The person proposing to eat, washes his feet, does achamanam twice and cleans a space in his front with water mixing with it a little of cow’s urine. On the spot thus [[०९९]] [[९४]]
cleaned he places a plantain leaf after cleaning it well with water. A vessel filled with water is placed on his right side and he sits in front of the leaf. He should not sit at any time facing west but he may choose anyone of the remaining three. In his right hand he is expected to have a golden pavitram (a form of ring) on his ring finger and if he does not possess one he should make a pavitra out of darbha and put it on that finger.
Then he sits and his wife or some other person serves the various things cooked on the leaf. After this service he keeps both his hands in a saluting posture (“Kūppikkondu”)
and prays saying “asmākam nityamastvetat.” This means “Let this food be perpetual to us.” He afterwards sprinkles water over his food saying “Om bhūrbhuvassuvah and does śōshana, dahana and plavanam. By repeating astra mantra he does digbandhanam and offers the food to the antaryamin (God who is inside his body).
In case one eats in another’s house, he should offer mentally to his archai everything and to his antaryamin afterwards. Then he takes water in his right hand poured by his wife or some other person and with it and placing his legs so as to touch the ground he does parishechanam twice. To obtain this water he should not hold his hand across his food and the water poured into his hand should not fall on any vessel. While doing parishechanam he must repeat the mantra Om bhūrbhuvassuvah” (the names of lokas) “Satyam tvartēna parishinchami” (I sprinkle Agni around you who is Surya.) If it is night he is expected to use the words “Om bhūrbhuvassuvah” the names of lokas “Rtam tvā satyēna parishinchami” (I sprinkle Sūrya around you who is Agni).
He should then in his right hand receive a small quantity of sacred water used in the worship of God and drink it saying “Amrtopastaranamasi,” as he does during Achamanam. Then he should do prānāhuti. He should hold the leaf on the left side in one place with his left thumb and the first and second fingers (really second and third if thumb is counted as the first), and using his thumb, middle finger and ring finger he should lift the food and place it in his mouth and while doing so he should repeat the words “Prānāya svāhā” Apānāya svāhā "" Vyanaya svāha" “Udanaya svaha” “Samānāya svāha.” “I offer this (small quantity of cooked rice) to Prana. I offer this (small quantity of cooked rice) to Apana. I offer this (small quantity of cooked rice) to Vyana. I offer this (small quantity of cooked rice) to Udana. I offer this (small quantity of cooked rice)
to Samana and take as many handfuls of food (cooked rice with ghee).” After putting into his mouth the cooked food he repeats in the interval “Praṇāyēdam na mama,” “Apanāyēdam na mama,” “Vyānāyēdam na mama,” “Udānāyēdam na mama Samānāyēdam na mama.” This when translated runs thus:-“This is for Prana and it does not belong to me.
This is for Apana and it does not belong to me. This is for Vyana and it does not belong to me. This is for Udana and it does not belong to me This is for Samana and it does not belong to me.” While thus taking the food into his mouth, he should think of God in the jatharagni and do homam mentally. It is only after fully swallowing one ahuti (quantity of food put in the mouth) another ahuti is taken into the mouth. The swallowing is so done that the food in the mouth does not come in contact with the teeth.
[[१००]] After taking five morsels and repeating the mantras stated above, he should repeat as the last mantra “Brahmaṇima atma mrtatvaya” (May my jivātma merge in Paramatma for the sake of moksha.)
Then he cleans his left hand which was holding the leat by means of water poured over the fingers by his wife or some other person. Until this time he should be quiet without uttering anything except repeating the mantras already stated above Then he begins to eat the various things served on the leaf and which were offered to God previously. He should not take anything that is prohibited by rules During eating if he wants anything he may ask for it He may also talk to persons eating with him, provided the talk is to show respect to them in serving things. If he is forced to speak about anything outside the food, he should repeat “Om bhūrbhuvassuvah " (the lokas Om bhūh, Bhuvah and Suvah) and then begin to eat again. Fruits, and bhakshyas should be broken into pieces by the fingers and while doing so the nails should not come in contact with these articles. For the Vadagalais things that should not be taken as food are described by Vedanta Deśika in a book called “Aharaniyamam,” which consists of twenty-one stanzas in Tamil.
While eating, he should not be standing or place his legs on the seat. He should always do achamana before eating. He should not wear a single cloth, cover his body and head, touch another person, or be hearing the speeches of Sūdras, and women in menses. While eating in a line with others he should not get up in the middle. If he is obliged to get up, he should draw a line by using water, fire, a pole, or darbha between himself and his neighbour and then get up. From the vessel containing water he may drink once and he should not use the same water again. In case he has to partake the same water he has to pour on the floor some quantity of water from it and then use the water for drinking. While eating after swallowing every morsel he should repeat the name of God as Govinda. After eating to his satisfaction he removes the pavitra of darbha and holding it between the pavitra finger and the next one and receives the water for “Uttarāpōśanam.” While drinking this water poured into his right hand he has to repeat “Amrtapidhānamasi.” A small quantity of water must be left in the hand without sipping the whole quantity. This water which remains in the hand is poured on the left side of the leaf repeating “Rowrave punyanilayē padmarbuda nivasināmarthināmudakam datta makshayya mupatishthatu.” This when translated runs as follows:–“This water is offered to those who have been longing for salvation by having been confined in Raurava Hell, the abode of sinners, for many many millions of years. May this undecaying offering please them.” The darbha between the fingers is thrown below the leaf. After uttarāpōśanam the leaf should not be touched After getting up from the place, he goes out, cleans his hand and washes his mouth thrice and spits out the water each time on the left side. He may use some powder to clean his mouth and while doing so he uses water to finally clean his mouth १३ times and uses stick to remove dirt. The water put in the mouth for cleaning the mouth should not be swallowed but should be spitted out. The teeth should not be touched and washed by [[१०१]] He cleans his hands and legs and does achamanam. Then sitting he repeats “Pranānām grandhirasi rudromā viśāntakastenānnenāpyāyasva” (oh Ahankara that is in my heart! you are inseparably united to my praṇa. May your presiding deity that is known by the name of Rudra being a destroyer of miseries enter into my body. May the food taken by me grow my body.) and touches his chest.
After this he repeats “Angushtha matrah purushōngushtamcha samāśritaḥ . Iśaḥ sarvasya jagataḥ prabhūḥ prīṇāti viśvabhuk”. This in English runs thus:-” Paramatma of the size of one’s own thumb lives in the space within the heart. He governs the whole world.
He is the master. May he be pleased by this food". Taking water in the hand he pours it down in such a way that it trickles through the right hand on the right toe. Afterwards touching the belly he repeats the following mantra:–" Śraddhayam praṇēniviśyā mṛtagm hutam pranamannēnāpāyasva, apāně naviśyāmrtam hutam apānamanne nāpyāyasva vyānē niviśyāmrtagm hutam vyānamannēnāpyayasva . udanēniviśyāmrtam hutam udānamanne nāpyāyasva . samānē niviśyāmrtagm hutam samānamānne napyāyasva . brahmanima ātmā amṛtatvāya." This runs in English thus:– “With due reverence to vaidic observances and with great respect to Pranavāyu this imperishable and sweet oblation has been offered. Oh presiding deity of Pranavāyu! may this food increase you.
With great respect to Apana this imperishable and sweet oblation has been offered.
Oh presiding deity of Apana!. May this food increase you.
With great respect to Vyana this imperishable and sweet oblation has been offered.
Oh presiding deity of Vyana! may this food increase you.
With great respect to Udana this imperishable and sweet oblation has been offered.
Oh presiding deity of Udana! may this food increase you.
With great respect to Samana this imperishable and sweet oblation has been offered.
Oh presiding deity of Samana! may this food increase you.
May my Jivātmā merge in Paramatma for the sake of moksha.” Next he sees the sun repeating “Udutyam Viśvāyasūryam.” This in English is as follows:—“The well-known and one who knows all beings that are born so that the whole world may see the sun.” After this he touches the stomach (belly) repeating the following:- “Vishnuratta tathaivāham parināmaścha vai sadā . satyēna tēna me bhuktam jīryatvannamidam tatah”. “The eater of the food is Vishnu. I too am Vishnu. The changes that are always going on are Vishnu. I have eaten according to this principle. Let the food be digested.” To those who take food with him, he presents betel leaves and nuts that were offered to God and then he takes the same for his own use. In chewing he must first put into his mouth the leaf and then only the nuts Then repeating “Bhagavānēva Ijyākhyēna “Krtancha ijyakhyam” he concludes by saying Vasudevah.” [[१०२]]