The Significance of Offering Food to God
There are many rituals in Hindu religion. All of them have a spiritual significance and are done for a certain purpose. One such ritual is that of offering food to the gods. The food that is offered to the gods is called ‘prasadam’ and the process of offering it is called ‘naivedyam’. The Sanskrit term, prasadam denotes mercy or divine blessings of the lord. When we offer food to the lord and then eat it we are eating food that’s been blessed by God. It is a way of thanking god. In effect, we are saying that whatever we have is the divine blessing we receive from him.
By offering food we are also repaying our debt to God. The gods help us in many ways and play a key role in food production and maintaining order in the world. Our world depends on the gods who enable our survival in it. For instance, Indra brings lightning while the clouds are churned by Maruts and Rudras. Varuna causes rainfall and nourishes the earth while the river goddesses ensure that water flows to the fields and Pushan makes possible a good harvest apart from giving the cattle green pastures. The sun and the moon ensure that seasons come properly. Also, the gods prevent floods and storms, diseases and other natural calamities. They even protect cattle.
Our actions too flow from God. We have to perform our duties upon earth and offer the results to him. Hence, human beings cannot claim to be owners of the food they produce. Being a gift from the gods and produced with collective effort, we are required to share it with others.
Food contains karma and energy
There is karma in the food we produce too. When we offer food to god, the karma associated with it and the negative energies present in it are neutralized. The Bhagavad Gita states that those who eat food without offering it to God verily eat sin. Eating food without offering it to others is a selfish act, which is bad karma.
To a devout Hindu, everything belongs to God. When he offers food to god it is an expression of gratitude for the food that has been created by God. The Bhagvad Gita says that a person can be free of all sins by eating food that has been offered to the gods. The Scriptures say that god enters the offerings and fills the devotee’s heart with love and devotion. This is the reason the prasadam is not eaten alone but is given to all devotees.
Food is energy (Shakti). It helps to form our physical body which is called the food body (Annamaya kosa). The food that we eat is filled with many energies. Some are good, some are harmful. The person who cooks the food and the attitude of the person are also important as it can have a positive or negative effect on the people who eat it. The Gita says that food is of 3 types – sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. Sattvic food is juicy, durable and oily. It increases health, purity, strength, longevity and happiness. Rajasic food is sour, salty, hot, bitter and spicy. It gives sorrow, desire and diseases. Tamasic (intoxicating) is food which is left over, stored, dried, decomposed and bad-smelling. It lacks juices and cannot be digested properly. When food is offered to the gods, it becomes purified of its tamasic and rajasic elements. They lose the ability to harm us as the positive energies and divine blessings make the food pure. Srimad Bhagavatam says that we are what we eat. Our thoughts and feelings are influenced by the food we consume. Eating sattvic (pure) food leads to sattvic thoughts. Hence, food that is offered to the gods will lead to good thoughts and good deeds. Those who eat rajasic food will be hot tempered, ambitious and egoistic. Eating meat and indulging in intoxicants makes us lethargic and gives us animal qualities.
To conclude, offering food to gods sanctifies the food. It becomes a sacrificial offering which is pure. This is an important reason why Hindu tradition endorses this practice. We also offer food as a way of expressing our gratitude to the one who gave us the food in the first place and removing our sins.
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