtlety, are: ​anandamaya kosha ​(bliss sheath), ​jnanamaya​ kosha (intellect sheath),
manomaya​ kosha (mind sheath), ​pranamaya kosha ​(vital air sheath), and ​annamaya kosha​ (food
sheath) [Yogananda 106]. These​ koshas ​are screens of delusion which cover up God. The
annamaya kosha​ is the outermost ​kosha ​of the five.
In Sanskrit, ‘​annam​’ means food and ‘​maya​’ means modifications [Sethumadhavan, ​The
Upanishads​]. When we identify with the body, saying we are strong, hungry, or feeling cold, we
are identifying with the ​annamaya kosha​. Since the body exists as a result of the food a person
ingests, the body is called ​annamaya​. The journey of life starts with ​annamaya kosha​ (sheath of
food or gross body) but one should ideally dissolve all the koshas to experience the ​atman​ that
alone remains.
Food and its Parts
The Chandogya Upanishad states that all the food we eat are apportioned into three parts
by the ​vaishwanara​ ​agni ​in the body: “​Annam asitam tredha vidhiyate, tasya yah sthavistho
dhatus tat purisam bhavati, yo madhyamas tan mamsam, yo'nisthas tan manah​” [​Chandogya
Upanishad​ 6.5.1]. The grossest part has a physical quality, which appeals to our taste buds, and
becomes waste during the process of digestion [Krishnananda, ​The Chhandogya Upanishad​].
The middle part is what caters to nutrition and the well-being of one’s physical self by absorbing
into the flesh. This part corresponds to what is considered healthy in modern science. The final
part is the subtlest part, which is the vibration that is produced by the food. This part influences
the subtle body which is made of the mind and ​prana​ (life force).
Food as ​Prasad
Usually received after visiting temples or doing ​puja​, ​prasad​ is another important aspect
of food in Hinduism. The food that is offered to God is called ​prasad​. Such ​prasad​ not only
gives energy to our body, but also gives nourishment to our mind.The food offered to deities
with ​mantras​ becomes ​prasad​ and is believed to bestow religious merit on the consumer,
purifying their body, mind, and spirit. Temple cooks are usually brahmins, who follow strict
standards of personal cleanliness to maintain the purity of ​prasad​. Eating ​prasad​ that has been
cooked and offered with devotion also inclines the mind towards spirituality [​Food and
Prasada​]. The ​prasad​ that has been on a temple altar is especially sacred and is handed out to
worshippers before leaving the temple. ​Prasad​ is also served in the form of a full meal,
especially on festival days. Many Hindus have an altar at home and offer their food before eating
and receive it as ​prasad​.
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10. Conclusion
In Hinduism, food is not merely a substance that is consumed purely for nourishment of
the physical body, as is viewed by Western thought. Rather, it has profound consequences on the
physical, mental, and spiritual faculties of a person. Spiritually, food in its essence is considered
as a form of the Supreme ​Brahm(an)​. Food is divided into three types (sattvic, rajasic, and
tamasic) according to its effect on the mind. The mind of the cook and ethics of the procurement
of food also affect food. Charity, such as ​Anna-danam,​ is a physical duty prescribed to Hindus
regarding food. Purity is also essential to make food fit as an offering to the Divine, and also fit
to be received by people as ​prasad​.
The multifaceted view on food taken by Hinduism stems from Vedic literature that is in
some cases more than seven millennia old, and other aspects are a matter for further research and
discussion.
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