Components Required for Cooking a Meal

Till some years ago, cooking would begin only after smearing the floor with cow-dung, performing pCija (Ritualistic worship) of the cht7/ha and offering oblations of rice grains in its fire. This custom attracted vibrations of Deities towards the food. Divas (Embodied souls) that ate such a food would benefit at the physical, psychological and spiritual levels. Today, barring a few houses in villages, cooking on a cha/ha has been forgotten. Firewood has been replaced by kerosene, LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) and electricity (For example -microwave oven). The process resulting from the use of these modern fuels or cooking equipments generates a Tama-predominant environment, to which negative energies are attracted. This pollutes the food, leading to increase in the negative energy attacks on the jives that eat this food. If it is not possible to use chalha for cooking, then cooking while chanting the Name of Deity of worship and having a bhav (Spiritual emotion) that 'I am preparing food for God' will help in preventing the attacks of negative energies. Besides, cooking with a bhav that 'I am preparing this food as a naivedya (Food offered to the Deity as part of ritualistic worship) for God' and chanting the Name of our Upasyadevata (Deity of worship) while cooking also helps. Guidance on such aspects, prayers and spiritual experiences have been included in the Part 1 and Part 2 of this Holy text series.

In the earlier times, water used to be stored in a copper vessel or a pitcher. Brass utensils were used for cooking. These metals/alloys attract as well as transmit Chaitanya. Such spiritual benefits are not obtained from the use of prevalent utensils made of stainless steel or aluminium. On the contrary, there is every possibility of formation of a covering of distressing energy over the food or grains stored in the utensils made of such metals/alloys.

Today, hundreds of cookery books are available in the market. They contain various recipes. These books give no consideration to preserving and enhancing sattvikta (Sattva-predominance) in the food while cooking. Hindu culture stresses not only on the ingredients of diet being sattvik, but the process of cooking being sattvik too. This Holy text series (Part 1 & Part 2) elaborates on various conducts such as how to sit on a cutter (a blade set obliquely on a stock for cutting vegetables), the vegetables should be cut to what size, why should ShriAnnapurnadevi & Upasyadevata be remembered.

We pray unto the Holy feet of Shri Guru that may all be motivated to chant and pray during the various steps of cooking as mentioned in this Holy text !

**Contents and Sample Pages**