Universal
Brahmarpanam — the meal verse
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् । ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥
Brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam, brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahma-karma-samādhinā
Simple reading: Brah-maar-pa-nam brah-ma ha-vir, brah-maag-nau brah-ma-naa hu-tam, brah-mai-va te-na gan-tav-yam, brah-ma kar-ma sa-maa-dhi-naa
About this mantra
The Gita verse recited before meals — the offering, the offered, the fire, and the one who offers are all seen as the same divine.
Meaning
The act of offering is Brahman; the offering itself is Brahman, poured by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. Brahman alone is reached by one absorbed in action as Brahman. Said over food, the verse dissolves the diner: offerer, offering, fire, and act are one substance meeting itself. A meal eaten inside that sentence cannot be ordinary — eating becomes the day's most repeated yajna.
When to recite it
Before meals — daily; also before offering food in puja and before serving others, turning the kitchen's work into the day's yajna.
Word by word
- ब्रह्मार्पणंbrahmārpaṇaṁ
- the act of offering is Brahman
- ब्रह्म हविःbrahma haviḥ
- the offering is Brahman
- ब्रह्माग्नौbrahmāgnau
- into the fire that is Brahman
- ब्रह्मणा हुतम्brahmaṇā hutam
- poured by Brahman
- ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यंbrahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ
- Brahman alone is to be reached
- ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिनाbrahma-karma-samādhinā
- by one absorbed in action as Brahman
Source: Bhagavad Gītā 4.24