FOOD AND HEALTH IN VEDIC SCRIPTURES

Contents

. Introduction

. Food in the Vedic Period

. Diet in the Vedic period

. The philosophy of food

. Food in the Scriptures

. Conclusion

Introduction

Dharmashastras are Sanskrit texts which lay down the rules for diet or ‘Bhojana’ pertaining to Hinduism. It was given great importance as the type of food, the direction and season in which they were offered, the food offered as sacrificial offerings etc all played a great role in the psychology and health of the individual and in society as a whole. Even in other cultures the Mesopotamian Goddess Ninkasi was said to make the dough rise and was an inspiration to bakers to add herbs and sesame seeds to enable the bread to rise. In Greek mythology the God of grape harvest Dionysus was said to give strength and nourishment to wine drinkers. In Hinduism Goddess Annapurna who is considered the Goddess of food is said to bless all those who propitiated her with an abundance of food. The Egyptian God Set was said to have lettuce as his favourite vegetable. Lord Krishna was said to be fond of butter and many temples place offerings of dishes which are said to be the favourites of the deity of the temple.

Food in the Vedic Period

The Rig Veda which is the oldest Sanskrit text mentions the prohibiting of eating cow and horses. It mentions that the plant kingdom was created much before the animal kingdom and the mother was endowed with milk even before the birth of the infant. The Yajurveda mentions a prayer that the forefathers should receive adequate and good food. The Atharvaveda mentions the food to be rice mixed with ghee and Soma juice and mentions against overindulging of food. Most of the Upanishads begin with the prayer stating that ‘Food is God’ or ‘Annam Brahma’ and state that the quality of the mind is influenced by the quality of the food intake. According to them food after being eaten was divided into three parts, the coarsest becoming faeces, the medium becoming flesh and the finest becoming the mind and thoughts. Water when consumed gets divided into three parts the coarsest becoming urine, the medium becoming blood and the finest becoming the breath. The fire part of the food also gets divided into three parts, the coarsest becoming bone, the medium becoming marrow and the finest becoming the voice. Svetaketu is said to have lost his memory after a fast of fifteen days and was unable to recite the Vedas but after eating regained his faculties. Manusmriti and Bhagavad Gita deal with the relationship between food, mind and God. The Hindu conception of creation and cosmos showed food playing a very central role in the purity, ethical and ritual values of an individual. The whole of creation was considered a vast food chain and the correlation between food and the eater was such that one couldn’t coexist without the other. Food was considered as a critical mechanism for the formation and classification of different social groups at all levels of Hindu society. The behavioural patterns of individuals largely depended on the food they consumed hence different restrictions were placed on renunciants and mendicants as compared to the householders.

Diet in the Vedic Period

Being an agrarian society food consisted of cereals, pulses, dairy products and included both vegetarian and non vegetarian items. Cow’s milk was the principal ingredient of the Vedic society along with the Soma juice. The Rig Veda even mentions goat’s and buffalo’s milk and animals which were offered as sacrifice were consumed as sacred offerings. Fruits and vegetables grown also formed part of the diet. The method of preparation, the utensils used etc were all clearly stipulated. Cooking developed from the nomadic way of eating raw meats and fruits to a more developed rural and semi urban life. The food prepared and offered in sacrifices stipulated high levels of cleanliness, purity and conciseness.

The Philosophy of food

Food is always offered to the Divine Conscious Being or the Atman within and energy is the essence of food and mind is the essence of energy. The essence of the mind is in turn knowledge which results in bliss. The food and the eater of food are considered forms of divinity and the act of eating is considered akin to worship. Even in sacrifices, food which is offered in a proper manner as oblation rises up to the sun which gives rise to rain which enables the growth of food which in turn sustains life. In a deeper sense there are seven kinds of food as stated by the Upanishads. They are solid food, liquid food, sacrifice, offerings to Gods, speech, mind and life breath. The first four are gross which sustain physical life. The last three are subtle and sustain metaphysical life. Food in a broader sense means the diet of the senses. Thus the seven fold food path is said to entangle the individual in the world of illusion and bondage.

Food in the Scriptures

References are found in the Manusmriti, Ramayana and Mahabharata and mention the various kinds of food consumed by the different classes of the Varna system, the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. References are found in the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana about the types of food that should be eaten and those that should be avoided in order to lead a pious and Satthvic life.

Conclusion

Thus food was endowed with a mystical and sacred quality and being a perfect medium for rituals was considered a link between man and God and thus food rituals became central to most religions. Food offered to deities and then partaken was considered sacred and was said to confer purity of mind to the partaker. In the Vedic times no one was allowed to go without food and humble offerings were made to animals and humans, birds and beasts. Thus food was the remedy of life and the medicine for existence. The purpose of food was to purify mind and consciousness and not merely for bodily strength or to increase longevity. Periodic fasting too was recommended to refresh the mind and body by giving rest to the digestive system especially on Ekadashi day which helped in advancement of spiritual life.