Food and Drink (Introduction)

Food, dress, ornaments etc. are essential things in Human life. A healthy and beautiful lifestyle is important for a civilised society.

Food is the main need of every one’s life. According to the Chāndogyopaniṣad, all actions of men such as seeing, listening, thinking, understanding, doing, knowing etc. depend upon food.^[1]

In the same Upaniṣad it is stated that the purity of thought depends upon the purity of food:

....... āhāraśuddhau sattva-śuddhiḥ......^[2]

While some Purāṇas mention the six kinds of foods viz, bhakṣya, bhojya, peya, lehya, coṣya and khādya,^[3] the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa mentions only the edible and prohibited food in the context of describing śrāddha, Yoga, non-stealing etc.

It is evident from the Puranic literature that the food are used as a gift also to Brāhmaṇas on some occasions. In the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, it is stated that, the gift of food produces happiness at the time of adversity.^[4] Again one may be satisfied even without taking food if he offers to others food with a mind purified by faith.^[5] Also those who give food as a gift pass the road to the abode of Yama with ease.^[6] King Nariṣyanta also bestowed has granaries (dhānyāgāra) on Brāhmaṇa at the time of performing a sacrifice.^[7]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

...athānasyāyai draṣṭā bhavati śrotā bhavati mantā bhavati boddhā bhavati kartā bhavati vijñātā bhavatyannamupāsveti / Chāndogyopaniṣad, 7.9.1

[2]:

Ibid., 7.26.2

[3]:

Padmapurāṇa, Vol.II,1.15

[4]:

Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 10.51

[5]:

Ibid., 10.52

[6]:

Ibid., 10.69

[7]:

Ibid., 129.20