Kitchen is generally understood as a place where food is cooked. It is a place where all the utensils, equipments, cooking gadgets and raw material for making food is also available.
The vedic understanding of a kitchen is much more than just this. A place to cook is just a "Pakashala" it is not the real kitchen.
A home is not a home at all if it does not have a kitchen. Kitchen forms the heart of any home.
It is the place where the sacred fire resides and the in that fire nourishment is prepared for the family as "Anna", Anna is not just cooked rice;
Anna is Prana,
Anna is what we are
The Taitiriya upanishad has a beautiful description of Anna as being everything.
The place where such divine Anna is cooked is called "Mahanasam", that is the real name of Kitchen in Sanskrit.
सूर्यान्तरिक्षसत्याग्निभागेषु च महानसम् ।। ३७ ।।
ऐशान्यां देवतावेश्म तथाग्नेय्यां महानसम् ।।
महानसप्रतिष्ठायां लक्ष्मीं तत्र निवेशयेत्।
चुल्या मध्ये तु धातारं विधातारं तु पृष्ठतः ।
According to Vastu, Kitchen should be in the Agneya ( south eastern quadrant)
Once established, Lakshmi resides in this space. The stove that we use has the "Creator" in its center.
How to create a Mahanasam?
Restricted access -
Like the sanctum of a temple, Kitchen should have restricted access. Atleast those who come inside the kitchen must have washed their hands and feet. This is also from Shaucha perspective.
Cleanliness of the space and the vessels.
महानसं समारभ्य गर्भगेहावसानकम् ।। 90 ।।
प्रथमेन जलै: प्रोक्ष्य भाण्डानुत्थापयेत् क्रमात्।
Everything in the kitchen is believed to be infused with chaitanya, it is living, whether it is the fire or the vessels. The liveliness of a Kitchen is felt to the extent where shlokas talk about "Waking up the vessels" by sprinkling holy water on them ( Prokshanam)
Vessels must be washed and should be kept in sunlight for purification. If they are washed in the night they must be given the warmth of the hearth. The idea is to bring it in contact with fire in some way. Arranging wet vessels is not a clean habit. Vessels must be well dried, wiping with a cloth is good but it lacks the touch of fire. It will be ideal if the vessels can get some sunlight.
Vessels and their purposes
Since we have the idea of "Dravya shuddhi", vessels that are used for boiling milk, making curds, storing oil/ghee, vessel used for making rice are not used for other purposes. It is a sacred association between the vessel and the dravya it carries. It is a special bond.
Placement of things in the Kitchen
Pure water should ideally be in the northeast ( drinking water) Preferably not in a plastic container.
Heavy utensils, noisy gadgets ( mixer / grinder) to the south
Tamarind and salt in your stock must sit next to each other
Pickle jars and dry storage should not be in proximity of water / liquids like milk etc
Plates / bowls / glasses that we use for eating should not be used for cooking.
Kitchen shaucha
The floor and counters must be cleaned after every cooking session.
Left overs must be sorted quickly
Ideally dirty vessels must be washed after every eating session. So that the utensils don't remain in contamination for long time. Atleast one must wash the plates / bowls etc, that which came in contact with saliva. ( Ucchishta). Those that have been used for cooking can be cleaned a little later.
Washing area and cooking area must be separated.
Each individual should ideally have their own plate / bowl / glass
How to enter the Kitchen
Just like one enters a sanctum, after bath. Brimming with the Bhava that you are in the heart of your home and now it shall begin :) the yagna of Anna.
You can indicate your arrival in the kitchen by reciting a shloka from annapoorna stotram, or by remembering your ishta devata.
you can also indicate your arrival by clapping your hands three times ( as a gesture to let the deities, vessels etc know that you have arrived)
You can do the pratishta of annapoorna devi in the kitchen in the form of a small idol or a picture and begin the kitchen routine by doing namaskara to her and offering her a flower along with little bit of rice and dal which can be placed in front of her in small cups, as though she is the one giving you all the abundance and the gift of rice. Then you can add this offering to the food you will be cooking, that way the preparation becomes equivalent to prasadam.
Annapoorna Shlokas for chanting
अन्नपूर्णा अन्नदात्री अन्नराशिकृतालया ।
अन्नदा अन्नरूपा च अन्नदानरतोत्सवा ॥
अनन्ता च अनन्ताक्षी अनन्तगुणशालिनी ।
अच्युता अच्युतप्राणा अच्युतानन्दकारिणी ॥
अम्ब! त्वदीय -चरणाम्बुजसंश्रयेण
व्रह्मादयोऽप्यविकलां श्रियमाश्रयन्ते ।
तस्मादहं तव नतोऽस्मि पदारविन्दं
भिक्षां प्रदेहि गिरिजे! क्षुधिताय मह्यम् ॥
एकाग्रमूलनिलयस्य महेश्वरस्य
प्राणेश्वरी प्रणत-भक्तजनाय शीघ्रम् ।
कामाक्षि-रक्षित-जगत्-त्रितयेऽन्नपूर्णे!
भिक्षां प्रदेहि गिरिजे! क्षुधिताय मह्यम् ॥
माहेश्वरीमाश्रितकल्पवल्लीमहं भवच्छेदकरीं भवानीम् ।
क्षुधार्तजायातनयाभ्युपेतस्त्वामन्नपूर्णां शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥
दारिद्र्यदावानलदह्यमानं नमोऽन्नपूर्णे गिरिराजकन्ये ।
कृपाम्बुवर्षैरभिषिञ्च त्वं मां त्वत्पादपद्मार्पितचित्तवृत्तिम् ॥
What to cook?
किं प्रियं च किमाग्नेयं षड्रसाभ्यन्तरेषु च ।
किं पथ्यं किमपथ्यं च स्वास्थ्यं वास्य कथं भवेत् । ।
इति यत्नाद्विजानीयादनुष्ठेयं च तत्तथा । । । १३
नित्यानुरागं सत्कारमाहारं सुपरीक्षितम् ।
महानसादौ कुर्वीत जनमाप्तं क्रमागतम् । । १४
Know what are the likes and dislikes of the family members, find out what is good for them, for their health. Learn the art of cooking and then serve the deities, family members and the fire within.
Art of Vedic cooking
- Everything is sanctified
- Dravya Shuddhi
- Less and simple ingredients, more clear tastes
- Prepare and eat fresh food
- Balanced diet
- Healthy eating habits
- Dinner within 1-2 hours of sunset, not after that.
- Everything that is eaten is an offering made to the fire inside.
- Everyday some portion of the cooked food must be offered to animals or birds ( prayashchitta for all the kroora karmas that happened in the process of cooking)
- What is cooked and eaten must not be criticised.
References -
अन्नं न निन्द्यात् । तद्व्रतम् । प्राणो वा अन्नम् । शरीरमन्नादम् । प्राणे शरीरं प्रतिष्ठितम् । शरीरे प्राणः प्रतिष्ठितः । तदेतदन्नमन्ने प्रतिष्ठितम् ।
स य एतदन्नमन्ने प्रतिष्ठितं वेद प्रतितिष्ठति । अन्नवानन्नादो भवति । महान्भवति प्रजया पशुभिर्ब्रह्मवर्चसेन महान् कीर्त्या ॥ १ ॥
॥ अष्टमॊऽनुवाकः ॥
अन्नं न परिचक्षीत । तद्व्रतम् । आपो वा अन्नम् । ज्योतिरन्नादम् । अप्सु ज्योतिः प्रतिष्ठितम् । ज्योतिष्यापः प्रतिष्ठिताः ।
तदेतदन्नमन्ने प्रतिष्ठितम् । स य एतदन्नमन्ने प्रतिष्ठितं वेद प्रतितिष्ठति । अन्नवानन्नादो भवति । महान्भवति प्रजया पशुभिर्ब्रह्मवर्चसेन महान् कीर्त्या ॥ १ ॥
॥ नवमोऽनुवाकः ॥
अन्नं बहु कुर्वीत । तद्व्रतम् । पृथिवी वा अन्नम् । आकाशोऽन्नादः । पृथिव्यामाकाशः प्रतिष्ठितः । आकाशे पृथिवी प्रतिष्ठिता ।
तदेतदन्नमन्ने प्रतिष्ठितम् । स य एतदन्नमन्ने प्रतिष्ठितं वेद प्रतितिष्ठति । अन्नवानन्नादो भवति । महान्भवति प्रजया पशुभिर्ब्रह्मवर्चसेन महान्कीर्त्या ॥ १ ॥
महानसं सुसम्मृष्टं चुल्ल्यादिविहितार्चनम् ।
सर्वोपकरणोपेतमसम्बाधमनाविलम् । । ७
न चातिगुह्यं प्रकटं प्रविभक्तक्रियाश्रयम् ।
भर्तुराप्तजनाकीर्णं गूढं कक्षादिवर्जितम् । । ८
तत्र पाकादिभाण्डानि बहिरन्तश्च कारयेत् ।
निणिक्तमलपङ्कानि शुक्तिवल्कादिचूर्णकैः । । ९
निशि कुर्वीत धूमार्चिः शोधितानि दिवातपः ।
दधिपात्राणि कुर्वीत सदैवान्तरितानि च । । 1.13.१०
साधुकारितदुग्धेषु शोधितेषु दिवातपे ।
ईषद्गृह्योक्तपात्रेषु स्वच्छं येन भवेद्दधि । । ११
स्नेहगोरसपाकादि कृत्वा सुप्रत्ययेक्षितम् ।
कुर्यात्स्वयमधिष्ठाय भर्तुः पाकविधिक्रियाम् । । १२
किं प्रियं च किमाग्नेयं षड्रसाभ्यन्तरेषु च ।
किं पथ्यं किमपथ्यं च स्वास्थ्यं२ वास्य कथं भवेत् । ।
इति यत्नाद्विजानीयादनुष्ठेयं च तत्तथा । । । १३
नित्यानुरागं सत्कारमाहारं सुपरीक्षितम् ।
महानसादौ कुर्वीत जनमाप्तं क्रमागतम् । । १४
