Before having food

Before having food

Three short verses chanted before a meal. The first is Bhagavad Gita 15.14, where Krishna says he lives in every body as Vaishvanara — the fire of digestion — and works with the in-breath and out-breath to digest the four kinds of food: chewed, swallowed, sucked, and licked. The second is Gita 4.24, the famous brahmārpaṇam line: the offering, the fire, and the one who offers are all Brahman, so eating becomes a sacrifice. The third is the closing verse of Adi Shankara's Annapurna Stotram, asking Parvati, goddess of Kashi, for alms — not just food, but knowledge and dispassion.