Dr. Mrs. Manjusha Gokhale

Food is an essential need of all beings. All their activities are to be performed so as to achieve food. Food lies at the root of the everlasting struggle for survival. Human being is not an exception; but he has distinguished himself from other beings by making progress on the path of civilization. Hence the history of dietetics is not restricted only to the achievement and consumption of food for one's own sake, but it involves a larger cultural activity.

Indian civilization has always thought of anna as the Supreme Reality (annabrahma). All beings are born of anna, they depend on anna for their living, and ultimately become one with anna. Hence anna is regarded as life itself. The whole cycle of nature is stimulated by anna. Therefore it is the first and foremost duty of every human being, especially of every householder (grahastha) to offer food and thereby to maintain the cosmic cycle. Consuming the food does not merely mean filling of one's own belly (udarabharana); but it is considered as the performance of the sacrifice. This sacrifice is twofold-sacrifice on the level of an individual and that on the social level.

Food is proclaimed as the highest offering. Right from the Rigveda, Indian scriptures highly condemn the person as merely a sinful one who cooks food to fill his own belly and does not offer food to others.

The fundamental idea of yajna is nothing but to offer food to various deities in gratitude. The food offered into the fire, reaches the deities, feeds them and makes them powerful enough to bestow welfare on the mankind. The householder is called upon to perform panchamahayajna-s daily, four of which involve the gift of food (annadana). Devayajna, popularly known as vais'vadeva, involves offering a part of cooked food into the sacred fire so as to feed the deities. Pitrayajna involves the offerings of food besprinkled with water towards the south for the fathers. Bhutayajna or baliharana is performed to feed the animals, birds, insects, plants, and even evil spirits. The selfish man who eats without performing baliharana, eats a sin, as it were.

High eulogies of manusyayajna have been sung from very ancient times. One should daily offer food to learned brahmana-s, ascetics, and the students of the veda-s. The guest (atithi) is to be highly honoured. The householder must feed the elders, sick persons, servants and dependents first and then he is allowed to eat.

It can be obviously noticed that underlying these provisions are the noble principles of universal kindness, charity, and social gratitude. Our ancient scriptures and traditions have shown this way to achieve the highest social goal of "vasudhaiva kutumbakam". This is the most precious heritage that has come down to us and it is our duty to hand it over to the generations to come.