Brahmarpanam — Bhojan Mantra with Meaning
This prayer before meals is made of two verses of the Bhagavad Gita (4.24 and 15.14). It sees eating as a sacred offering — the offering, the food and the one who eats are all the Divine. In the second verse, the Lord says he himself becomes the fire within us that digests our food.
Brahmarpanam brahma havir brahmagnau brahmana hutam | brahmaiva tena gantavyam brahma-karma-samadhina ||
Aham vaishvanaro bhutva praninam deham ashritah | pranapana-samayuktah pachamy annam chatur-vidham ||
Meaning
Verse 1
Brahmarpanam brahma havir brahmagnau brahmana hutam | brahmaiva tena gantavyam brahma-karma-samadhina ||
The act of offering is the Divine, the offering is the Divine, offered by the Divine into the fire that is the Divine. One who sees the Divine in every action reaches the Divine.
Verse 2
Aham vaishvanaro bhutva praninam deham ashritah | pranapana-samayuktah pachamy annam chatur-vidham ||
The Lord says: I become the digestive fire (Vaishvanara) living in the bodies of all beings, and joined with the breath, I digest the four kinds of food.
Meanings written in simple language by the KathaMantra team.
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Frequently asked questions
When should the food prayer be recited?
Before starting a meal, with the plate in front of you and hands folded. In many schools and ashrams everyone recites it together.
Which scripture is this from?
Both verses are from the Bhagavad Gita — the first is chapter 4, verse 24 and the second is chapter 15, verse 14.
What are the 'four kinds of food'?
In the traditional explanation — food that is chewed, swallowed, licked and sucked.