The Vedic traditions on eating food

Maharshi Vedavyasa has stated in Kurma Purana (1.2.19.19): “Whatever is eaten wearing shoes should be considered demonic (asura) in nature.” In Vedic tradition eating food is a very sacred affair. It isa form of fire worship (yajna) in which food is offered to the divine fire present within every being’s stomach as ‘Vaishvanara’ – “Becoming the fire of life I dwell in the bodies of all living creatures.” (Bhagavad Gita 15.14) With this awareness the daily intake of our meals becomes a form of meditation and worship of light. Our food becomes sacred and sanctified as an offering to the omnipresent divinity residing within each one of us. The Maharshis of the Krishna Yajur Veda (Taittiriya Upanishad 3.2) realized that “Food is Brahman (a manifestation of the Supreme Life Force).” Our life completely depends on it. Therefore, we should consume our food with respect, awareness and mindfulness, and ideally, in silence. This will also enable us to find out the proper quantity of our meals and prevent us from overeating, a great killer of humanity, as the Shukla Yajur Veda (Shatapatha Brahmana 7.2.2.17) states: “Only food eaten in proper quantity protects. If eaten too much, it destroys. If eaten too less, it fails to protect properly.” Someone who lacks this awareness consumes food for sheer enjoyment of the senses and, therefore, is called ‘asura’ – someone who lives only for the selfish enjoyment of his/her own senses. In our ignorance we are all born as ‘asuras’. But the Vedic traditions show us the path to transform ourselves from ‘asuras’ into ‘manushyas’ (thinking beings, human beings), and then, eventually, into ‘devas’ (radiant/enlightened beings). It must be noted that eating pure and wholesome food in a balanced amount is considered a great form of austerity (tapas) in the Yogic traditions (see Yogasudhakara commentary on Yoga Sutra 2.1) The Paka-shastras (Vedic cooking manuals) were inspired by such noble Vedic traditions.