Transcription
Imagine you are standing in the sanctum sanctorum of an ancient temple. There is silence all around, and a sacred fire is burning in the center. You are offering ghee and grain into that fire. This is a Yajna. A sacred ritual. [Music] Now open your eyes and look at your present. You are sitting at your dining table. A phone is in one hand, [Music] the stress of the office is in your mind, and with the other hand, you are quickly putting food into your mouth. What if I told you there is no difference between these two scenes? What if I told you that your stomach is that Havan Kund, and what you simply understand as the digestive system, is God himself. [Music] Within the pages of the Chandogya Upanishad lies a knowledge called Vaishvanara [Music] Vidya. This knowledge tells us that eating food [Music] is not a physical compulsion, but the greatest spiritual act of the universe. We do not eat food. We offer oblations to a hungry god [Music] residing within us. But in today's hurried [Music] life, we have forgotten this truth. Today, for us, food [Music] is merely a calculation of calories or the taste of the tongue. We read emails while eating. We fight while eating. We watch violence or disturbing news on screens while eating. Just pause and think, if you were to throw garbage in front of the idol of God in a temple, or stand there and shout [Music], wouldn't that be an insult? The Chandogya Upanishad states that when you eat food in stress, anger, or restlessness, you are offering poison instead of nectar [Music] to that Vaishvanara deity within you. What science calls hydrochloric acid, spirituality calls Jatharagni. But this fire is not just acid. It is the cosmic [Music] eater that drives this entire universe. The same fire that burns in the sun, [Music] the same fire that gives energy to the stars, the same fire exists within you [Music] as a small ember. The Rishis of the Upanishads asked a very profound question. Who is it that, residing within us, digests this food [Music] and transforms it into life? The answer is the Atman Vaishvanara. [Music] Vishwa and Nara, meaning the energy that is equally pervasive in all [Music] humanity. Whether you are Hindu, Muslim, an atheist or an agnostic, this hunger within you and this fire that quenches it is one and the same. This fire never sleeps. Even when you [Music] sleep, it is transforming your food into blood, marrow, and life force. It is the engineer within you that creates living cells [Music] from inanimate food. In today's video, we will not just talk about an ancient philosophy. We will talk about [Music] that Eating Yajna which, by adopting it, you can cure your diseases, [Music] eradicate your mental stress from its roots, and change your relationship with food forever. If you are eating under stress, you are not making yourself sick. You are disrespecting [Music] the god within you. Let us learn about that [Music] mysterious Vaishvanara Vidya of the Chandogya Upanishad, which will transform your food plate into a spiritual experience. [Music] Get ready, because now every single bite of your food is going to become a [Music] prayer. Now the question arises, where did this Vaishvanara [Music] Vidya come from? For this, we have to turn the wheel of time back thousands of years and reach that [Music] era of the Chandogya Upanishad where the pursuit of knowledge was the ultimate goal of life. This story begins with five great householders and sages. These were not ordinary people. Ancient Shala, Satya Yajna, Indradumna, [Music] Jana, and Budhil. They were all profound scholars of the Vedas. [Music] But they had a deep question in their minds. What is the Atman, and what is this Brahman, the cosmic energy? They wanted to know this truth deeply. [Music] To quench their curiosity, they approached Arshi Udala Aruni. [Music] But Udala also thought that perhaps he too did not have the complete answer to this profound mystery. [Music] So, they all went together to King Ashwapati Kaikeya. [Music] King Ashwapati was a ruler who not only governed a kingdom but was also a great knower of Brahma Vidya. King Ashwapati asked each of the sages one by one, whom do you worship? Where do you see God? One said, [Music] "I worship space." The king smiled and said, space is merely the head of that Virat Purusha. Another said, I worship the sun. The king said, the sun is merely the eye [Music] of that God. The third mentioned air, the fourth, the sky, [Music] and the fifth, water. Each time, the king explained to them that whatever they considered God was only a small part [Music] of that Virat Vaishvanara Atman. The sages realized their limited [Music] understanding. Then King Ashwapati told them the ultimate truth [Music] which is the basis of our video today. He said, you are searching for that God outside in various forms. But that Vaishvanara resides within you [Music] as an Angushtha Matra, an ember the size of a thumb. The Virat [Music] Purusha who is spread throughout this entire universe, is also present in your stomach's Jatharagni as the same energy. This chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad, [Music] chapter five, sections 11 to 18, tells us that God is not sitting far away [Music] above the clouds. He is pervading our body's structure as the Vaishvanara [Music] fire. King Ashwapati explained to the sages that if you neglect this inner [Music] fire and search for God outside in temples, you are incomplete. This is where Vaishvanara Vidya originates. The king taught the sages that when we eat food, [throat clearing sound] it is not just about nourishing the body, [Music] but about worshipping that inner fire. He gave a wonderful analogy. Just as ghee is offered in the Agnihotra Yajna, similarly, every morsel eaten while sitting before the food plate is an offering [Music] to that Vaishvanara deity. Think how revolutionary this philosophy is. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors knew [Music] that the subtle and the cosmic are one and the same. The sun that energizes the universe in the sky, the same sun, as Vaishvanara in our stomach, [Music] energizes our life. If you understand this source, then eating food becomes a meditation. [Music] Let's delve a little deeper. In the language of science, when we eat food, hydrochloric [Music] acid and various enzymes are released in our stomach. They break down the food, convert it into liquid, and mix it with blood. Modern science calls this metabolism. But Vaishvanara Vidya says [Music] that here science ends and consciousness begins. [Music] In the 14th verse of the 15th chapter of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna himself says, Aham Vaishvanaro Bhutva Pranana [Music] Dehamashritah Pranana Panasam Yukta Pachamyam Chaturvidha, meaning, I myself become the Vaishvanara fire and reside in the bodies of all [Music] living beings, and I, along with Prana and Apana Vayu, digest the four types of food. [Music] Notice, Krishna is not saying he is helping you as God, [Music] but he is saying that he himself is that fire. This means that the ability to digest food [Music] is not just a chemical reaction. It is a biological [Music] intelligence. What is the difference between acid and Vaishvanara? Acid is an inanimate chemical. But Vaishvanara [Music] is a living force. Have you ever wondered why, when you are very scared or angry, the same stomach that could digest stones cannot digest even a roti? [Music] Why does this happen? Because that fire is not just a physical element. It is connected to your emotions and [Music] consciousness. Vaishvanara means that which is equally pervasive in all humans, Nara. [Music] This fire does not just burn food. It transforms food into life force. [Music] It is a wonderful alchemy. You eat an inanimate apple, and through the Vaishvanara fire, it transforms into your living [Music] thoughts, your words, and your energy to act. Can any lab recreate this? No. This transformation is possible only in the presence of God [Music] Vaishvanara. Why is it called the Cosmic Eater? Because in this universe, there is a law of energy. One thing eats another so that life continues. The sun eats the earth with its rays. [Music] The ocean eats the clouds, and we eat grains. [Music] This process of eating is the process of creation. When we consider it merely as acid, we become careless. We eat anything, anytime, [Music] and in any way. But when we consider it as Vaishvanara, our entire [Music] mindset changes. You do not throw garbage into a burning sacred fire. You offer oblations into it with great thought [Music] and reverence. This is where Ayurveda and the Upanishads meet. Ayurveda says, Roga Sarvepi Mandagni [Music] meaning, the root of all diseases is weak Agni. And the Upanishads say that the Agni became weak because you forgot the existence of Vaishvanara. [Music] Next time you feel hungry, feel that it is not your stomach that is hungry, but that small sun residing within you. [Music] That God is asking for an offering, and when you eat with this feeling, that food not only fills your stomach, [Music] but it satisfies your soul. Now we are reaching the center of that mysterious process which the Chandogya Upanishad [Music] calls Prana Agnihotra. Have you ever thought about what you are actually doing when you sit before a plate of food? The Upanishads say that you are not just filling [Music] a hungry stomach, but you are organizing the most sacred ritual of the universe, a Yajna. [Music] In ancient times, Rishi Munis performed great Yajnas in forests. They would select sacred woods. Bring pure ghee, [Music] and offer oblations into the fire with mantras. But the Chandogya Upanishad tells us a wonderful truth. [Music] It says that this body of yours is the Yajna Shala. Your tongue is the spoon [Music] with which you offer oblations. Your teeth are the grinding stones for that oblation, and the Vaishvanara fire of your stomach is the deity [Music] for whom this entire ceremony is organized. Now, what is the correct way to perform this Yajna? [Music] The Upanishads teach us the method of Prana Agnihotra. This method is an ancient and much deeper version of today's mindful [Music] eating. According to the Upanishads, when you start eating, the first five morsels are very important. These are called Prana Ahutis. [Music] In ancient times, before starting to eat, a little water was taken in the palm [Music] and circled around the plate, and some mantras were chanted. [Music] This was not superstition. It was a mental switch that sent a message [Music] to your brain: Be alert. A sacred [Music] act is about to begin. When you put the first morsel into your mouth, it is the first offering. The Upanishads say, Pranaya Swaha. [Music] This offering is for our Prana, which is the life force within us. The second offering is Vyanaya Swaha. [Music] This is for the energy that circulates throughout the body through blood. The third offering is Apanaya Swaha. [Music] This is for the energy that expels waste products from the body. [Music] The fourth offering is Samanaya Swaha. This is for the energy [Music] that digests food in a balanced way. The fifth offering is Udanaya Swaha. This is for the energy that elevates our thoughts and consciousness. [Music] Think, if you eat with the feeling that your first five morsels are satisfying these five [Music] Pranas, would you ever be able to eat while watching TV or shouting? Absolutely not. [Music] When you say Swaha, it means, I completely dedicate this. An offering in a Yajna is never thrown away. It is placed with great respect [Music] at the feet of the fire. Similarly, chewing food is not just [Music] about making it smaller, but it is about refining [Music] that oblation so that the Vaishvanara fire can accept it easily. There is another deep point here. Stale or impure [Music] ingredients are never put into a Yajna. If your stomach is a Havan Kund, would you throw garbage into it? Would you put food into it that has rotten or has no life energy, no Prana left? When you start considering food as a Yajna, [Music] your choices automatically change. You only put things on your plate that are worthy of that inner deity. Today's science also says that when we see food, touch it, and smell it, [Music] the cephalic phase is activated in our brain. Digestive juices start preparing in our stomach. [Music] The Upanishads called this preparation for the Yajna thousands of years ago. When you touch food with your hands, [Music] energy flows from your fingertips and connects with the food. That is why eating with hands is so important in Indian tradition. This touch makes the oblation alive. But [Music] what is the biggest condition for this Yajna? That condition is silence. In ancient times, the rule was to remain silent while eating. Why? Because if you speak, if you think, if you are distracted, your attention will shift from that inner fire, and if the Yajamana's attention shifts from the Yajna, the oblation is not accepted. Yajna itself means sacrifice and surrender. When you place a morsel in your mouth, you are sacrificing your hunger to satisfy [Music] that fire, and in return, that fire gives you radiance, तेज (Tejas), and life as Prasad. This is why the Chandogya [Music] Upanishad says that the person who eats knowing this Vaishvanara Vidya, all their sins [Music] are burnt and reduced to ashes, just as dry grass burns to ash in fire. Eating is not just repairing the body. It is an opportunity for the purification [Music] of the soul. But what will happen if we pour the ghee of stress and anger into this sacred fire? What will happen if we offer food to that God [Music] but also serve our hatred and anxiety along with it? In the next part, we will learn how our stress becomes poison for that Vaishvanara fire and how we are unknowingly making ourselves sick. So far, we have understood that eating is a Yajna and our stomach is a sacred Kund. But now, a bitter truth. Imagine you have gone to a grand temple. The priest is chanting mantras. [Music] The sacred fire is burning, and suddenly someone comes and throws garbage, dirty water, and poison into that fire. [Music] How would you feel? You would be disturbed, wouldn't you? [Music] This is the tragedy we inflict upon ourselves every day. The Upanishads say that Vaishvanara and the deity do not just ask for food. They also ask for your reverence and peace. When you eat while responding to emails under office stress, or remembering some old bitterness, [Music] you are offering mental poison, not nectar, to that inner deity. Look at it from the perspective of modern science. Our body works in two modes: Rest and Digest, [Music] or Fight or Flight. When you are stressed, your brain [Music] thinks there is a lion chasing you. It pulls all the blood from the digestive [Music] system and sends it to the muscles of the legs and hands so you can run. As a result, your digestive system shuts down. At that time, your stomach cannot produce the acid or enzymes needed to digest food. Now look from a spiritual perspective. Your Vaishvanara fire starts to extinguish or becomes imbalanced. According to the Chandogya Upanishad, if the fire is not right, the oblation turns into Aama. Aama means that raw, undigested waste [Music] that creates toxins in your body. This is the fever that later takes the form of diseases like cholesterol, sugar, uric acid, and cancer. [Music] We often think we are sick because we are eating the wrong food. But the truth is, we are sick [Music] because we are eating with the wrong feeling. Even a fruit eaten in anger can become poison [Music] for the body, whereas even dry, simple food eaten with a calm mind and gratitude becomes Ojas, i.e., [Music] divine life force. Stress defiles the Yajna within you. [Music] When you worry while eating, that worry releases cortisol into your blood, which makes that fire acidic. [Music] You are offering food mixed with your anxieties to God himself. Have you ever noticed? When you are very sad or very angry, your appetite disappears. This is a signal from the Vaishvanara deity [Music] that I am not ready to accept an offering right now. But what do we do? We force-feed ourselves anyway. This is the greatest disrespect [Music] to that deity. Remember, that fire does not just burn food. It also digests your thoughts. If your thoughts are poisonous, then your nourishment will also be poisonous. [Music] Vaishvanara Vidya warns us. Before sitting before your plate, leave your stress outside, just like you leave your shoes. Because you are not standing at a dining table, [Music] but at an altar. So, what is the solution? How do we preserve the sanctity of this Yajna amidst the stress of modern life? For this, we need to learn some simple but powerful practices, which we will discuss in the next part. Now the question is, how do we make this great Vaishvanara Vidya a part of our hurried [Music] life? Here are three simple modern rituals that will transform every meal into a powerful Yajna. First formula: 30-second [Music] pause. Before taking the first morsel of food, close your eyes for 30 seconds. [Music] Take a deep breath and send a message to your brain: I am safe. [Music] This small pause shifts your nervous system from Fight and Flight mode to [Music] Rest and Digest mode. This is a call to ignite the Vaishvanara fire within you. [Music] Second formula: Vision of the Source. Look at your plate not just as food, but as the energy of the sun. Remember [Music] that this grain contains the sun's heat, the clouds' water, and a farmer's sweat. When you look at food with gratitude, [Music] the enzymes in your saliva change. [Music] This is the preparation for the Yajna. Third formula: Digital Fasting. Completely switch off your phone, laptop, or [Music] TV while eating. The screen is like a thief that takes your consciousness away from the inner deity. When you eat while looking at the screen, the Vaishvanara [Music] fire gets confused, and digestion remains incomplete. Fourth formula: 32 Ahutis. Consider your teeth as the mortar of the Yajna. Chew every morsel so well that it becomes liquid. This act of chewing is like refining [Music] the oblation so that the Vaishvanara deity can accept it easily. These practices are very simple to implement, but their effect is miraculous. They will not only improve your digestion [Music] but also enhance your Ojas and Tejas. Finally, remember a profound truth. You are not just a puppet of flesh and bones. [Music] You are a walking, living temple. The Vaishvanara Vidya of the Chandogya Upanishad [Music] teaches us that the hunger within us and the fire that quenches it is the form of God himself. When you realize this truth, [Music] your entire lifestyle changes. Eating now becomes not just filling the stomach, but a prayer. True health does not just come from [Music] what you are eating, but from the feeling with which you are eating. If you eat with peace and gratitude, even simple food becomes Ojas and divine energy. Starting today, practice five deep breaths before your next meal and share in the comments how [Music] this small change has transformed your digestion and energy. Respect that divine fire within you. Do not let it be defiled by stress and anger. [Music] Remember, God is in every particle of your body. And in your every offering. Bow to the Vaishya Varna Deva within you. [Music] Jai Hind.