Gita 15.14
Purushottama Yoga
अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः | प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ||१४||
ahaṁ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṁ deham āśritaḥ | prāṇāpāna-samāyuktaḥ pacāmy annaṁ catur-vidham ||14||
In essence: I am the digestive fire (Vaishvanara) dwelling in the bodies of all living beings; joined with prana and apana, I digest the four kinds of food.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "The Divine as digestive fire? This seems like a strange place to look for God."
Guru: "Strange only if you imagine God as distant. The teaching is that the Divine pervades all processes, including the most biological. Your digestion is not separate from divine activity; it is divine activity. This recognition sacralizes the body and ordinary life. Where is God? Everywhere, including right now, digesting your breakfast."
Sadhak: "How do prana and apana relate to digestion?"
Guru: "Prana is the vital energy associated with inhalation and upward movement; apana with exhalation and downward movement. Digestion involves both: prana fans the internal fire, apana moves waste downward. The balanced interaction creates proper digestion. Yogic practices that balance prana-apana (like pranayama) directly influence digestive health, as the tradition has long known. This is not metaphor but physiology understood through a different lens."
Sadhak: "Should I think of Krishna while eating?"
Guru: "If it helps! The traditional practice is to offer food before eating, recognizing it as fuel for the divine fire within. But even without ritual, eating can be mindful: 'I am feeding Vaiśvānara, the Lord's fire in my belly.' This transforms a mundane act into worship and naturally leads to eating proper amounts of proper foods—you would not feed garbage to a sacred fire."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Before your first meal, pause and recognize the fire awaiting within. You are about to feed Vaiśvānara. This recognition naturally promotes eating with gratitude and moderation. The Lord within does not need to be overstuffed.
At each meal, even briefly acknowledge the digestive fire. This practice keeps the teaching alive in daily experience. Notice also the breath (prana-apana) as you eat—eating calmly, breathing steadily, supports the fire's work. Rushed, anxious eating disturbs the prana-apana balance.
Before the final meal of the day, consider: 'This fire has sustained me all day, transforming food into energy for every activity.' Gratitude arises naturally. Eat lightly in the evening—the fire is settling down for the night. And when digestion feels good, recognize it as the Lord's graceful operation within your own body.