after-meal-prayerdigestion-mantrabhojan-mantranight-prayer

𑌅𑌗𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌕𑍁𑌮𑍍𑌭𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌂 𑌚 — 𑌭𑍋𑌜𑌨𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌰 (𑌪𑌾𑌚𑌨) 𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰

Agastyam Kumbhakarnam Cha — After-Meal Digestion Prayer in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 After meals, and at night before sleeping·📜 Traditional smarana (remembrance) shloka recited after meals

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Traditional smarana (remembrance) shloka recited after meals · Traditional · Classical

This well-loved verse belongs to the everyday devotional culture surrounding food and health. Having eaten, the devotee remembers five beings celebrated for extraordinary powers of consumption and digestion — Agastya, who is said to have swallowed the ocean in a single sip; Kumbhakarna and Bhima, of vast appetite; Shani; and the submarine fire Badabanala that perpetually consumes the sea's waters. By calling them to mind 'for the digestion of food,' the verse playfully and devotionally invokes a strong inner fire, good health and easy rest after the meal.

✦ As told in scripture

It is traditionally said that one who remembers Agastya — who drank the whole ocean — after eating will digest even a heavy meal with ease, for the mind that turns to such mighty powers of assimilation kindles the body's own fire and is never troubled by indigestion.

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The Mantra

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𑌅𑌗𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌕𑍁𑌮𑍍𑌭𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌂 𑌚 𑌶𑌨𑌿𑌂 𑌚 𑌬𑌡𑌬𑌾𑌨𑌲𑌮𑍍 । 𑌆𑌹𑌾𑌰𑌪𑌰𑌿𑌣𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥𑌂 𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌰𑌾𑌮𑌿 𑌚 𑌵𑍃𑌕𑍋𑌦𑌰𑌮𑍍 ॥

Agastyam Kumbhakarnam cha Shanim cha Badabanalam Ahara-parinamartham smarami cha Vrikodaram

Meaning:For the proper digestion of my food, I remember Agastya, Kumbhakarna, Shani (Saturn), the submarine fire (Badabanala), and Vrikodara (Bhima) — all renowned for their great power of consuming and digesting.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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𑌅𑌗𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂🔊Agastyamthe sage Agastya (who once drank up the entire ocean)

𑌕𑍁𑌮𑍍𑌭𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌂🔊KumbhakarnamKumbhakarna (Ravana's brother, of immense appetite and digestion)

𑌚🔊chaand

𑌶𑌨𑌿𑌂🔊ShanimShani (Saturn)

𑌬𑌡𑌬𑌾𑌨𑌲𑌮𑍍🔊Badabanalamthe Badabanala — the submarine fire that consumes the ocean's waters

𑌆𑌹𑌾𑌰𑌪𑌰𑌿𑌣𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥𑌂🔊ahara-parinama-arthamfor the proper digestion / assimilation of food

𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌰𑌾𑌮𑌿🔊smaramiI remember / call to mind

𑌚🔊chaand (also)

𑌵𑍃𑌕𑍋𑌦𑌰𑌮𑍍🔊VrikodaramVrikodara (Bhima), 'wolf-bellied', of legendary digestive power

Benefits of Chanting Agastyam Kumbhakarnam Cha — After-Meal Digestion Prayer

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Recited after meals (and at night) to pray for good digestion of the food just eaten.

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Invokes five legendary 'great digesters' — Agastya, Kumbhakarna, Shani, Badabanala and Bhima — to kindle a strong digestive fire (jatharagni).

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Promotes good health, an easy stomach and restful sleep when said before bed.

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A delightful, memorable verse that turns even the care of the body into a prayerful, devotional act.

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Cultivates gratitude for food and mindful attention to one's well-being after eating.

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Simple enough for the whole family to recite daily as part of the mealtime routine.

How to Chant Agastyam Kumbhakarnam Cha — After-Meal Digestion Prayer

Repetitions1times

Best TimeAfter meals, and at night before sleeping

FaceAny

Recite once quietly after finishing a meal — and especially after the night meal before going to sleep — praying that the food be digested well. As you chant, remember the five mighty figures of great digestive power named in the verse, and gently visualise a healthy, glowing digestive fire within.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Agastyam Kumbhakarnam Cha — After-Meal Digestion Prayer written in the Grantha script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is a short prayer recited after meals (and at night before sleep) asking for the proper digestion of the food one has eaten — 'ahara-parinama-artham,' for the sake of the assimilation of food.

All five are famed in tradition for their immense capacity to consume and digest: sage Agastya drank up the entire ocean, Kumbhakarna and Bhima (Vrikodara) had legendary appetites, Shani is a powerful graha, and Badabanala is the submarine fire that swallows the ocean's waters. Remembering them is a prayer for an equally strong digestive power.

Right after a meal, and most traditionally after the evening meal before lying down to sleep, so that the night's rest is comfortable and the food is well digested.