WAVES 2018 conference presentation

1. Beyond Nourishment: A Vedic
Perspective on Food
Arushi Agrawal and Anukriti Singh 1

2. Overview
❏ Introduction
❏ Food in its Essence is Brahm(an)
❏ Hindu Practices: Offering Food to God
❏ Annapurna Devi
❏ Food and Self Control
❏ Charitable Aspect of Food
❏ Food and the Gunas
❏ Ethical Aspect of Food
❏ Food and Cleanliness
❏ Food and the Koshas
❏ Food as Prasad
❏ Conclusion
2http://bit.do/waves-2018-food-paper

3. Introduction
● Food in Hinduism is not treated merely as a physical substance needed for
bodily nourishment - like it is in Western thought
● The essence of food is viewed as Brahm(an)
● Divided into three types according to the three gunas (tendencies of the
mind, body, and consciousness)
● Hindu practices of offering food to God, food and self-control
● Food and purity, the koshas, and prasad
● Food and the mind are correlated
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4. Food in its Essence is Brahm(an)
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविब्रपह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् |
ब्रह्मैि तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकमपसममावनना ||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]
● Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (5.12) says that
food literally is not Brahm(an)
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5. Food in its Essence is Brahm(an)
अहं िैश्वानरो भूत्िा प्रावणनां देहमावित:|
प्राणार्ानसममायुक्त: र्चाम्यन्नं चतुविपनम् ||14||
“Having become Vaishvanara 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]
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6. Hindu Practices: Offering Food to God
यज्ञविष्टाविन: समन्तो मुच्यन्ते समिपवकवबिषै: |
भुञ्जते ते त्िघं र्ार्ा ये र्चन्त्यात्मकारणात् ||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 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 devotion.
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7. Annapurna Devi
Partial list where Annapurna
Devi is mentioned in the
Shastras:
● Rudrayamala
● Sivarahasya
● Annapurnamantratsava
● Kumara Sambhavam by
Kalidasa
● Devi Bhagavata
● Skanda Purana
● Annapurna Stotra book by
Adi Sankara
● Kumara Sambhava in
Telugu literature, by
Nannechola
Goddess for Food and Nourishment: Annapurna Devi
(Anna = food, Purna = complete). She is considered a form of Parvati herself.
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8. Charitable Aspect in Food
● In the Taittiriya Upanishad it is said, “Refuse not food to those who are
hungry. When you feed the hungry, you serve the Lord” [Easwaran 10.1]
● The following is a partial list of shastras where Anna-danam is highlighted
as an important part of one’s spiritual journey:
• Vishnu Dharamottara Purana
• Agni Purana
• Padma Purana
• Kurma Purana
• Nandi Purana
• Vayu Purana
● Tula-daan is a type of anna-danam in which a person’s weight is matched with
food grains which are then donated to the poor 8

9. Food and Self Control
अर्रे वनयताहारा: प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्ववत |
समिेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपवर्तकबमषा: ||30||
“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]
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10. Food and the Gunas
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11. Sattva
The following verse of the Gita describes food
liked by a Sattvic person:
आयु: सत्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिवववर्धना: |
रस्या: स्स्नग्र्ा: स्स्िरा हृद्या आहारा:
सास्त्वकवप्रया: ||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]
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12. Rajasic
The Gita describes food liked by Rajasic
people:
कट्िम्ललिणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूकक्षपविदावहन: |
आहारा राजसमस्येष्टा दु:खिोकामयप्रदा: ||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]
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13. Tamasic
Finally, Tamasic people like these kinds of
food:
यातयामं गतरसमं र्ूवत र्युपवषतं च यत् |
उवच्िष्टमवर् चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसमवप्रयम् ||10||
“Foods that are overcooked, stale, putrid,
polluted, and impure are dear to persons in
the mode of ignorance” [Bhagavad Gita
17.10]
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14. Ethical Aspect of Food
● Factors that affect the
consumer of food:
○ Adharmic means of
procurement or earning
money to pay for food
○ State of mind of the cook
● A story from the Mahabharat
about Bhishma and Draupadi
illustrates these points
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15. Food and Purity
• The Vedas advise people to
perform six sacrifices, offering
food every day to different
entities:
1. Ahuta
2. Huta
3. Prahuta
4. Bali
5. Brahmya-huta
6. Prasita
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16. Food and the
Koshas – inner to
outermost
1. anandamaya kosha
(bliss sheath)
2. jnanamaya kosha
(intellect sheath)
3. manomaya kosha
(mind sheath)
4. pranamaya kosha
(vital air sheath)
5. annamaya kosha
(food sheath)
These koshas are screens of
delusion which cover up
God
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17. Food as Prasad
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.
Prasad is also
served in the form of a
full meal, especially on
festival days.
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18. As we saw here, and is further elaborated in our written paper, Vedic
thought treats food as a lot more than just mere nourishment for the
physical body.
Food:
1. Is mentioned in its various aspects all over the Vedas
2. Is accorded a special status in the journey of man towards
Brahman
3. Has intrinsic gunas that invoke corresponding gunas in the eater
4. Has deep spiritual significance – has a Goddess dedicated to it.
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19. Beyond Nourishment: A Vedic Perspective on Food
by
Arushi Agrawal & Anukriti Singh
http://bit.do/waves-2018-food-paper