BHOJANAM-भोजनम्- FOOD

 SUBHASHITHANI:356

मरुस्थल्यां यथा वृष्टिः क्षुधार्ते भोजनं तथा ।
दरिद्रे दीयते दानं सफलं पाण्डुनन्दन ॥१.११॥Mahabharatham

Marusthalyaam yathaa vrushtih kshudhaarte bhojanam tatha I
Daridre deeyate daanam saphalam paandunandana II

O Yudhishtira ! Rain in a parched  land , food to an hungry man, and charity to the needy, all these are highly fruitful actions.

नमस्कार प्रियो भानुः
अभिषेक प्रियो शिवः I
अलङ्कार प्रियो विष्णुः 
ब्रह्मणो भोजन प्रियः II

Namaskara priyo bhanuh Abhiseka priyo shivah I
Alankaara priyo Vishnuh Brahmano bhojana priyah II

Surya devata is propitiated by namaskaarams( salutations), Lord shiva is satisfied by Abhishekams( bathing in holy waters), Lord Vishnu is pleased by alankaarams ( providing clean vastrams ) , holy men ( brahmins ) are easily satisfied by just a meal and they would provide blessings whole heartedly.

तिलकं विप्र हस्तेन, मातृ हस्तेन भोजनम्।
पिण्डं पुत्र हस्तेन ,न भविष्यति पुनः पुनः।।

Tilakam vipra hastena, maatru hastena bijanam I
Pindam putra hastena na bhavishyati punah punah II

Three things are rare in manushya janma- Blessings of holy men, having food served by the mother, having pinda pradanam done by the son after one’s death.

भोजनं विप्रसङ्कीर्णं मन्दिरम्  बन्धुसंयुतम् । 

शयनं सुतसङ्कीर्णं देहि मे मधुसूदन ॥

O Madhusoodana ! Give me these – Food that is consumed amidst the congregation of vedic scholars , a house that has relatives and a house filled with kids. A person having these three is considered to be very fortunate. 

दरिद्रता धीरतया विराजते कुरूपता शीलतया विराजते।
कुभोजनं उष्णतया विराजते कुवस्त्रता शुभ्रतया विराजते ॥
daridrataa dheeratayaa viraajate kuroopataa sheelatayaa viraajate
Kubhojanam choshnatayaa viraajate kuvastrataa shubhratayaa viraajate
 Poverty shines by courage, ugliness shines by good conduct, bad food shines by being hot and bad clothes shine by being clean.

अनभ्यासे विषं विद्या अजीर्णे भोजनं विषं ।
विषं गॊष्ठी दरिद्रस्य भोजनान्ते जलं विषं ॥
Anabhyaase visham vidyaa ajeerne bhojanam visham
Visham goshthhee daridrasya bhojanante jalam visham
With no practice learning becomes poison; with indigestion food becomes poison; for the poor an assembly (of the rich) is poison; water immediately after eating is poison.

धनधान्यप्रयोगेषु विद्यासंग्रहणेषु च ।
आहारे व्यवहारे च त्यक्तलज्ज सुखी भवेत् ॥
 Dhanadhaanyaprayogeshu vidyaasamgrahaneshu cha
Aahaare vyavahaare cha tyaktalajjah sukhee bhavet
Those who do not feel shy in the way they use wealth and food, in acquiring learning, in food and in personal relations, will always be happy.

ददाति फ्रतिग्रिन्हाति गुह्यं आख्याति प्रच्छति
भुङ्क्ते भोजयते चैव षड्विदं मिथ्रलक्षणं //

Dadati pratigrnhati guhyam akhyati prcchati /
Bhunkte bhojayate caiva shdvdham mitralakshanam //

A true friend is one who gives and accepts things in return, shares secrets , takes food and offers food- these are the six signs of true friendship.

आचारः कुलमाख्याति देशमाख्याति भाषणम्।
सम्भ्रमः स्नेहमाख्याति वपुराख्याति भोजनम्॥ Garuda puranam
One’s behaviour tells about family; speech reveals of the nativity; zeal and hurry expose the (mutual) friendship; physical form shows the food (conditions).

कुग्रामवासः कुलहीन सेवा कुभोजनं क्रोधमुखि च भार्या ।
पुत्रश्च मूर्खो विध्वा च कन्या विनाग्निना षट् प्रदहन्ति कायम् ॥
kugrAmavAsaH kulahIna sevA kubhojanaM krodhamukhi cha bhAryA |
putrashcha mUrkho vidhvA cha kanyA vinAgninA ShaT pradahanti kAyam ||

These six things hurt like fire:
Living in a hamlet which has no facilities, Serving undeserving people , eating food which is unclean and unhealthy, living with a spouse who always finds fault and gets angry, having children who are stupid and keeping a  widowed daughter at home.

यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत् |
उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् || BG17.10||

yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ pūti paryuṣhitaṁ cha yat
uchchhiṣhṭam api chāmedhyaṁ bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam

Foods that are overcooked, stale, putrid, polluted, and impure are dear to persons in the mode of ignorance.