The rite of sprinkling water drops of sanctified water over
and around before eating is Parisecana. The sprinkling of water around before
eating in Hinduism combines and symbolically invokes the three powers of water,
fire and Surya, the sun god. By being honored through this invocation, the
three powers contribute towards the well-being and prosperity of the performer.
The mantra for the evening meal is rtam tva satyena parisincami
“Order, you are sprinkled around with truth”) and for the daytime is satyam tva
rtena parisincami “Truth, you are sprinkled around with order”). (The word ‘Order’
– rta – stands for the eternal order that governs the Universe.
These mantras are originally mentioned in Taittiriya Brahmana
(11.11.1) in the context of performing the Agnihotra rites which begin in the
evening and conclude the following morning.
Drops of water received in the palm of the hand are
sanctified by the recitation of these mantras and then sprinkled around the
food in a pradakshina manner (clockwise direction) before eating.
The word ‘parisecana’ is normally reserved, by custom, for
this sprinkling around and over the food. Before the parisecana, the food to be
eaten should also be sanctified by uttering mentally the maha-vyahrtis (the
mystic syllables which are preceded and followed by om). The meal must also be
sanctified by the mental recitation of the Gayatri Mantra. This is then
followed by the appropriate parisecana mantras.
After this, one again takes a few more drops of water in the
palm and sanctifies it by reciting mentally the Vedic formula amrtopastaranam
asi, (May this water become immortal.”) The water should then be swallowed.
After this, each of the five sacred breaths that govern the
different functions of the body are addressed mentally and individually with
the Vedic expressions ‘om pranaya swaha,’ ‘om apanya swaha,’ 'om udanaya swaha', 'om vyanaya swaha' and 'om samanya svaha.'
As each is addressed, a small token quantity of food is
taken, from the palm of the hand, in offering to the devata of that breath;
prana devata, the breath that comes in and goes out; apana devata, the breath
that descends; udana devata, the breath that ascends; vyana devata, the breath
that circulates; samanya, the breath that digests.
This is concluded with the phrase: “brahmani me atma
amrtatvaya. (The individual self is one with the Universal Self). Then the meal
is eaten. At the conclusion of the meal, the mantra : Amrita apidhanam asi (The
gift of this elixir) is recited while, again, taking a few drops of water in
the palm and swallowing them.