[sv-rituals] Re: Before eating....
From the Bhakti List Archives
• June 27, 2002
--- In sv-rituals@y..., "krishnasusarla"wrote: > My grandparents often had a custom of sprinkling water around the > plate before beginning a meal. Then they would take small helpings > of the rice before beginning to eat in earnest. > > Can someone explain the significance of this custom, who is > eligible/required to perform it, and how exactly it is to be > performed? Also, is it to be performed before any meal, or just some? Krishna, This ritual is known as parisecanam (encircling with water) and the eating of the small helpings of rice is known as prANAhuti, offerings to the vital breaths. It is performed twice a day when rice is eaten. All other meals are considered "extra" or secondary (upabhojanam). I wrote some musings about this ritual in March of 2000. Here is an excerpt: There is actually philosophical significance to the parisecana and prANAhuti mantras. 1) Parisecana ------------- As Sri Vijayaraghavan has explained, after we sit down for our meal, we say the mantra: satyam tvartena parishincAmi (O Food! You are True. I encircle you with divine righteousness.) and we circumambulate our food with a sprinkling of water. This sprinkling of water is known as "parisecana". At night, this mantra is 'Rtam tvA satyena parishincAmi', transposing the 'Rtam' and 'satyam'. I am not sure of the exact philosophical details as to why Vaidikas do this particular part, but I can surmise one meaning from the mantra. "Satya" means that which is real or true. "Rta" is a notion of the Divine Law or moral principle. The term "Rta" is often found in the Rg Veda, and it is from this that the idea of "dharma" later evolved. >From this we can gather that the parisecana mantra is sort of a formulaic "protection" for the food we are about to eat. Practically, it does also serve to ward off insects, etc., and perhaps this is another reason why the ritual developed in this particular form. 2) prANAhuti -- the offering to the vital breaths ------------------------------------------------- The next step is the part of greater philosophical significance. Recall that in the Vedic tradition, every act eventually becomes an act of worship, an act of recognition of the pervasiveness of the Supreme Brahman and Its power. When we eat, we nourish our bodies. Food is therefore essential for bodily sustenance. Within our body is the "ana" or vital breath. The "ana" has five activities or "prANa-s". The five prANa-s represent the various bodily functions that are critical for survival. They are considered a manifestation of the power of the Supreme in the bodily plane. [ It is almost a universal cultural idiom to recognize breath as the vital force behind life. In English, when someone dies they are said to have "breathed their last". In Tamil, the word "ushir" or "uyir" can mean both breath or life. ] The idea is that by first making an offering to the prANa-s, we pay homage to their life-giving power by virtue of their performing the bodily activities that are crucial to our survival. In this way, this ritual recognizes that not only is food important to survival, but the very bodily functions that we take for granted are essential, and we owe all of this to the Supreme, who sits as the superintending power behind all bodily activity, no matter how mundane. The vital breaths or "prANa-s" are five in number. The latter four are derived from the first. They are: prANa -- the principal breath apAna -- responsible for excretory activity samAna -- responsible for digestive activity vyAna -- responsible for circulatory activity udAna -- respiratory activity This act of thanksgiving to God who through these bodily functions sustains life is done by saying the following mantras, and eating a little bit of rice and ney (ghee) without chewing it (because, after all, the food is an offering, not meant for personal consumption): om prANAya svAhA om apAnAya svAhA om vyAnAya svAhA om udAnAya svAhA om samAnAya svAhA om brahmaNi ma AtmA-amRtatvAya The last line means, "May my self be united in Brahman (the Supreme), so that I may attain immortality." Eating, then, is a profound act of worship which sustains the body so that we may further worship Brahman. There is also an implication that the swallowing of tasty food symbolizes the oblation of the individual self to God, so that God may, in a sense "eat" and "enjoy" us. Before and after eating the meal, water is sipped, once again with a mantra. The rishis of yore found this aspect of the ritual so important that they mention it in both of the largest Upanishads, the Brhadaranyaka and the Chhandogya, in virtually identical terms: Realized people, while eating, do as follows: before and after their meal, they "dress up" the prANa with water. The prANa receives clothing in this manner, and it does not remain naked. -- Chhandogya 5.2.2 & Brhadaranyaka 6.1.15 I am not quite sure why "clothing the prANa" with water is so important, but both Sankaracharya and Ramanujacharya write that meditation on prANa having water as its garments is very important. They seek to distinguish the meditation on this idea from the ritual, emphasizing that the meditation is what is recommended and not mere ritual. It does make some sense, however, from other angles. Water is a purifier, and drinking water before and after (Acamanam) is a purifier and sustainer of the body. Furthermore, the yoga shastras recommend that we eat food to fill only half our stomach; one half of the rest, i.e., one quarter of the stomach we should fill by drinking water. The rest should be air. This is supposed to be the ideal proportions for spiritual and bodily health. The mantras recited when sipping water before and after imply this as well: amRtopastaraNam asi -- Oh water! You are the seat of immortality. Since water is drunk before and after the food, perhaps this is a suggestion that to approach immortality, one should drink water to fill the stomach 1/4 way. But this is just a guess. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Free $5 Love Reading Risk Free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/3PCXaC/PfREAA/Ey.GAA/XUWolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -- SrImatE rAmAnujAya namaH -- Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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