Brahmarpanam: The Food Prayer
Brahmarpanam Brahma Havir Brahmagnau Brahmanahutaṃ
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam Brahmakarma Samadhinah.
The act of offering is God. The oblation is God. By God it is offered into the Fire of God. God is That which is to be attained by him who performs action pertaining to God.
Word For Word Translation
brahmā: supreme spirit; arpañam: oblation, havih: butter, agnau: in the fire of consummation. brahmana: by the spirit soul. aahutam: offered. brahma: spiritual kingdom: eva: certainly. tena: by him. gantavyam: to be reached. brahma: spiritual. karma: in activities. samadhina: by complete absorption.
Aham Vaishvanaro Bhutva Praninam Ḍehamashritaha
Pranapana Samayuktah Pachamyannam Chaturvidham.
Becoming the life-fire in the bodies of living beings, mingling with the subtle breaths I digest the four kinds of food.
Word For Word Translation
aham: I. vaisvanarah: My plenary portion as the digesting fire. bhutva: becoming. praninam: of all living entities. deham: in the bodies. asritah: situated. prana: the outgoing air. apana: the down-going air. samayuktah: keeping in balance. pachami: I digest. annam: foodstuff. catuh-vidham: the four kinds.
The two verses are from the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter IV, Verse 24 and Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XV, Verse 14.
Swami's explanation of this prayer
We should partake food with a sathwic (pure, serene) mind. Our ancestors recommended the offering of food to God before partaking. Food so partaken becomes prasad (consecrated offering). Prayer cleanses the food of the three impurities caused by the absence of cleanliness of the vessel, cleanliness of the food stuff, and cleanliness in the process of cooking. It is necessary to get rid of these three impurities to purify the food, for pure food goes into the making of a pure mind. It is not possible to ensure the purity of the cooking process because we do not know what thoughts rage in the mind of the man who prepares the food. Similarly, we cannot ensure the cleanliness of the food ingredients because we do not know whether it was acquired in a righteous way by the person who sold it to us. Hence, it is essential on our part to offer food to God in the form of prayer so that these three impurities do not afflict our mind.
The prayer:
Brahmarpanam Brahma Havir Brahmagnau Brahmanahutaṃ
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam Brahmakarma Samadhinah.
Aham Vaishvanaro Bhutva Praninam Ḍehamashritaha
Pranapana Samayuktah Pachamyannam Chaturvidham.
Harir Data Harir Bhokta Harir Annam Prajapatih
Harir Vipra Sharirastu Bhunkte Bhojayate Harih.
The food thus offered to God is digested by 'Vaishwanara" in the digestive system. Since God exists in the form of fire as Vaishwanara, He digests the food along with the impurities. So, man will not be affected even if the impurities enter the food.
Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1993
Potency of Brahmaarpanam Mantra
"When I was in Brindavan in May this year, I had the opportunity to attend the morning talks at Sai Krishan Kalyana Mandap. On one of the days, Uncle Prahlad Rao gave a talk and he covered the potency of the food mantra stated below.
In the early days (70s if I recall), Swami had asked all the Brindavan campus college boys to join Him for lunch. At that time, only about 100 boys were there. Kirlian photographer Dr. Baranowski was also there and was invited for lunch. The sumptuous food was laid out on plates in front of the boys. The boys were waiting for Swami to come and join them. Dr. Baranowski then used his Kirlian camera and took photos of the food laid out on the plates. No aura was found around the plates of food.
Later, Swami arrived and joined the boys for lunch. The boys recited the Brahmaarpanam mantra before partaking the food. After the mantra was recited, Dr. Baranowski again took pictures of the food. This time, a blue aura was found around the plates of food. He was excited, but, having a scientific mind, asked Swami for the reason for the blue aura around the food. Swami said that the Brahmaarpanam mantra is a very powerful mantra and that after recitation, the food is converted to prasadam, since it has been offered to God. It further purifies the food and all items around it. That is why the blue aura was found around the plates of food after the mantra was recited.
The mantra and its meaning is given below.
Brahmarpanam Brahma Havir Brahmagnau Brahmanahutaṃ
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam Brahmakarma Samadhinah.
The whole creation being the gross projection of Brahman, the Cosmic Consciousness itself; the food too is Brahman, the process of offering it is Brahman; it is being offered in the fire of Brahman. He who thus sees that Brahman is action reaches Brahman alone.
Aham Vaishvanaro Bhutva Praninam Ḍehamashritaha
Pranapana Samayuktah Pachamyannam Chaturvidham.
I, the Supreme Spirit, abiding in the body of living beings as the Fire (Vaiswanara) in their stomach I am associated with their Prana and Apana, digest the four type of foods (solids, fluids, semi-fluid and liquid) which they eat.
Daily Prayers to Bhagwan, compiled by Smt. Kausalya Rani Raghwan