The Instrument, the Object, the Doer, and the Act—All Are Brahman
The instrument, the object, the doer, and the act of offering are all Brahman. (One who considers thus) the state of Brahman alone is the destination worthy of such a person who is steadfast in selfless deeds.
brahmārpaṇaṃ brahma haviḥ brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam ।brahmaiva tena gantavyaṃ brahmakarmasamādhinā ॥ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविः ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥brahmArpaNaM brahma haviH brahmAgnau brahmaNA hutam ।brahmaiva tena gantavyaM brahmakarmasamAdhinA ।।
This is another mantra/śloka that is very well known, written in very simple Sanskrit yet carrying a far-reaching meaning. Appearing in the Bhagavad Gītā (4.24), this is a śloka commonly recited before eating food.
There are multiple parallel meanings here, and we can benefit from this at all levels.
The Yajña Analogy
When a yajña (fire ritual) is performed, there is:
The performer
The fire
The offering (ghee)
The ladle used to offer (the ghee)
All of them are simultaneously the same supreme principle—Brahman, the Parama-Brahma.
Now think of the act of eating:
There is the eater.
There is the digestive fire.
There is the food.
There is the hand used to put the food in the "fire."
It is similar to the act of yajña.
Why Is It Important or Even Relevant Here?
Eating is a specific example of consumption, where we don’t create but consume—we take away from the system.
We may do this with a sense of pride—See, I am eating at a seven-star hotel, enjoying a twelve-course meal. I am so great, powerful, and successful!
Or we could be eating a simple loaf of bread with no milk, just water to push it down.
Why Do We Eat?
The primary reason is to get energy and maintain the life force. But over time, with our ever-wandering minds, we have devised delicious cuisines that serve more as a subject of the tongue rather than the stomach!
We have levels of cutlery, food, ambiance, and concerns over where and how we eat. The act of eating has become an event in itself, a symbol of status in society. It was customary for the rich (royalty) to leave some food on their plate as a sign of abundance and opulence.
But in the end, we all have a small stomach that simply needs nutrients to sustain the life force.
We should not get distracted by the act of eating—it is not the destination but just a means to survive. (This is meant in the broader sense, not in the momentary sense.)
We should not pay too much attention to what we are eating, nor to our status or importance because of what, where, and how we are eating.
Eating Without Ego
When animal sacrifices used to be performed, this verse served as a means to stay level-headed:
- I am not superior because I killed this animal.
- I am simply doing this to survive.
- Life force is using life force to sustain life force.
We should have no pride in what we eat.
At the level of eating, we should be guided by the stomach (nutrition) rather than the tongue (taste).
Eat to live, not live to eat.
Expanding This to Any Act of Consumption
Our importance is not based on what we consume or what we can afford to consume.
It is all Brahman—nothing special about us.
This attitude grounds us a bit—good therapy for the ego!
Expanding This to Any Deed, Action, or Karma
There is:
- The doer
- The deed
- The instruments of doing
- The energy of doing
All of them are Brahman.
For example, if you cut wood and make a chair:
- You (the carpenter) are Brahman.
- The saw is Brahman.
- The wood is Brahman.
- The energy used to cut is also Brahman.
Nothing special!
When we do things with this attitude—eat to live, not live to eat—we become selfless.
We don’t consume more than needed.
When this attitude becomes widespread, the environment, the planet—everything—takes care of itself.
If you take care of the minutes, the hours will take care of themselves.
If we develop this attitude—of being a part of the system and not above it, not something special—it will not only help our spiritual progress but also ensure the well-being of the physical system as well.
For such a person—who is always egoless, aware that everything is Brahman, and who performs niṣkāma karma (action without desire)—the state of Brahman is naturally attained.
The object, subject, verb, and adverb—all are Brahman!
Language Aspects of the Śloka
The key word here is Brahman. We should first be clear on the various similar words that have different meanings:
- brahman (brahma) = ब्रह्मन् (ब्रह्म) = Supreme divinity, beyond classification, the source of all, the all!
- brahmā = ब्रह्मा = The creator aspect of the divine.
- brāhmaṇa = ब्राह्मण = One of the four varṇas (classes) of society, originally based on qualities and deeds, referring to scholars, philosophers, and thinkers.
Breakdown of the Verse
- brahmārpaṇaṃ = brahma + arpaṇam
- arpaṇam = The ladle, the instrument of offering.
- brahmārpaṇaṃ = The instrument of offering is Brahman.
- haviḥ = The offering itself.
- (The sandhi would make it havirbrahmāgnau, but for simplicity, it is often broken apart.)
- brahmāgnau = brahma + agnau
- agni = Fire
- agnau = In the fire
- brahmaṇā = [The act is performed] by Brahman.
- hutam = Offering.
- (This means: The act of offering is by Brahman, and the offering itself is also Brahman.)
- tena = By that.
- brahmakarmasamādhinā = brahma + karma + samādhin + -ā
- brahma-karma = Karma that is steadfast in Brahman, selfless deeds.
- samādhin = One steadfast in samādhi.
- samādhinā = By the samādhin.
- (Thus: "By the one who is steadfast in brahma-karma.”)
- brahmaiva = brahma + eva = Only Brahman.
- gantavyaṃ = Destination.
- gam = To go.
- gantavyaṃ = Where one should go, the destination.
(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
