Gita Jyothi week No.38 Sloka (Part #1 )

[Guest guest]

Sri Krishna Parabrahmane Namaha:

 

[This is the translation of Gita Jyothi Week No.38 Sloka graced by, Sri Sri Sri

Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swami, in Bhakthi Nivedana ]

 

aham vaisva:naro: bhu:thva: pra:nina:m de:ham a:srithah |

pra:na:pa:na sama: yukthaha pacha:myannam chathur vidham || 15-14

 

Aham = I

VaiSwanaraha = as Jattara:gni

Bhu:thva: = become

Pra:Ninaam = of pra:Nis

De:ham = body

A:Srithaha = having entered

Pra:Na pa:nasama:yukthaha = having joined with the praana and apaana vaayus

Chathurvidham = in the four forms khaadya, choshya,laehya, paeya

Annam = food

Pachaami = am cooking

 

There are various means recommended for the mankind’s upliftment like Yagas,

yogas, tapas, daanam, dharmam and visiting holy places. All these are varied

means but it is very difficult to peform/follow all of them. If we have a simple

solution it would be great. Bhagavan is highly compassionate. Here in this sloka

He is giving the means which is very common to us, which is to our liking and

which takes care of our well being. That is ‘Eating’. If we learn ‘how to eat’

– it is equivalent to performing all the ‘saadhnas’ – Swami is telling here. The

Chaando:gya Upanishad in its 5th prapaattaka says the same.

 

‘If we learn how to eat it is enough!’ It implies: we should know what to eat,

where to eat, when to eat, how much to eat and how to eat. If we learn these

it’s sufficient! We are on the right path to excel. What we eat should be

healthy. It should be tasty. That food has to be clean too. And finally it

should be safe for us! After the food is consumed ,there is a fire inside us

that digests the food. Its name is ‘Jattara:gni’. To cool it we put different

foods into our body. Some people spoil the Jattara:gni by not providing it the

proper food. Some others think it is just satisfying the palate and eat what

ever they can. We lost track of how to take proper care of this Jattaraagni to

nurture it with honour. Only when the fire inside the body burns properly, all

the foods put inside digest properly. Only such digested food goes to the

different parts of the body as nutrient food. It goes in the form of energy to

some parts. It goes as blood to some parts. The food is consumed in four forms -

some are eaten and swallowed, some licked, some are chewed and some are drunk.

They are called bhakshya, bho:jya, cho:shya and le:hya.

 

All the food we send in these four ways is digested by the influence of

Jattara:gni. Later that agni transmits this in the proper form and in the

adequate amount as required by a particular body part. If it happens perfectly

we can say ‘I am healthy’ and ‘I am happy’. Or else one becomes a patient. Only

as long as that ‘Agni’ is present in the body one is said to be alive!

 

Jai Srimannarayana,

adiyen ramanuja dasaha

Vamsi Mudumbai