Why Do Hindus And Christians Say a Prayer Before Eating Food?
Hindus, Christians and followers of other religions as well, say a prayer before eating food to thank God for what we receive as a gift from the bountiful God.
- Food is a gift of God as we did not grow and cultivate different kinds of food our-self, but received the fruits, vegetables, grains, corn, and other eatables from different sources.
- The food is first offered to the spirit of God as gratitude before eating to express our thankfulness.
I give here excerpt as a sample page from my book ‘Word of God Bhagavad Gita.’
Lord Sri Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita:
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् |
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना || 24||
In the performance of a sacrificial Yajna, the constituent elements, the fire; the clarified butter; the act of offering the oblation into fire; are all sacred. — Unto to the Spirit of Brahman (Spirit of God) verily it goes, when all these acts are cognized and performed as a dedication to the Supreme Spirit. (Book: Word of God Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 4 verse 24)
Fire is one of the sacred elements of nature without which no life is possible. — In the ritual of Yajna worship (Havan), the fire into which the offering is made; such as clarified butter and grains; and the person who makes the oblation, are all considered as part of divinity.
When all these acts are performed as a sacrifice to the Supreme Spirit, then it becomes a Yajna sacrifice.
The same connotation applies to the human body; as it is the internal heat of the body which keeps the body alive. — Eating daily food to survive is obligatory for all living beings, whether one is an enlightened saint or just an ordinary person.
The sage makes the act of eating as a Yajna sacrifice. — The digestive heat and energy of the body is divine; the food that is offered to the body for eating is divine; and the act of eating by the person, is also divine.
When all these acts put together are performed in dedication and as a sacrificial offering to the Supreme Spirit of God, then the act becomes a divine Yajna sacrifice.
The above verse of Bhagavad Gita is recited in Hindu culture before partaking of food to express one’s gratitude and thankfulness to God for the food one is going to eat to keep the body alive.
The food is thus considered as a gift of divine grace, as there are so many hungry and thirsty people on this earth, who do not get even one square meal a day.
Similar grace and thanksgiving prayer is said in Christian religion to thank God for the food one is going to eat. — We cherish God by thanking Him, and God similarly cherishes us by giving us good health and well being.
Sanskrit is not a language in daily use in India now; and majority of the Hindus also do not know the full significance of the above verse as a thanksgiving prayer before eating food.
The Christian prayer being in English language is far more easy and simple to understand.
The Bible prayer says, “Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” — A simple prayer which asks for daily bread for this day only, is said as a grace by Christians all over the world, before partaking of food.
Who digests the food in the body?
Lord Sri Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita:
अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रित: |
प्राणापानसमायुक्त: पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् || 14||
Dwelling in the bodies of all living beings as universal life-force (body heat as Vaishvanara), and associated with the incoming and outgoing breaths (Prana and Apana); I digest four kinds of food (by masticating, sucking, licking and swallowing). (Book: Word of God Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 15 verse 14)
Ajay Gupta is a former Naval officer who served onboard Indian Naval warships and aircraft. — He is the author of two books ‘Word of God Bhagavad Gita’ and ‘Want to Know God: For Young and Old.’
Copyright © Ajay Gupta — Reference books: Amazon: Ajay Gupta: Amazon.in: Kindle Store : Word of God Bhagavad Gita by Ajay Gupta: https://amzn.to/3h0fGiw: https://amzn.to/2C7vNfH :
