The seventh chapter of Chandogya Upanishad is
titled “Bhuma Vidya” (Art of Living on Earth) is a conversation between Sage
Narada and Sanatkumara. In this section Sanatkumara reveals the knowledge of Self-supported, Self-sufficient, Self-complete
phenomena called Brahman. In the section 26 explaining the Primacy of Self Sanathkumara
says,
“Aharasuddhau Sattvashuddhi, Sattvasuddhau
Dhruva Smritihi, Smritilambhe Sarva Granthi Vipramokshah”
Meaning: “By purity of food, the inner nature is pure.
Memory is sharp for those who have pure inner nature. When memory is sharp one
can think of the path to Liberation.”
When I looked into the commentary of this
particular verse by Sri Sri Sankara, I was amazed to know about the explanation
given. I wish to share my understanding here. One can derive different meaning
from one Sanskrit word, this word “Ahara” too is such. If we stop at thinking
that this word “Ahara” is referring to Food alone, we will never understand
that verse from Chandogya Upanishad. If we split this Sanskrit word into two it
is Ahah and Hara. Ahah is interjection (Outburst) and Hara is to “remove”.
In this sense the Gudartha (Mystical Meaning)
of Ahah Hara is to “remove the outburst”. There is an outburst for anything and
everything that our five senses come into contact with that which is in the
outside world. Anything taken into our body through the five senses is food. It
is not that the meal which passes through our mouth alone is food, Sight is
food for eyes, Sound is food for ears, Smell is food for nose and Feel is food
for Skin. To make it simple, if there is outburst of hunger it is removed by
the meal we consume. This applies to sound, smell, sight and feel too.
Now having understood the mystical meaning of
Ahara it is time to concentrate on the verse which says one can know the path
of liberation if the food (object of senses) is pure. In Sanskrit impurities
are called Dosha and the food which we are considering here could have Tridosha
(Three Impurities). That which removes the outburst of hunger is meal, it could
be having three impurities.
Jati Dosha (Natural Impurity), it
could be the defect due to the substandard ingredients used in the recipe.
Nimitta Dosha (Occasional Impurity), it could be from the presence of external contamination
fallen in the dish, such as dust, dead insects, etc. Ashraya Dosha (Depended
Impurity), it could be from the food coming from immoral sources. (Note:
immoral source is pertaining to stolen food or other person’s morsel)
Likewise there could be impurities
in the sound, smell, sight and feel that we experience. Hence the
Upanishad warns us to be aware of the impurities and guides us to make sure that whatever we take into our body through our senses have to be pure. In fact in reality whatever we eat is to little compare to what we consume through our eyes, ears, nose and skin. Our scriptures give more emphasis on food for eye and ear, what we see and hear in day-to-day life. It gives emphasis on whether we live in a polluted environment so that our skin and nose is taking all bad food for it.
Upanishad warns us to be aware of the impurities and guides us to make sure that whatever we take into our body through our senses have to be pure. In fact in reality whatever we eat is to little compare to what we consume through our eyes, ears, nose and skin. Our scriptures give more emphasis on food for eye and ear, what we see and hear in day-to-day life. It gives emphasis on whether we live in a polluted environment so that our skin and nose is taking all bad food for it.
We talk of hygiene only with respect to what we eat and seldom
check on what we see, hear smell and feel. Let’s fill our body with only
purity..... What say???
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