Part 4 - Food and Drink (of the Vedic society)

Food and drink are the vital requirement for every living being. The Ṛgvedic society depicts the origin of Hindu civilization. Due to a vast time gap the food and drink of that period differ in some aspects from the present century.

It may be easily noticed that animal food was largely used by the early Hindus. There are frequent allusions to the sacrifice and to the cooking of cows, buffaloes and bulls. In the tenth maṇḍala of the Ṛgveda, there is mention of slaughter-houses, where cows were killed.^[1] Sāyaṇācārya states in the present context that the Mitrākrus laid on the ground of war in confusion like cattle at the place of immolation.^[2] There is also an allusion to the sacrifice of horses, bulls and rams.^[3] Sāyaṇācārya states that vigorous horses and bulls and barren cows and sheep are consigned as burnt offerings to the deity in the Aśvamedha.^[4] Rudra had compassion upon the food, which has feet, i.e, the cow.^[5] In the Wedding-hymn it is shown how a cow was killed in constellations.^[6] Sāyaṇācārya comments in this regard that in Maghā days the cows given by Savitar are whipped towards Soma’s home.^[7] Griffith holds that the cows were slain only on especially festive occasions, weddings for instance.^[8] Indra was supposed to cook a vigorous bull for the offerers.^[9] Another verse states that the Aṅgiras sacrificed an animal to Indra as Prajāpati.^[10] A goat was also given into fire as share to the ancestors.^[11] Reference of fish is also found in the tenth maṇḍala, where it is stated that Bṛhaspati looked round upon the cows shut up in the cave like fish in a dried-up pool.^[12] But fish does not appear to have been used as food.

The Ṛgvedic verse praises plants, which speaks of these as mothers.^[13]

Sāyaṇācārya observes,

auṣadhayaḥ janānāṃ mātṛbhūtāḥ matṛvadhitakāritvānmatṛtvopacāraḥ/^[14]

The plants of various types, producing flowers and fruits, and even the barren ones, are regarded as saving the people from all sins.^[15] A Ṛgvedic verse clearly mentions the consumption of sweet fruits.^[16] Sāyaṇācārya holds that the ancient people lived in forest and survived their lives by consuming sweet fruits like mango etc.^[17] Hence it may be assumed that the Ṛgvedic Āryans knew the importance of plants and utilized flowers and fruits. Barley seems to be commonly used in Ṛgvedic society. By barley one could resists the hunger.^[18] The Ṛgvedic people had knowledge on the succession of crops.^[19] Further the growers of barley often cut the barley, and separated in due order.^[20] According to Macdonell and Keith, Yava in the Ṛgveda appears to be a generic term for any sort of ‘grain’ and not merely ‘barley’. The latter sense is probably found in the Atharvaveda, and is regular later’.^[21] Vrīhi or rice is not referred to in the Ṛgveda. In the previous maṇḍalas of the Ṛgveda the word dhānā is used in plural, which indicates some kind of grains.^[22] According to Yāska, dhānā is called so because it is placed in a frying pan or on a frying board.^[23] In the tenth maṇḍala of the Ṛgveda, a reference to dhānyā is found.^[24] The tillers of the ground who sowed seeds are indicated by the term dhānyākṛt.^[25]

Milk or milk products were the main items of the food and drink of the Vedic Āryans. Like the other maṇḍalas in the tenth maṇḍala of the Ṛgveda also milk is mentioned.^[26] Cows’ milk is known by the terms kṣīra^[27], payas,^[28] etc., in the Ṛgveda. Pṛṣadājya means ‘sprinkled butter’, i.e., butter mixed with sour milk, which is mentioned in the Puruṣasūkta.^[29] Ghee was also used with soma.^[30] To steal milk of a milch cow was considered sin and he is beheaded by Agni, which is clearly stated in a Ṛgvedic verse.^[31]

It is evident from the tenth maṇḍala of the Ṛgveda that Soma was largely used in Ṛgvedic society. Soma was the famous plant which was used for the preparation of the libation of Soma made at the Vedic Sacrifice.^[32] But a little is known about the plant from the tenth maṇḍala. Its twigs are described as ruddy (aruṇa).^[33] The plant was prepared for use by being pounded with stones or in a mortar.^[34] Reference to the stones for pounding Soma is noticed in the tenth maṇḍala of the Ṛgveda.^[35] Camu denotes the vessel used for the offering to the god.^[36] Sāyaṇācārya interprets camu as camasa, i.e. a ladle.^[37] The importance of Soma is sufficiently shown by the fact that the whole of the ninth maṇḍala is attributed in praise of Soma. Soma is praised as everything like mind, heart and intellect of the worshiper.^[38] Due to this exhilarating Soma, the desires for wealth rise up from the heart.^[39] As the father protects his son from everywhere, the enticing Soma also protects his worshipers from being killed by the enemies and make them happy.^[40] The beverage called pānta is also identified with Soma.^[41] Surā appears to have been used by the common folk in the then India. A Ṛgvedic verse from the tenth maṇḍala clearly states that the drinking of surā was one of the luxuries of the people.^[42] Surā is the intoxicating ‘spiritous liquor’ often mentioned in Vedic literature. It was as opposed to Soma, essentially a drunk of ordinary life.^[43] Libation of soma

prepared at the Vedic sacrifices.^[44] Honey as a sweet drink was also used with food.^[45] Reference to honey-comb is also found in a verse where it is stated that honey was taken out from two kinds of bees, one Āraṅgara and the other Sāraghā.^[46]

Sāyaṇācārya interprets the term āraṅgara in the present context as---

aramalaṃ paryāptaṃ garaḥ śabdanam/ tasya sambandhinau

And the term---

sāraghā as saraghā madhumakṣikā saraghaiva sāraghā /

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Ibid.,10.89.14

[2]:

mitrāṇām krūrasya karmaṇaḥ kartaro janāḥ viśasanasthāne gāvo paśava iva āparcanāhataḥ santaḥ yuddhe śerate/ Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[3]:

Ibid., 10.91.14

[4]:

secanasamarthāḥ aśvasaḥ aśvaḥ ṛṣabhaśca vṛṣabhaśca vaśāḥ svabhāvavandhyāśca meṣah ca devatārtham avasṛṣṭāḥ parityaktāḥ santo’śvamedhe ābhimukhyena huta bhavanti/ Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[5]:

Vide, Wilson, H.H., op.cit., on 10.169.1,p.497

[6]:

Ṛgveda ,10.85.13

[7]:

maghānakṣatreṣu savitrā dattā gāvaḥ somagṛhaṃ prati dandaistāḍyante/ Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[8]:

Griffith, R.T.H., op.cit., on 10.85.13, p.594

[9]:

amā te tumraṃ vṛṣabham pacani…// Ṛgveda , 10.27.2

[10]:

pīvānaṃ meṣamapacanta vīrā…./Ibid., 10.27.17

[11]:

Ibid., 10. 16. 4

[12]:

Ibid.,10.68.8

[13]:

oṣadhīriti mātarastadvo devīrūpa bruve/ saneyamaśvaṃ gāṃ vāsa ātmānaṃ tava puruṣa//Ibid., 10.97.4

[14]:

Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[15]:

yaḥ phalinīryā aphalā apuspa yāśca puspiṇiḥ/ bṛhaspatiprasutasta no muncantvaṃhasaḥ//Ibid., 10.97.15

[16]:

svādoḥ phalasya jagdhvāya yathākāmaṃ ni padyate// Ibid.,10.146.5

[17]:

svādoḥ rasavata āmrādeḥ phalaṃ bhakṣayitvā tatra nivasan yatheccham vartate/ Sāyaṇa, Ibid

[18]:

yavena kṣudhāṃ puruhūta viśvam/ Ibid.,10.42.10

[19]:

Vide, Wilson. H.H., op.cit., on 10.42.10, p.142

[20]:

kuvidaṅga yavamanto yavaṃ cidyathā dāntyanupūrvaṃ viyūya/ ihehaiṣaṃ kṛṇuhi bhojanāni ye barhiṣo namovṛṅkti na jagmuḥ// Ṛgveda ,10.131.2

[21]:

Vide, Macdonell,A.A. and Keith, A.B., op.cit., Vol.2, p. 187

[22]:

dhānāḥ bhṛṣṭayavaḥ …./ Sāyaṇa on Ṛgveda , 3.35.7 Also vide, Ibid., 1.16.2, 3.52.1, 7,8.91.2

[23]:

dhānā bhrāṣṭre hitā bhavanti/ phale hitā bhavantīti vā/ Nirukta , 5.12

[24]:

Ṛgveda ,10.94.13

[25]:

dhānyākṛtaḥ kṛṣivalāḥ bijamiva yathā prncati tadvat…/ Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[26]:

Ibid., 10.30.13, 10.87.16

[27]:

Ibid., 10.87.16

[28]:

Ibid., 1.121.5, 1.153.4

[29]:

pṛṣadājyaṃ dadhimiśramājyaṃ…/ Sāyaṇa, Ibid.,10.90.8

[30]:

Ibid., 10.29.6

[31]:

yo aghnāyā bharati kṣīramagne teṣāṃ śīrṣaṇi harasāpi vṛśca// Ibid.,10.87.16

[32]:

Vide, Macdonell,A.A. and Keith, A.B., op.cit., Vol.2,p. 474

[33]:

vṛksaṣya śākhāmaruṇasya bapsataste sūbharvā vṛṣabhāh premarāviṣuḥ// Ṛgveda ,10.94.3

[34]:

Vide, Macdonell,A.A. and Keith, A.B., op.cit., Vol.2, p. 476

[35]:

Ṛgveda , 10.76.2

[36]:

Ibid., 10.91.15

[37]:

yathā camase somaḥ tadvat /Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[38]:

Ibid., 10.25.1

[39]:

hṛdispṛśasta āsate viśvesu soma dhāmasu/ adhā kāmā ime mama vi vo made tiṣṭhante vasūyavo vivakṣase// Ibid., 10.25.2

[40]:

adhā piteva sūnave vi vo made mṛla no abhi cidvadhādvivakṣase// Ibid., 10.25.3

[41]:

pāntam pānīyaṃ somātmakam…/ Sāyaṇa, Ibid.,10.88.1

[42]:

Ibid.,10. 107.9

[43]:

Vide, Macdonell,A.A. and Keith, A.B., op.cit., Vol.2, p. 458

[44]:

Op.cit., Vol.2, p. 474

[45]:

madhūni madhurasātmakāni purodāsādīnyannāni havīṃṣi bhakṣanārthaṃ dattāni bhavantu/ Sāyaṇa on Ṛgveda , 10.29.6

[46]:

Ibid.,10.106.10