Hello, everyone! Today, we’re exploring a beautiful piece of ancient wisdom from the Sanskrit texts, the Vedas. We’re talking about the Bhojanam Mantra, a mealtime prayer that has been around for thousands of years. This mantra is a beautiful expression of gratitude and mindfulness, reminding us of the sacredness of food and the act of eating.
We found this gem in a video by Gaiea Sanskrit on YouTube. Gaiea Sanskrit is a channel dedicated to sharing Sanskrit songs and videos, and it’s run by Gabriella Burnel, a holistic practitioner and former Olympic decathlete. You can watch the full video here.
The Mantra before Eating Food 📜
The Bhojanam Mantra is recited before meals and it goes like this:
“ॐ अन्नपते अन्नस्य नो देह्यनमीवस्य शुष्मिणः प्र प्रदातारं तारिष ऊर्जन्नो धेहि द्विपदे चतुष्पदे
ॐ स्वादो पीतो मधो पीतो वयं त्वा ववृमहे अस्माकमवीता भव
ॐ मोघमन्नं विन्दते अप्रचेताः सत्यं ब्रवीमि वध इत्सतस्य नार्यमणं पुष्यति नो सखायं केवलाघो भवति केवलादी
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः”
“Om annapate annasyano dehyanamīvasya śuṣmiṇaḥ pra pradātāraṃ tāriṣa ūrjanno dhehi dvipade catuṣpade
Om svādo pīto madho pīto vayaṃ tvā vavṛmahe asmākamavītā bhava
Om moghamannam vindate apracetāḥ satyaṃ bravīmi vadha itsatasya nāryamaṇaṃ puṣyati no sakhāyaṃ kevalāgho bhavati kevalādī
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ”
The Meaning 🌟
This mantra is a prayer to Annapate, which comes from Anna Pati – the Lord of Food. It asks for the nourishment of all beings, both two-legged and four-legged. It expresses a desire for the food to be sweet and nourishing, and for it to protect us.
The mantra also acknowledges that food obtained without the right understanding is wasted and that only the eater suffers the consequences. It emphasizes the importance of sharing food with others, as one who eats alone incurs sin.
The mantra ends with a call for peace, invoking tranquility in all realms – physical, mental, and spiritual.
This prayer is a beautiful reminder of the sacredness of food, the importance of sharing, and the role of understanding in our consumption. It encourages us to approach our meals with mindfulness and gratitude, recognizing the nourishment they provide and the effort that went into their preparation.
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