aham-vaishvanarobhojan-mantrafood-prayerbhagavad-gita

Aham Vaishvanaro Bhutva — Bhojan Mantra (Gita 15.14)

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा — भोजन मन्त्र

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Before every meal, after offering the food to God·📜 Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 15, Verse 14

Also known as: aham vaishvanaro bhutva praninam deham ashritah · bhojan mantra gita 15.14 · food prayer before eating · vaishvanara mantra · prana apana samayuktah pachamy annam chaturvidham

📜 Complete Lyrics 📖 Word-by-Word Meaning ✨ Benefits & How to Chant ⬇️ PDF Download

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरीతెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

Spoken by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita (15.14), this verse reveals that the Lord himself, as Vaishvanara — the digestive fire — dwells in every living body and, joined with the life-breaths, digests the food we eat. It is widely recited as a Bhojan-mantra before meals, reminding the eater that the very power of digestion is divine. With it, eating becomes an offering into the inner fire of the Lord.

Origin & Story

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 15, Verse 14 · Veda Vyasa (words of Sri Krishna) · Ancient (Mahabharata / Bhagavad Gita)

In the fifteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, the Purushottama Yoga, Sri Krishna reveals His all-pervading presence. In this verse He says that as Vaishvanara, the digestive fire, He himself dwells in the body of every creature and, united with the life-breaths, digests all that is eaten. Devotees recite it before meals so that eating is done with the awareness that the Lord within is the true eater and the giver of the power to digest, transforming an everyday act into worship.

✦ As told in scripture

It is said that food taken with this verse never harms the one who eats, for it is offered to and digested by the Lord himself as Vaishvanara — and what the Divine accepts becomes prasada that nourishes both body and soul.

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The Mantra

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अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः । प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥

Aham vaishvanaro bhutva praninam deham-ashritah Prana-apana-samayuktah pachamy-annam chatur-vidham

Meaning:Becoming the fire of digestion (Vaishvanara) and abiding in the bodies of all living beings, joined with the incoming and outgoing breaths (prana and apana), I digest the four kinds of food.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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अहं🔊AhamI (the Supreme Lord)

वैश्वानरः🔊Vaishvanarahthe fire of digestion (Vaishvanara, the digestive fire in all beings)

भूत्वा🔊bhutvabecoming

प्राणिनां🔊praninamof all living beings

देहमाश्रितः🔊deham-ashritahresiding in the body, abiding within

प्राणापानसमायुक्तः🔊prana-apana-samayuktahunited with the prana (outgoing) and apana (incoming) life-breaths

पचामि🔊pachamiI digest, I cook / assimilate

अन्नं🔊annamfood

चतुर्विधम्🔊chatur-vidhamof four kinds (chewed, sucked, licked, drunk)

Benefits of Chanting Aham Vaishvanaro Bhutva — Bhojan Mantra (Gita 15.14)

✦

A Bhagavad Gita verse (15.14) recited as a Bhojan-mantra before eating, turning the meal into an offering to the Lord within.

✦

Reminds the devotee that the digestive fire itself is the Lord (Vaishvanara), so food eaten is consumed by Him in the body.

✦

Cultivates humility and gratitude — even the act of digestion is not 'ours' but the working of the Divine.

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Encourages eating with awareness, moderation and a sattvic, prayerful attitude.

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Recited in homes, ashrams and temples as part of the grace before meals.

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Short, profound and easy to memorise alongside Brahmarpanam (Gita 4.24).

How to Chant Aham Vaishvanaro Bhutva — Bhojan Mantra (Gita 15.14)

Repetitions1times

Best TimeBefore every meal, after offering the food to God

FaceFacing the food

Recite once before eating — often after Brahmarpanam (Gita 4.24) — offering the meal mentally to the Lord who dwells within as the fire of digestion. Eat with awareness that the food is being received by Vaishvanara, the inner divine fire, and partake in gratitude and silence.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is verse 15.14 of the Bhagavad Gita, spoken by Lord Krishna. It is widely used as a Bhojan-mantra — the prayer recited before eating — often together with Brahmarpanam (Gita 4.24).

Krishna declares that He, as Vaishvanara (the fire of digestion), abides in the body of every living being and, joined with the prana and apana breaths, digests the four kinds of food. Thus the very power that digests our meal is the Lord himself.

The chatur-vidha anna refers to the four ways food is taken: bhakshya (chewed), bhojya (eaten/swallowed), lehya (licked) and choshya (sucked). The verse means the Lord digests every kind of food we consume.