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No nothing to with Jallandar not having Ruchi in Parvathy
Ruchi as in Appetite for Food, Appetite for Knowledge.
Food and What they Symbolise
Do they symbolise anything, well as Naivedyam [prasad/prasadam] they do.
What is Naivedyam?
Prasad' is the food that is offered to God in a typical Hindu ritual worship or Puja.
It is our ignorance ('avidya') which we offer to the deity in a Puja.
The food symbolically stands for our ignorant consciousness, which we place before god for spiritual enlightenment.
After he suffuses it with knowledge and light and breathes a new life into our bodies, it makes us divine.
When we share the prasad with others, we share the knowledge we thus gained with fellow beings.
So anything that is offered to God ; be it fruits, milk, sugar, honey or even meat and eggs becomes Naivedyam.
Are there special Naivedyams for each god?
Ganesha -
Modak -
Moda' means Bliss and 'k' means a small part. So, modak is a small part of Bliss.
Milk gives long life
Ghee gives Moksha state
Curd gives good children
Honey gives melodious voice
Sugar cane juice gives good health
ASHUTOSH [SHIVA]
Shiva is usually offered food which is harmful to human beings. He indulges in all kinds of roots, seeds and leaves which are intoxicating and even poisonous. Hemp, which is intoxicating, is not to be used by humans, however tempting it may be. Datura seeds are poisonous and therefore are not consumed by humans. Bilva (Bel) leaves are so bitter to taste that usually one does not eat it. In February, the time when Shiv Ratri is celebrated, Shiva is offered 'Gajar Halwa' (a sweetmeat made of Carrots). This is because the season of carrots is over by then and the carrots available then are hard at the centre and therefore are not as nutritious any more. During Shravan, the grass is new and when the cows graze on such grass, they consume the soil too (since the grass is too short & easily comes off from the roots). The milk thus contains more minerals than what the human body can digest and therefore during the month of Shravan, one is not supposed to drink more of milk. Even on other days, Shiva is offered milk which has not been boiled.
IS THERE IS A REASON
YES IT DOES
Our rituals have a very scientific base behind it. In olden days it was probably difficult to educate everybody about the usefulness of a crop or about fruit and berries which had to be avoided. Thus this ritual showed people as to which food could be consumed and which was to be avoided.
If a devotee went to a Shivalaya, he would know which grain, berry or fruit to avoid for consumption. During summer water is poured over the Shivling through a copper vessel hung on top of the Shivling, while in winter, water is poured using a silver vessel. The reason here too is the same. One should consume food or water from a silver vessel (if possible) during summer and use copper vessels during winter. As per Ayurved, silver is cooling and copper heats up the body.
Betel Leaves offered during any pooja along with Betel Nuts
Betel leaves and nuts symbolize fertility and is usually offered for the birth of children at home. It is also part of all important pujas in South India.
COCONUT
The most important reason for offering coconut is that is the purest thing that a human being can offer to a deity. The water and the white kernel inside the coconut are the only unadulterated offering that a devotee makes to the Lord. It is not polluted as it remains covered by the hard outer shell until it is offered to the God.
the breaking of coconut symbolizes the breaking of the ego. The coconut represents the human body and before the Lord it is shattered ' breaking the 'aham' or ego and symbolically total surrendering and merging with the Brahman ' supreme soul.
other symbolsims of food
Lemon removes fear of death
Sugar removes enmity
Tender coconut gives enjoyment
Cooked Rice(Annam) gives majestic life
Sandal gives Lakshmi's grace
There is so much more but got hungry .. Please do add your comments of various foods and their symbolism .
Ruchi as in Appetite for Food, Appetite for Knowledge.
Food and What they Symbolise
Do they symbolise anything, well as Naivedyam [prasad/prasadam] they do.
What is Naivedyam?
Prasad' is the food that is offered to God in a typical Hindu ritual worship or Puja.
It is our ignorance ('avidya') which we offer to the deity in a Puja.
The food symbolically stands for our ignorant consciousness, which we place before god for spiritual enlightenment.
After he suffuses it with knowledge and light and breathes a new life into our bodies, it makes us divine.
When we share the prasad with others, we share the knowledge we thus gained with fellow beings.
So anything that is offered to God ; be it fruits, milk, sugar, honey or even meat and eggs becomes Naivedyam.
Are there special Naivedyams for each god?
Ganesha -
Modak -
Moda' means Bliss and 'k' means a small part. So, modak is a small part of Bliss.
A modak is shaped like a coconut that is it is like the cavity 'kha' in the Brahmarandhra.
When the kundalini (spiritual energy) reaches the 'kha' the spiritual experience of Bliss is obtained.
The modak symbolises spiritual knowledge (dnyan). Hence it is called dnyanmodak.
Skanda/Muruga/ Vetrivella
PANCHAMRUTAM
It contains 5 ingredientsMilk gives long life
Ghee gives Moksha state
Curd gives good children
Honey gives melodious voice
Sugar cane juice gives good health
ASHUTOSH [SHIVA]
Shiva is usually offered food which is harmful to human beings. He indulges in all kinds of roots, seeds and leaves which are intoxicating and even poisonous. Hemp, which is intoxicating, is not to be used by humans, however tempting it may be. Datura seeds are poisonous and therefore are not consumed by humans. Bilva (Bel) leaves are so bitter to taste that usually one does not eat it. In February, the time when Shiv Ratri is celebrated, Shiva is offered 'Gajar Halwa' (a sweetmeat made of Carrots). This is because the season of carrots is over by then and the carrots available then are hard at the centre and therefore are not as nutritious any more. During Shravan, the grass is new and when the cows graze on such grass, they consume the soil too (since the grass is too short & easily comes off from the roots). The milk thus contains more minerals than what the human body can digest and therefore during the month of Shravan, one is not supposed to drink more of milk. Even on other days, Shiva is offered milk which has not been boiled.
IS THERE IS A REASON
YES IT DOES
Our rituals have a very scientific base behind it. In olden days it was probably difficult to educate everybody about the usefulness of a crop or about fruit and berries which had to be avoided. Thus this ritual showed people as to which food could be consumed and which was to be avoided.
If a devotee went to a Shivalaya, he would know which grain, berry or fruit to avoid for consumption. During summer water is poured over the Shivling through a copper vessel hung on top of the Shivling, while in winter, water is poured using a silver vessel. The reason here too is the same. One should consume food or water from a silver vessel (if possible) during summer and use copper vessels during winter. As per Ayurved, silver is cooling and copper heats up the body.
Betel Leaves offered during any pooja along with Betel Nuts
Betel leaves and nuts symbolize fertility and is usually offered for the birth of children at home. It is also part of all important pujas in South India.
COCONUT
The most important reason for offering coconut is that is the purest thing that a human being can offer to a deity. The water and the white kernel inside the coconut are the only unadulterated offering that a devotee makes to the Lord. It is not polluted as it remains covered by the hard outer shell until it is offered to the God.
the breaking of coconut symbolizes the breaking of the ego. The coconut represents the human body and before the Lord it is shattered ' breaking the 'aham' or ego and symbolically total surrendering and merging with the Brahman ' supreme soul.
other symbolsims of food
Lemon removes fear of death
Sugar removes enmity
Tender coconut gives enjoyment
Cooked Rice(Annam) gives majestic life
Sandal gives Lakshmi's grace
There is so much more but got hungry .. Please do add your comments of various foods and their symbolism .
Itti Si Khushi Sab TV
