Cooking for Avantika

Following the verse about Satvik food in the Bhagwat Geeta (that I talked of in the last post) is the following verse about Rajasik food: kaṭv-amla-lavaṇātyuṣṇa -tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ | āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā  duḥkha-śokāmaya-pradāḥ Bitter-Sour-Salty Hot excessively so -Spicy-Dry-Sharp to the tongue are foods palatable to (those living in the mode of) passion and they yield sorrow, distress & disillusionment. Its interesting how easily this verse can be interpreted differently by different translators. The purport of this line is obviously that our preference for foods is a reflection of our state of mind and not the other way around. While it is true that the food we eat makes up and fuels our mind and body, the food we eat need not be directly responsible for the state of our mind, unless we have decided to starve ourself or overeat by choice or misinterpret the truth about healthy eating. Rajasik foods surely satisfy our tastebuds and other senses more than foods ...

There is a verse in the Bhagwat Geeta Chpt 17, that talks about sattvik food: äyuù-sattva-balärogya -sukha-préti-vivardhanäù rasyäù snigdhäù sthirä hådyä ähäräù sättvika-priyäù which translates as: Duration of life, existence, strength, freedom from disease, happiness, satisfaction are increased through Juicy, fatty, enduring, hearty foods (dear to one seeking) wellbeing and maintenance. Sattvika is the quality of goodness, righteousneous, pleasantness, balance. Though this is only half the truth about the qualities of good food, its enough to understand that the purpose of food is to maintain our bodies and nourish it. The categorization of certain ingredients as healthy or unhealthy is perhaps a very western idea. I know for one that when we eat traditional food cooked at home with fresh ingredients, everything that is tasty and mouthwatering is always healthy. One such favorite of mine is the Gujarati Undhiyu. I am really fond of Undhiyo but till a cer...

There is a wonderful shloka in the Bhagawat Geeta. Chpt 4, verse 33: śreyān dravya-mayād yajñāj jñāna-yajñaḥ paran-tapa sarvaḿ karmākhilaḿ pārtha jñāne parisamāpyate it translates to: Greater than the nonpermanent material possessions which are sacrificed is the knowledge gained off the act of sacrifice oh chastiser of enemies For all activities in totality culminate to knowledge in the end. What it simply states is that knowledge is the apogee (or ultimate aim?) of all activities - sarvaḿ karmākhilaḿ jñāne parisamāpyate. In other words, all that you gain or lose on the material platform is nothing compared to what you learn because of your actions. This one sentence sums up everything I ever try to tell you in all that I do, talk, say, write when I talk about fasting. So, Prabhodhini Ekadashi or Devuttana Ekadashi is here and this Ekadashi preceeds Dev Diwali the way Rama Ekadashi preceeds the other Diwali. I am fasting today but rather than talking about the vrat ...

So, here comes one more Ekadashi amidst all the celebrations between Ganesh Chaturti and Ganesh Visarjan.  Being in Mumbai at this time, my digestive system is anyways in a state of havok (as it always is when I come and stay here in mumbai, no matter what I eat). The rains and habits of the city dwellers here often cause enough imbalance in the atmosphere but this time around there is also the noise of deafening drumbeats that seem to be the most preferred way of celebrating a God who removes obstacles. He has a complex personified image which is said to symbolize many things discussing all of which is beyond the purpose of this post I feel.  Now talking about Ekadashi here, the reason this Ekadasi is so auspicious is that it celebrates the day when the sleeping Lord Vishnu turns over on His other side; thus it is known as Parivartinii Ekadasi and this concept has its own interesting symbolism.  The day after Ekadashi is called Vaman Dwadeshi and is said to be the d...

So, its Amavasya tithi today, the last day of Shravan maas and also Somvaar, the day of Lord Hari, the day of Lord Vishnu, also the day I observed Somvaar Vrat all throughout this month. Curiously, the most interpretative stories of Lord Vishnu often begin with Lord Shiva, one cannot understand Vishnu without first understanding Shiva. During the holy month of Shravan, Mondays or Somvaar is often dedicated to Shiva by many devout Hindus while the general understanding is that Mondays are the day of Lord Hari or Lord Vishnu. The logical explanation of this arrangement is that Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the world, goes to sleep on the day of Devashayani Ekadashi which is the first Ekadashi of the Chaturmaas period during the month of Ashadha. The next month of the Chaturmaas period is Shravan month, followed by Bhadrapada and then Ashwin. Lord Vishnu and all his Devas (demigods) are said to wake up during the month of Kartik (after Chaturmaas), on the day of  Prabhodini Ekadash...

So, here comes another Ekadashi Tithi and I am fasting today.  The word Aja in Sanskrit means unborn, that which exists eternally but neither takes birth, nor dies. That is how Vishnu is often described. In the Vishnu Sahasranama (which translates to Thousand Names of Vishnu), some of the names described of Vishnu are: Svayambhūḥ: One who exists by Himself, uncaused by any other. Anāndi-nidhanaḥ: The one existence that has neither birth nor death. Śāśvataḥ: One who exists at all times. Ajah: One who has no birth. Ekadashi fasts are always performed to worship Vishnu and like all other Ekadashi fasts, this one too has a story. Sri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "Oh Janardana, protector of all living entities, please tell me the name of the Ekadasi that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September)."     The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, then replied, "Oh King, hear Me attentively. The name of this sin-removing, sacred Ekada...

Ya Devi Stuyate  Nityam Vibhu ha ir veda paragaih SaMe Vasatu Jihvagre  Brahmarupa Saraswati A word to word translation of above mantra would be: oh Goddess I pray to you,  the supreme the eternal carrier of the seed of knowledge may you reside on the tip of my tongue as does a precious drop of fluid in the form of an ever expanding pool of cosmic energy. [Veda Paragaih is an important word here. Parag means pollen, which is a  substance comprising of  male microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce male gametes (sperm cells). The pollen is what is transported from plant to plant by the wind, by birds, by insects or by other animals and this spread of  pollen  helps to fertilize plants and support creation. Veda Paragaih is thus the seed that contains within it all the knowledge.] [Brahmarupa means the face of creation (form of what expands) and Saraswati is formed off Sa-ras meaning a pond of water and Swati means a precious...

Shani graha or Saturn is probably one of the most infamous of planets within the astrological community. Known to bring suffering and darkness with his presence there are many stories associated with this wonderful planet which beautifully describes why Shani is the way it is. This story is also about Shadows and Death. Death which is not be feared but seen as an opportunity to kill the old and start fresh. Shani rules Saturdays and also the tithi of purnima that today is and is said to love black color and he also governs foods and flavors of astrigent taste. A well placed and Happy and strong Shani represents  Experience, Patience, Humility, Wisdom & Compassion in beings. Strange that I should come across this beautiful story of his birth and early life on the Raksha Bandhan Tithi while I observe a Monday fast (Somvaar Vrat). The story of Raksha Bandhan is another interesting one but this post is about Shani first. The Shani who rules number (& all numbers adding up ...

So, here comes one more Ekadashi which is said to be an auspicious tithi for achieving one's desires. I am fasting today so I am going to share the story related to this tithi. Why fasting on these days is beneficial, we have talked about in previous posts; what we haven't discussed yet is how it helps in the fulfillment of desires. That is the subject of another post. Now again there are many stories that can help one understand, all you have to do is read them with devotion and belief to understand the science behind fulfillment of desires. Heres the story of Putrada Ekadashi as it appears in the Bhavishya Purana. Shri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "Oh Madhusudana, Oh killer of the Madhu demon, please be merciful to me and describe to me the Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana (July-August)." The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, replied, "Yes, Oh king, I shall happily narrate its glories to you, for just by hearing about this...