According to Sanatana Dharma, Brahmarpanam is a food prayer or a Food mantra, which is used to chant before eating food. In the ancient traditions of India, in the Sanatana Dharma, Brahmarpanam is another beautiful mantra, which is often chanted by Sadhaks, and even by other people, before having the food, having one’s meal. It is also there in the Bhagavad Gita. It's considered an act of offering food to God.
Brahmarpanam Mantra
The Mantra chanted before eating food is given below in the correct order. It is used to pay respect to the food and the god who gave us another day to eat food.
Brahmārpañam Brahma Havir BrahmāgnauBrahmañāhutaṃ,
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam BrahmakarmāSamādhinah.
AhamVaishvānaroBhutvā PrāñināmḌehamāshritaha,
PrāñāpānaSamāyuktah PachāmyannamChaturvidham.
HarirDātāHarirBhoktā Harir Annam Prajāpatih
HarirVipraSharīrāstu BhūnkteBhojayateHarih.
Meaning of Brahmarpanam Mantra
If we look at the meaning, it is gorgeous. Brahmarpanam, the offerings are all Brahman, the consciousness, whatever offerings are done. So this food also, it is being offered, offered to the body, so this is also made of that one consciousness.
Brahma Havih, the offering, that which is offered is also that same Brahman, that same consciousness. Brahmagnau, the fire into which it is offered, whether it is our digestive fire or any fire, that is also the same Brahman, the same consciousness.
Brahmana Hutam, which is offered into the fire, the fire into which it is offered, the offering itself, that is also the Brahman, the consciousness. Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam, and that which is obtained by that offering, that which one receives from the offering, through that offering what one attains is also that same Brahman, that same consciousness. So it reminds us, that even though this duality is there, beyond that there is one field, one universal consciousness, of which we are also a part, of which we cannot be separate, and which pervades all of this, out of which all of this has come up.
So the food that I am eating, the act of having the food is also divine, the body into which the food goes is also religious, the one who is doing this is divine and the effect of it is also divine. So it allows us to, for a moment, pause and introspect, to reflect, that yes, not only is this all one consciousness, but on another level also to respect the food, to respect the body, and to respect the act of eating.
If you see, nowadays, many times we are having our food in a hurry, we don’t really pay attention, we don’t really chew the food, we don’t really taste the food. You are having food and watching TV, and we don’t even realize that the bowl is finished. Then it doesn’t give that satisfaction, it doesn’t give all the nourishment also, it doesn’t digest as correctly, we don’t get the satisfaction and joy that we would otherwise get out of the food.
So it’s a beautiful practice to bring some more gratitude into our lives, it will improve our health, and our state of mind, and remind us that beyond this diverse creation there is a reality, the Truth, that which is non-changing, which is that universal consciousness.
So it’s a beautiful mantra that anybody can chant.
How to Chant the Brahmarpanam prayer?
Watch this video to learn the word-to-word pronunciation of the Brahmarpanam mantra or prayer. Listen to every word carefully to understand the pronunciation because some words are hard to pronounce.
