BHOJANA MANTRA
(SPIRITUAL FASTING)
Spiritual discipline is indispensable for the
attainment of Self-knowledge. But the case of men of adament faith is different;
they get at this knowledge very easily.
The Gopis returning home once found no boatman to ferry them across the river Yamuna to Brindavan. The perplexed milkmaids presented their plight to the sage Vyasa, who had also arrived there just then with the same intent. " Be not worried on this score; I shall lead you all to the other bank. But give me something first to appease my hunger," said the sage. Cream, butter and condensed milk were offered to him accordingly. After doing full justice to the dainties, Vyasa stood up and implored: " O Yamuna Devi, if it is a fact that I am fasting today, please stop flowing and make way for us to get to the other bank." The river did stop flowing and the group safely walked to the opposite side.
The Gopis then pleaded with the sage to explain the anomaly in his statement that he fasted while actually he feasted on the delicacies which they had supplied him. Vyasa explained himself: " The ceaseless hankering of my heart for Sri Krishna is my spiritual fasting. the idea 'I eat' is not allowed to enter the mind. Your dishes were all offered as oblation to the Maker presiding over this body." Maharishi Vyasa's life in conformity with Truth and his faith in the almighty worked this miracle.
Bondage and liberation are born of the attitude of the mind. He performs Yajna who engages himself in karma for the glory of God. Any amount of activities cause no harm to the man freed from attachment. All actions melt away as heaps of salt consigned into the sea get dissolved.
Consuming the daily food regularly is obligatory on all including the enlightened. But the latter converts eating itself into "Jnana-yajna". The food, the eater of it, the digestion- all these are mere modifications of Brahman. Herein lies the importance of Shloka 24, Chapter IV of Bhagavat Gita :
Brahmaarpanam Brahma havir
Brahmaagnau Brahmanaahutam
Brahmaiva tena gantavyam
Brahma-karma Samaadhinaa.
The Gopis returning home once found no boatman to ferry them across the river Yamuna to Brindavan. The perplexed milkmaids presented their plight to the sage Vyasa, who had also arrived there just then with the same intent. " Be not worried on this score; I shall lead you all to the other bank. But give me something first to appease my hunger," said the sage. Cream, butter and condensed milk were offered to him accordingly. After doing full justice to the dainties, Vyasa stood up and implored: " O Yamuna Devi, if it is a fact that I am fasting today, please stop flowing and make way for us to get to the other bank." The river did stop flowing and the group safely walked to the opposite side.
The Gopis then pleaded with the sage to explain the anomaly in his statement that he fasted while actually he feasted on the delicacies which they had supplied him. Vyasa explained himself: " The ceaseless hankering of my heart for Sri Krishna is my spiritual fasting. the idea 'I eat' is not allowed to enter the mind. Your dishes were all offered as oblation to the Maker presiding over this body." Maharishi Vyasa's life in conformity with Truth and his faith in the almighty worked this miracle.
Bondage and liberation are born of the attitude of the mind. He performs Yajna who engages himself in karma for the glory of God. Any amount of activities cause no harm to the man freed from attachment. All actions melt away as heaps of salt consigned into the sea get dissolved.
Consuming the daily food regularly is obligatory on all including the enlightened. But the latter converts eating itself into "Jnana-yajna". The food, the eater of it, the digestion- all these are mere modifications of Brahman. Herein lies the importance of Shloka 24, Chapter IV of Bhagavat Gita :
Brahmaarpanam Brahma havir
Brahmaagnau Brahmanaahutam
Brahmaiva tena gantavyam
Brahma-karma Samaadhinaa.
The oblation is Brahman, the clarified butter is
Brahman, offered by Brahman in the fire of Brahman; unto Brahman verily he goes
who cognizes Brahman alone in his action.
This is the Mantra we are supposed to recite before taking any food. We eat for the sake of Brahman residing in us. In practice, it will serve as a 'Thanksgiving' to all those who are involved in the preparation of that food.
There is another Shloka, which also is used as Bhojana mantra sometimes.(Gita: Chapter XV, Shloka 14)
This is the Mantra we are supposed to recite before taking any food. We eat for the sake of Brahman residing in us. In practice, it will serve as a 'Thanksgiving' to all those who are involved in the preparation of that food.
There is another Shloka, which also is used as Bhojana mantra sometimes.(Gita: Chapter XV, Shloka 14)
Aham Vaishvaanaro Bhootvaa
Praaninaam Dehamaa Ashritaha
Praanaa Paana Samaayuktah
Pachaamyannam Chaturvidham
Praanaa Paana Samaayuktah
Pachaamyannam Chaturvidham
Becoming the life-fire in the bodies of living
beings, as Vaisvanara, mingling with the upward and downward breaths, I digest
the four kinds of food.
That energy is known as Vaisvanara, which remains in the bodies of beings as warmth and aids the digestion of food. This energy is also known as 'Jataraagni', the gastric fire. Food is partaken of in 4 different ways- masticating, sucking, licking and swallowing- basing on the nature and form of food.
Sublimation of the senses is the sacrifice that certain aspirants perform devoutly. Sacrifice, therefore, of the self by the self is to dedicate oneself to Ishwara. This solemn act is verily Jnana yajna. There are 2 diametrically opposite Yajnas: The function of the one is to make the senses ineffective and that of the other to make them super-effective.
Fire which transforms the nature of things consigned into it is the medium in ritualistic yajna and symbol in jnana-yajna. The fire of restraint carried to its extreme becomes total sense-control. The performer of this form of yajna eats wholesome food merely for the nourishment of the body. The act of relishing and the idea of enjoying a meal are all eliminated. The other senses are suspended except for the bare maintenance of the body. The mind is completely withdrawn from the senses and made introvertive. The physical life goes on mechanically while the mind revels in the Self within.
In the second type of yajna the senses are made best use of for the adoration of the Almighty. In the fire of senses, the sense-objects are offered as oblation. Forms perceived by the eyes are beheld as the manifestations of the Lord. Auspicious utterances are sumptuously heard. Sacramental food is partaken of with piety. The smelling of the aroma, associated with the worship of the Divine, is felt as a form of holy communion. Garlands of flowers and sandal paste, that comes as grace from the adored Deity, are reverently put on the body. The objects of all the 5 senses are thus sanctified and made liberal use of. The sensual is in this way transformed into the spiritual.
Of the two methods, that of the sense-control is negative and sense-sublimation positive. Though they seem antithetical to each other, the result produced by them is the same- purification of the mind. The negative method is given to the daring and advanced few, and the positive one to the aspiring many.
That energy is known as Vaisvanara, which remains in the bodies of beings as warmth and aids the digestion of food. This energy is also known as 'Jataraagni', the gastric fire. Food is partaken of in 4 different ways- masticating, sucking, licking and swallowing- basing on the nature and form of food.
Sublimation of the senses is the sacrifice that certain aspirants perform devoutly. Sacrifice, therefore, of the self by the self is to dedicate oneself to Ishwara. This solemn act is verily Jnana yajna. There are 2 diametrically opposite Yajnas: The function of the one is to make the senses ineffective and that of the other to make them super-effective.
Fire which transforms the nature of things consigned into it is the medium in ritualistic yajna and symbol in jnana-yajna. The fire of restraint carried to its extreme becomes total sense-control. The performer of this form of yajna eats wholesome food merely for the nourishment of the body. The act of relishing and the idea of enjoying a meal are all eliminated. The other senses are suspended except for the bare maintenance of the body. The mind is completely withdrawn from the senses and made introvertive. The physical life goes on mechanically while the mind revels in the Self within.
In the second type of yajna the senses are made best use of for the adoration of the Almighty. In the fire of senses, the sense-objects are offered as oblation. Forms perceived by the eyes are beheld as the manifestations of the Lord. Auspicious utterances are sumptuously heard. Sacramental food is partaken of with piety. The smelling of the aroma, associated with the worship of the Divine, is felt as a form of holy communion. Garlands of flowers and sandal paste, that comes as grace from the adored Deity, are reverently put on the body. The objects of all the 5 senses are thus sanctified and made liberal use of. The sensual is in this way transformed into the spiritual.
Of the two methods, that of the sense-control is negative and sense-sublimation positive. Though they seem antithetical to each other, the result produced by them is the same- purification of the mind. The negative method is given to the daring and advanced few, and the positive one to the aspiring many.
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Prayer)
