Food for Spiritual Life.

Ancient texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, and Ayurveda describe a "sattvic" diet as the most correct and beneficial food for humans. The core teaching is that food influences one's mental and physical state, as well as their spiritual consciousness. The texts categorise food into three qualities, or Gunas.

Satvic food is the ideal diet for a peaceful, healthy and spiritual balance. It not only nurtures the body but also elevates the mind and spirit, guiding towards a more balanced and harmonious life. The diet includes fresh seasonal fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, honey, fresh herbs and dairy products free from animal rennet. 

 

Rajasic foods are overly stimulating and include items that are excessively spicy, salty, sour, or bitter. Onions, garlic, coffee, and tea are also considered Rajasic and can lead to agitation and restlessness.

Tamasic foods are stale, heavy, processed, and impure. This category includes meat, fish, and intoxicating drinks as well as leftovers kept for too long. Tamasic food is believed to dull the mind, increase ignorance, and promote lethargy. 

The correct food for humans is not merely about nutrients, but about the spiritual intent behind its consumption.  The Bhagavad Githa states that devotees who eat food offered to the Lord as a sacrifice are freed from sin, while those who cook only for personal enjoyment "verily eat only sin". Food that has been prepared with devotion and offered to the divine is called Prasadam(oblation), which is considered spiritually pure and frees one from negative karma. Consuming meat is considered tamasic and creates negative karmic reactions due to the violence involved in taking a life 

The ancient texts do not present a single, monolithic dietary code, and interpretations vary.  Historically, different social classes followed different dietary rules. In the Mahabharata, for example, Kshatriyas (warriors) are described as eating meat. Some texts, like the Manusmriti, permit eating meat in mitigating circumstances, such as when one's life is in danger. The most emphatic recommendations for a sattvic, vegetarian diet are directed toward those seeking a path of deep spiritual meditation and self-realisation, as this diet is most conducive to a peaceful mind. 

In this world, food is not merely what sustains the body but also shapes the mind and character. Shri  Krishna had explained that the mode of goodness is pure, illuminating, and serene, and creates a sense of happiness and satisfaction. Foods in the mode of goodness have the same effect.

Lord Sri Krishna in Bhagavath Githa, in the following Chapters  14, verse 6 and 17, verse 8, enlightens us:  

                                                      'tatra sattvam nirmalatvat prakasakamanamauvam

        sukhasangena badhnati jnana sangena cangha'

Out of these, sattva guṇa, the mode of goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating and full of wellbeing. O sinless one, it binds the soul by creating attachment for a sense of happiness and knowledge.

                                            'ayuh-sattva-balarogya-sukha-priti-vivardhana

                                              rasyah-snigdhah sthira hrdya aharah sattvika-priyah'

Foods dear to those in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one's existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction.  Such foods are juicy,  fatty, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart.

The following is the short story in Mahabharath which explains us about the sattvic food prepared with the though of love. 

Once, before the great war of Kurukshetra, Lord Sri Krishna came to Hastinapura as a messenger of peace. His purpose was to persuade Duryodhana, the Kaurava prince, to return the rightful share of the kingdom to the Pandavas and avoid bloodshed. 

Duryodhana, however, had no intention to listen. Yet, driven by pride and political cunning, he thought, “If I can host Krishna in my palace and serve Him grandly, He will surely favour me.” So Duryodhana prepared an elaborate banquet — golden plates, rich delicacies, dancers, and musicians. His heart, though, was filled not with love but with ego and self-interest.

When Krishna entered the palace, Duryodhana bowed and said, " O Madhava, please honour me by accepting my humble feast.”

Krishna looked at him with a gentle smile. "O Duryodhana, I have not come to Hastinapura for food or luxury. I have come to uphold dharma and to bring peace. I cannot eat the food that comes from pride and injustice.” Duryodhana was stunned. “Why, O Krishna? Is my food not fit for You?” Krishna replied softly, “Food is not judged by its flavour or fragrance, but by the purity of the heart that offers it. You may have filled your palace with gold, but it is empty of love.”

Saying this, Krishna left the palace and walked straight to the humble home of Vidura, the wise and devoted Minister. Vidura had nothing grand to offer — only simple bananas with delight, for they were soaked in devotion. Smiling, Krishna said, “Vidura, your love has made this the sweetest meal I have ever tasted.”

At that very moment, the fragrance of divine joy spread across the humble house, while Duryodhana’s palace, though filled with food, felt empty and cold.

The Chandogya Upanishad (7.26.2) declares:

                        "āhāraśuddhau sattvaśuddhau dhruvā smṛtiḥ smṛtilambhe

                         sarvagranthīnāṃ vipramokṣastasmai mṛditakaṣāyāya 

                         tamasaspāraṃ darśayati".

 

 

If one eats pure food, one's mind becomes pure.  If the mind is pure, one's memory becomes strong and steady.  If the memory is good, one becomes free from all bondages. 

The Upnishadic view of food is an ethical and spiritual one, where eating is a sacred act of nurturing the self for a higher purpose.  For a spiritual aspirant, food should be treated as medicine eaten to sustain life, not for the gratification of the senses.

Dhruvasmrithi declares: Pure food and mind lead to a strong, unwavering memory of the self, which frees the individual from worldly attachments. 

 

The Chandogya Upanishad illustrates this by recounting how the sage Uddalaka instructed his son Svetakethu to fast. After completing his education in the Vedas, Svetaketu returned home to his father, Uddalaka. Filled with pride, he was boastful and believed he had acquired all possible knowledge. To humble his son and teach him a deeper lesson, Uddalaka posed a question: "Have you inquired for that knowledge by which what has not been heard becomes heard, what has not been thought becomes thought, what has not been known becomes known?".

Svetaketu admitted that his teachers had never mentioned such knowledge. When his father agreed to teach him, Uddalaka asked his son to fast for 15 days, instructing him to only drink water during this period. At the end of the fortnight, Svetaketu was exhausted and could no longer remember or recite the Vedas he had so painstakingly memorised. Uddalaka then told his son to eat. Once Svetaketu was nourished, his mind was revitalised, and his memory of the Vedas was fully restored, proving that the mind's functionality depends on food.

Our mind is intimately connected to the food we eat. He explained that just as the subtle part of churned milk becomes butter, the most subtle part of the food we consume rises and becomes the mind. The fasting had caused 15 of its 16 parts to diminish, leaving only a tiny ember. The memory of the Vedas had faded because the mind's power had been starved.

Aurveda's view: It teaches that "Ahara is Mahabhaisajya," meaning that food is the greatest medicine.  The right food(freshly prepared), in proper measure and with gratitude, maintains the balance of body and mind. 

The following story reveals how even a saint, pure and detached, was disturbed when he unknowingly partook of food earned through dishonest means. It reminds us that righteousness (Dharma) must be the foundation of all that we consume and share.

Long ago, a revered saint named Swami Anantadas lived. His heart was as tranquil as a still lake, and his very presence brought peace to all beings. He lived simply, begging alms, meditating under trees, and blessing whoever came to him.

One day, a rich merchant named Dhanapala invited the saint to his home. “O Holy One,” he said, “please accept my humble offering. It will be my great fortune to serve you,” Swami Anantadas agreed out of compassion, seeing the merchant’s eagerness.

That evening, the saint was received with grand arrangements—golden plates, fragrant garlands, and a lavish spread of dishes. The food was delicious, and the saint ate quietly. After eating the food, the saint took the golden plate on which the food had been served to him, stealthily put it in his bag, as it was a valuable one, blessed his host, and left the host's house. 

But that night, a strange thing occurred. When Swami Anantadas sat for meditation, his mind—usually calm as moonlight—became restless. Unwanted thoughts arose; anger and anxiety clouded his peace. He felt as though his inner flame had dimmed.

He was astonished. “O Lord,” he prayed, “what impurity has touched me today?”

In the stillness of dawn, during deep introspection, he saw the truth through his inner vision. The food he had eaten was tainted—not by the cook’s hands, but by the source of its earnings. The merchant had built his wealth through deceit and falsehood. Such wealth, when converted into food, carries its own vibration of unrighteousness.

The saint realised that even a morsel of adharmic food can disturb the finest state of mind. The next morning, he went to the merchant’s house again—not in anger, but with compassion.

Swami Anantadas said softly, “ My son, yesterday I accepted your food. But I lost my peace after eating it. Know that food is not dead matter—it carries the life and intention of the one who earns and offers it. When wealth is impure, food becomes impure, and the eater shares that impurity.” It makes me steal the golden plate. Saying that he returned the golden plate and felt ashamed of his act. The merchant fell at his feet, trembling. “O revered one, forgive me! My business has not been honest. I thought feeding saints would wash away my sins.”

The saint smiled kindly: “Purity cannot come by feeding others with dishonest earnings. Let truth be your greatest wealth. When you earn by righteousness, even a handful of rice will shine brighter than gold.”

From that day, Dhanapala changed his ways. He earned through honest trade, shared with the needy, and lived a life of truth. When the saint visited again after some months, he accepted the food once more.

This time, his meditation deepened beyond all measure, and he felt a wave of divine bliss. The food was simple—but pure, and filled with the fragrance of dharma.

The teachings of Sri Ramchandraji, the founder of Sahajmarg, resonate with what is said supra about "ahara suddhau sattva suddhih" in Chandyogopanishad.  The purity of food directly influences the purity of thoughts. Vegetarian, fresh, and non-violent food prepared with love and consumed with gratitude keeps the inner atmosphere serene. He gently guided his disciples to adopt a sattvic diet that promotes peace, clarity, and compassion, aligning naturally with the principle of Ahimsa. By cultivating simplicity in food, moderation in quantity, and sanctity in attitude, one naturally attunes to the higher vibrations of God. Even when we take food, if the thought of God is maintained, the act becomes sacred. Before eating, one may silently offer the food to the Divine, thinking "Oh God, may this food purify my body and mind so that I may serve you better". Such remembrance converts ordinary food into Prasadam (oblation) sanctified by the presence of God in one's heart.

When food is pure, the mind becomes pure.  When the mind is pure, remembrance of God flows naturally. Food is not only a nourishment for the body. It is a carrier of subtle vibrations.