Bhojana Mantra

[Guest guest]

 

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 havirBrahmaagnau BrahmanaahutamBrahmaiva tena

gantavyamBrahma-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)

Aham Vaishvaanaro Bhootvaa

Praaninaam Dehamaa AshritahaPraanaa Paana SamaayuktahPachaamyannam 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.

[Guest guest]

Hello Bhattathiry,

<< In the second type of yajna the senses are made best use of for

the adoration of the Almighty.>>

 

I have the following question:

Who adores the Almighty? And why?

 

If I do not understand the correct meaning, I am afraid, I might just

do lip service to the Almighty, while having sensual pleasures.

 

Let me know.

Thanks

sundar

 

, Bhattathiry <mpmahesh@a...>

wrote:

>

>

>

> 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 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)

>

>

> Aham Vaishvaanaro Bhootvaa

>

> Praaninaam Dehamaa Ashritaha

> 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.