FOOD

IN
HINDUISM

A concise discussion on food in Sanatana Dharma

MRUDUL MOHAN
193901392
INTRODUCTION
े ामे पाणौ मसृणकवलं त फला य लीषु ।
ब े णुं जठरपटयोः शृ वे े च क व
त म ये वप रसु दो हासयन् नम भः वैः वग लोके मष त बुभुजे य भु बालके लः ॥

Hindusim is the religion of the people of the Indian subcontinent. And

with a terrain this diverse and wide, it is natural to expect varied
cultures; especially that relating to food. Almost all religious practices of
this region springs forth from the Veda; the primordial source of
practices, rules of living, and theology. And food occupies a role central
to life, and is thus given due importance in Hinduism over several layers
of understanding.

The above verse from Srimad Bhagavata Mahapuranam explains how

Sri Krishna appears to dine with his cowherd friends, tucking in his flute
in his loin cloth and clasping his horn and stick under his arm and with a
ball of curd rice in his left hand and preserved fruits in his fingers on his
right, laughing and giggling seated in between his dear friends, which
makes even the celestials watch in wonder.

This verse has been selected simply to show how food is not only a
source of nourishment as regarded by some but a source of pleasure
and social interaction too. It is also to show that rigid rules like being
permitted to eat with just the right hand were not always that rigid!

To cover the voluminous topic of food in Hinduism is simply not

possible in a single concise discussion such as this, but the following
would be my best effort at bringing out certain nuances of the topic
that are not often showcased.
 THE VEDA
Several verses from the four vedas give us details of the food culture in
the vedic period.

This is the 4th Anuvaka of the Rudra Chamakam, which is from the 4th
Kanda of the Taittiriya Samhita, which appears in the Krishna Yajurveda.
This entire Anuvaka is a prayer for several auspicious things starting
with food, milk, sweet juices, hospitality, ghee, honey, good company to
partake food and beverages, successful harvests with good yields,
timely and sufficient rains, progeny, cereals, millet, corn, undiminished
stocks of food, chance to never experience hunger, nourishment,
paddy, barley, black gram, sesame, green gram, castor, wheat, Bengal
gram, millets and seeds from the forests.

The Veda is the oldest texts in Hinduism with every other religious text
making references to it. And from the aforementioned list of food, we
can infer that these were the commonly eaten food in that period.
it is also interesting to note the mention of wheat, which is often
thought to be brought into India much later.
There are other sections of the veda dedicated to dining too.
All vedapathashalas and people who follow the vedas strictly, have an
elaborate ritual before and after every meal. There is a Vaishvadeva
ritual conducted before every lunch too.
The following mantras are significant during a meal-

Trisuparna Mantra
This is recited by all the members who have been seated to dine during the
Bhojana.

Praanahuti Mantra
This Mantra is the parent of the Pariseshanam ritual followed before eating. It
talks about the PanchaVayu and symbolically nourishes it by swallowing grains of
rice and by sipping water.

Bhuktaan Naabhi Mantrana Mantra

This is recited after completion of the meal before the person leaves the seat.

Bhojanaante Aatmanu Sandhaana Mantra

This is recited after one has washed their hands, mouth and feet after a meal and
while pouring water on their right toe, contemplating on identifying oneself with
the supreme.

Avayavasvasthataa Prarthana Mantra

This is recited after a person consumes their meal in gratitude of restoring energy
of their limbs and sense organs which have become powerless after the long
period that intervened after the previous meal.

These are a set of Mantras that are ritualistically recited each day along with
corresponding actions. The meaning of these Mantras are mostly
philosophical in nature, and to display gratitude to God who has made it
possible for the person to dine once again.
Some of these like the Trisuparna Mantra is designed such that everyone
will begin to eat together and it also develops a sense of control in the
person.
 RAMAYANA
त हंसाः लवाः ौ चाः कुररा ैव राघव॥
व गु वना वकूज त प ास ललगोचराः।

नो ज ते नरा ् वा वध याको वदा शुभाः॥

घृत प डोपमान् ूलां ता जा भ य यथः।
Moving in the waters of Pampa you will see swans,
ducks, Krauncha birds and curlews cackling and
cooing, O Son of the Raghus.

Not knowing that they may be killed, the innocent

creatures will not be scared of human beings. Both
of you can kill and eat the fat birds comparable to
balls of ghee.

SrimaValmiki Ramayanam, Aranya Kandam, Sarga 73, Shloka 12- 14

Food is discussed over several

scattered shlokas in the Ramayana
and Mahabharata.
It was common for the Kshatriyas to consume meat, especially while
in the forest. Although debated, several shlokas in the Ramayana
discuss eating meat of birds, deer, boar, fish and crustaceans.

Rama is not eating meat, nor drinking

न मांसं राघवो भुङ े न चाऽ प मधु सेवते। wine. He takes only the one fifth of a
व यं सु व हतं न यं भ म ा त प चमम्॥ meal (sanctioned for an ascetic)
available in the forest.
SrimaValmiki Ramayanam, SundaraKandam, Sarga 36, Shloka 41

This shloka is said to Sita by Hanuman when she inquires about

Rama's wellbeing. It shows that consuming meat and alcohol was
common, but a matter of luxury.

The following list of shlokas give a little more details on the food in
the Ramayana.

रो हता व तु डां नडमीनां राघव॥
प ाया मषु भम यां त राम वरा हतान्।
न व प ानय त तानकृशानेकक टका त॥
व भ या समायु ो ल मण स दा य त।
SrimaValmiki Ramayanam, Aranya Kandam, Sarga 73, Shloka 14-16
मृगाणां म हषाणां च वराहाणां च भागशः॥
त य ता न मांसा न पानभूमौ ददश सः।
रौ मेषु च वशालेषु भाजने वधभ तान्॥
ददश ह रशा लो मयूरान् कु कुटां तथा।
वराहवा ाणसकान् द धसौवचलायुतान्॥
श यान् मृगमयूरां हनुमान ववै त।
करा व वधान् स ां कोरानधभ तान्॥
म हषानेकश यां छागां कृत न तान्।
ले ानु ावचा पेयान् भो या न व वधा न च॥
तथाऽऽ ललवणो ंसै व वधैरागषाडबैः।
हारनूपुरकेयूरैरप व ै महाधनैः॥
पानभाजन व तैः फलै
कृतपु पोपहारा भूर धकं पु य त
ब कारै व वधैवरसं कारसं कृतैः।
मांसैः कुशलस ृ ै ः पानभू मगतैः पृथक्॥
द ाः स ा व वधाः सुराः कृतसुरा अ प।
शकराऽसवमा वीकपु पासवफलासवाः॥
वासचूण व वधैमृ ा तै तैः पृथक् पृथक्।
सोऽप य ातकु ा न सीधोमलाम णमया न च।
राजता न च पूणा न भाजना न महाक पः॥
SrimaValmiki Ramayanam, SundaraKandam, Sarga 11, Shloka 11-23
O Rama, scion of the Raghu dynasty
there at Pampa, by shooting an arrow
at the choicest fishes with a single bone,
prawns and big fishes, crookedfaced
fishes, fishes without scales and fins,
baked on iron skewers and cooked will
be offered to you by faithful Lakshmana.
There at the drinking hall the meat of deer,
buffaloes and boars portioned and placed.
The tiger among Vanaras also saw there
meat of peacocks and chicken placed in
large golden vessels, some half eaten.
Hanuman saw the meat of pigs and jungle
fowls, deer, peacocks and bones marinated
with yoghurt and special kinds of salt. He
saw several kinds of (nonvegetarian) food
like cooked meat of fowls, ruddy geese,
buffaloes, goats, fishes as well as food for
licking.The banquet hall looked splendid
with food seasoned with salt and sour
ingredients. There was Ragashadavas; syrup
made with grapes, pomegranates, different
juices like half ripe mangoes and seasoned
with ginger cardomom, butter etc. Heavy
chains, anklets and shouldersstraps were
thrown aside. (The people relaxed while
eating and drinking and discarded heavy
ornaments). Many glasses were found
व वधैर प। scattered or drinks spilt on the floor after
use. Many fruits and flowers were kept.
यम्॥ In the banquet hall there were many types
of meat arranged in a number of ways. They
were cooked by experts by seasoning them
with choicest ingredients. There were many
types of wonderful and pleasing wine
extracted from sugarcane, honey , fruits and
flowers. They were good and fermented and
made delicious by seasoning with aromatic
spices. Hanuman saw the best of wines in
large quantities kept in silver and pure gold
pots.
ADVENT OF VEGETARIANISM
Although almost all the Veda, Itihasa (Ramayana & Mahabharata),
Mahapuranas and Upaveda (Ayurveda) have mentions of meat eating
and consumption of alcohol, it was always recommended to only those
who need it, while the scholarly class refrained from it (there are
exceptions, obviously!). All these texts prescribed these only for that
Yuga or era and recommended a vegetarian diet for Kaliyuga.

Namazhwar, the foremost among the Azhwars

The major influences on Hinduism, which led to the wide acceptance

of a strictly vegetarian diet were - Jainism and the Bhakti Movement.

Jaina philosophy has Ahimsa as one of its foremost qualities and it has
very strict rules on food. This played an important role in shifting the
mass to a vegetarian diet, especially in Western India.
कलौ खलु भ व य त नारायणपरायणा:। In the age of Kali, there will be many
devotees of the Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa.
व चत् व च महाराज वडेषु च भू रश:॥ These devotees will appear in various
ता पण नद य कृतमाला पय वनी। places but will be especially numerous in
South India. They will appear on the banks
कावेरी च महापु या तीची च महानद ॥ of Tamraparani, Vaigai, Palar, Kaveri, and
Periyar Rivers.
Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 11, Chapter 5, Shloka 38-39

This is a prophecy from the Bhagavata Mahapuranam, which predicts

the appearance of the Azhwars. The Azhwars sowed the seeds of
Bhakti in India, which spread the concepts of love and devotion
towards God and carried along with it concepts like Ahimsa and
vegetarianism.

This further gave rise to or largely influenced most of the existing

Sampradayas, such as Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya of Ramanujaacharya,
Madhwa Sampradaya, Shankara Sampradaya, Gaudiya Sampradaya of
which ISKCON is a part of, Pushti Marg of Vallabhacharya,
Swaminarayan Sampradaya among others; all of which have deep
rooted relationship with vegetarianism and are against consumption of
meat.

The commonly stated reasons for not eating meat include- Ahimsa or
non violence, by which it is considered a sin to to kill just for the sake
of food, while the other major reason is to increase the Sathwa guna in
oneself.
These are three shlokas from Srimad Bhagavadgita which says-

Food dear to those in the mode of goodness increase life, purify one's existence and give
strength, energy, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy, fatty, wholesome,
and pleasing to the heart - Sathwik Food

Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty , hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in
the mode of passion. Such food cause distress, misery and disease - Rajasik Food

Food prepared more than three hours before being eaten, food that is tasteless, decomposed,
putrid, rancid or heavily fermented and food consisting of remnants of untouchable things is
dear to those in the mode of darkness - Tamasik Food

Several other books authored later are also considered as Pramanam

(authoritative) when it comes to food. One such book is Swami
Vedanta Desikan's Tamil book on food - Aaharaniyamam

It covers a vast list of foods that need to be avoided permanently and

those that are prohibited on certain days or times or conditions, for
example; it says not to consume sesame at night, which is well
understood as this causes discomfort.
This book not only deals with food restrictions and practices but also
emphasises on humane practices and gives extreme attention to
hygiene and health.

Among other things, this Pasuram (verse) from Aaharaniyamam also

tells-

That milk, which is obtained from cows with twin calves, cows without calves (not
present while milking/deceased calves), pregnant cows, cows milked using the calf of
another cow, or milked before its calf has been well fed, is unfit for consumption.

This is again, a food restriction based on humane food practices.

Several other rules of food is provided in this book, based on which
traditional Srivaishnavas have sculpted their food culture.

Similar restrictions and rules are followed by all Hindus to some

extent. Every temple, especially the Vaishnava ones, throughout India
offer only Sathwik food, with some like the Puri Jagannath Temple
having restrictions on any foreign food, like okra, potatoes, tomatoes,
chillies, etc, even if some of them are considered Sathwik.

All these factors have birthed our present Indian cusine, which even if
independent of religion, will still bear the sweet marks of it forever.
 CONCLUSION
Food is the fuel to life. Food observes a central role in the growth of an
individual and a society. Every festival, every gathering has food and a
table full of people at its heart.

Sanatana Dharma gives a spectrum of understanding to food, from

considering it a source of nutrition only, by which yogic sages and mystics
barely consume food in order to rid of bondage, like the child Dhruva
who eventually consumed no food, fully absorbed in the Supreme God;
while the other end of the spectrum is that of feeding the same Supreme
God, with so much food that is humanely not possible for one to eat,
while the same God also tells that it is the love in feeding that is
important and not the food itself, proving once again that it is impossible
to separate food from love.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
Bhagavatam Shloka

THE VEDA
Chamakam
Other Mantras

RAMAYANAM
Aranya Kandam

Sundara Kandam

VEGETARIANISM

History of Vegetarianism

Bhakti Movement

Bhagavatam Shloka

Azhwars

Bhagavadgita Shlokas

Aaharaniyamam text

Aaharaniyamam Translation

Aaharaniyamam Translation 2