यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः | भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् || १३ ||
yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt
yajña-śiṣṭa—of food taken after performance of yajna; aśinaḥ—eaters; santaḥ—the devotees; mucyante—get relief; sarva—all kinds of; kilbiṣaiḥ—sins; bhuñjate—enjoy; te—they; tu—but; agham—grievous sins; pāpāḥ—sinners; ye—who; pacanti—prepare food; ātma-kāraṇāt—for sense enjoyment.
“The devotees who eat the remnants of sacrifice are freed from all sins. But those who cook only for themselves eat only sin.”
Food consumed after being offered — whether to God, to guests, or to the poor — is spiritually purified. This transforms the act of eating from a self-centred act of sense-gratification into a sacrament. The broader principle: any enjoyment preceded by offering and sharing purifies; enjoyment motivated purely by self-pleasure binds.
Before eating, adopt the practice of offering your food — whether through a formal prayer, a moment of gratitude, or by ensuring that someone less fortunate is also fed. This small ritual shifts the orientation of eating from self-indulgence to a sacred act of participation in the cosmic order.