The meaning and reason of the custom and practice of our performing Pariseshanam (meals-time-custom) before touching the food on the banana leaf before us. The practice is three steps or can be divided into three sections:
We will see about how to observe these three steps here.
1. Aabhojanam:After sitting for meals, you'll be served with rice and ghee, as per your Sampradaya. Now take very small qty of water in your right hand and chant "Om Bhoorbhuvasuva": and circle the banana(Vazhailai) leaf. Then take small qty of water and chant "Sathyam Thwerthena Parichinchaami" (in day) and "Rutham Dhwasathyena Parichinchaami"(in night). Circulate the Ilai(Platain leave)with this water. Then take small qty of water(Perumal Theertham) and with your left hand, slightly lift the meal-plate and take in the PerumalTheertham. You must chant the manthra Amruthopastharanamasi.
Explanation: First a prayer to the food 'Asmakam nityam astu Etat' : (Let the food be available to me and thus be available to 'The five pranas').
'Sathyam Thwerthena Parichinchaami' : Here the food is addressed as 'Satyam'. "Satya" means that which is real
or true. I encircle food with 'rutham'. The meaning of 'rutham' as righteousness."Rta" is a notion of the Divine Law or moral principle. 'Satyam' and 'rutham' are often used in Vedas.
In the night the address is reversed as 'Rutham Dhwasathyena Parichinchaami'
'Amruta upastaranam asi' : 'Be a 'lining' to the amrutam (i.e. the food)'.
2. Praanahuthi: the offering to the vital breaths:
Then using your thumb, middle and ring fingers, take ghee-mixed rice and swallow it without hitting over the teeth. This process has to be repeated six times, each time accompanied by a manthra as given below:(Prefix each mantram with Om and suffix each mantram with Namaha:)
The next step is the part of greater philosophical significance. Recall that in the Vedic tradition, every act eventually becomes an act of worship, an act of recognition of the pervasiveness of
the Supreme Brahman and Its power.
When we eat, we nourish our bodies. Food is therefore essential for bodily sustenance. Within our body is the "ana" or vital breath. The "ana" has five activities or 'pranas'.
The five pranas represent the various bodily functions that are critical for survival. They are considered a manifestation of the power of the Supreme in the bodily plane.
The vital breaths or 'pranas' are five in number. The latter four are derived from the first. They are:
prana -- the principal breath
apana -- responsible for excretory activity
samana -- responsible for digestive activity
vyana -- responsible for circulatory activity
udana -- respiratory activity
This act of thanksgiving to God who through these bodily functions sustains life is done by saying the following mantras, and eating a little bit of rice and ney (ghee) without chewing it (because, after all, the food is an offering, not meant for personal consumption):
Om pranaaya swaha
Om apanaya swaha
Om vyanaya swaha
Om udanaya swaha
Om samanaya swaha
Om brahmani ma Atma amrtatvaya
Meaning of the parisheshana manthram in tami – by sri Anna.(Ramakrishna Mutt)
பரமாத்மாவின் பிரத்யட்ச வடிவான உன்னை ஜீவாத்மாவின் அன்பெனும் நீரால் சுற்றி ஈரமாக்குகிறேன். ஜீவதாரமாகிய உன்னை பரமாத்மாவின் க்ருபை என்னும் நீரால் சுற்றி ஈரமாக்குகிறேன்.
அமுதமாகிய அன்னத்திற்கு நீ கீழ் விரிப்பு ஆவாய்.
ப்ரானாயச்வாஹா ... பிரமனேச்வாஹா.
பிரமத்திடம் எனது ஆத்மா பேரின்பத்தை பெருவதற்காஹ் இது பொருந்தட்டும்.
அமுதத்திற்கு நீ மேல் மூடி ஆவாய்.
Reason: When there was no tiled or cemented floors were in olden days, the parisheshanam prevented ants and other insects to come on to your leaf on which food was served.
The last line means, "May my self be united in Brahman (the Supreme), so that I may attain immortality."
Then catch hold of the meal-plate with your right hand, cleanse up in your left hand with Theertham served by someone else.
3. Utharaabhojanam: After finishing the meals, as before, take small amount of water(eitherby self or served by others) and chant the manthraAmruthopithanamasi.This concludes the custom of Parisheshanam
'Amruta abhidanam asi' means Be a 'lid or cover' to the amrutam.
Eating, then, is a profound act of worship which sustains the body so that we may further worship Brahman. There is also an implication that the swallowing of tasty food symbolizes the oblation of the individual self to God, so that God may, in a sense "eat" and "enjoy" us. Dress for food is water (Pramana from Upanishads)
Before and after eating the meal, water is sipped, once again with a mantra. The rishis of yore found this aspect of the ritual so important that they mention it in both of the largest Upanishads, the Brhadaranyaka and the Chhandogya, in virtually identical terms:
A) Chhandogya Upanishad , 5.2.1 & 2:
V-ii-1: He (the Prana) asked, 'What will be my food?' 'Whatever there is here, even (the food) of dogs and birds', replied the senses. Whatever is eaten, all that is the food of Ana. The name "Ana' indeed is self-evident. For him who knows thus there is nothing that is not food.
V-ii-2: He asked, 'What will be my garments ?' 'Water', replied the senses. Therefore, indeed, those who are about to eat, cover it, both before and after, with water. (He who knows thus) becomes the obtainer of clothes and of upper garments.
B) Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 6.1.14:
'......... (The vital force said:) 'Then what will be my food and my dress ?' (The organs said:) 'Whatever is (known as) food, including dogs, worms, insects and moths, is your food, and water your dress'. He who knows the food of the vital force to be such, never happens to eat anything that is not food, or to accept anything that is not food.
Therefore wise men who are versed in the Vedas sip a little water just before and after eating. They regard it as removing the nakedness of the vital force.'
C) Food, Water and Air:
Water is a purifier, and drinking water before and after Achamanam is a purifier and sustainer of the body. Furthermore, the yoga shastras recommend that we eat food to fill only half our stomach; one quarter of the stomach we should fill by drinking water. The rest one quarter should be air. This is supposed to be the ideal proportions for spiritual and bodily health.
D) 'Eat to live' or 'Live to eat'
Thirumoolar Thirumandhiram, 724:
'உடம்பார் அழியில் உயிரார் அழிவர்
திடம்பட மெய்ஞ்ஞானஞ் சேரவு மாட்டார்
உடம்பை வளர்க்கும் உபாயம் அறிந்தே
உடம்பை வளர்த்தேன் உயிர்வளர்த் தேனே'
"Udambaar Azhiyil Uyiraar Azhivar
Dhidampada Meignanam Seravum Maataar
Udambai Valarkkum Ubaayam Arindhae
Udambai Valarthaen Uyir Valarthaenae"
Meaning:
'Those who have their health destroyed, its as though they have destroyed their life. They would never attain salvation or realise the supreme being. Hence I learned the way to nurture my health. And thus I was able to nurture my life"
Thirumoolar Thirumandhiram, 725:
"உடம்பினை முன்னம் இழுக்கென் றிருந்தேன்
உடம்பினுக் குள்ளே யுறுபொருள் கண்டேன்
உடம்புளே உத்தமன் கோயில்கொண் டான் என்று
உடம்பினை யானிருந் தோம்புகின் றேனே"
"Udambinai Munnam Izhukkendru Irundhaen
Udambinukku Ullae Uru Porul Kandaen
Udambullae Uththaman Koyil Kondan Endru
Udambinai Yaanirundhu Ombukindraenae"
Meaning:
"I first thought the body was blemish. Then I realised that the Supreme Being existing in my body. In my body, the Supreme Being (Para Brahmam ) resides in a temple within. And hence I worship and nurture my physical body".
Udambu – Physical body
Munnam – Earlier
Izhukku – blemish, blame
Irundhaen – have an opinion, in this context
Ullae – Inside
Uru Porul – refers to the Supreme Being (Para Brahmam)
Uththaman – Flawless, Divine Human
Koyil – Temple
Kondan – Have, Reside
Yaanirundhu – Yaan (refers to self – Thirumoolar)+ Irundhu (exist, remain)
Ombukindraen – Worshipping, Nurturing
The religious attitude that God resides in one's body, is a great thought, that will to those religiously inclined will consider the body to be divine thing and will start to maintain it in good health. For the others who are not religiously inclined, they understand that their body.
Trust you will find the above observations interesting and educative because anything we do must have a meaning and we need to understand the significance of our act.
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