Wellness in Religious texts with special reference to Food in Vachana Literature and its Contemporary Relevance

Abstract

Food is referred to in ancient Hindu literature as "Annam Brahmam," which literally means "food is god." Traditionally, eating in India is treated with care and respect, much like praying to God. In the 12th century in Karnataka, Mahatma Basaveshwara was a socio- religious reformer. In Kalyan, he founded Anubhava Mantapa. Vachanas, a piece of Kannada prose poetry, was written by Basaveshwara and Shivasharanas. When we carefully examine and evaluate the Vachanas, we learn that many Shivasharanas placed a high priority on eating, eating practices, the value of food, and nourishment for the mind, body, and soul, among other things, that can be found in literature. In the Lingayat community, numerous Mathas and groups, together with Dnyana (Knowledge) and Anna (Food),constantly practise dasoha in the form of Prasada since the 12th century till 21st century. The Food God is unlike any other god, says the poet Sarvadnya. He actually thinks that food is God. Food is the reason we are able to live on this world. Because of this, everyone should live by the motto "Food safety is our life." We won't be able to tackle problems like hunger, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, illness, etc. until that time. Shivasharana's theories are therefore more relevant today as we attempt to address global challenges. Research on food sustainability in religious texts is now needed. Therefore, the main topic of this paper is food preservation and consumption in Vachana literature, which is pertinent to resolving India's health-related issues.