Marconi, James

English

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso UniversityValpoScholarGraduate Academic Symposium Graduate SchoolSpring 4-21-2016Ritual Eating, Ritual Devotion: Body andEmbodiment in HinduismJames MarconiValparaiso University, james.marconi@valpo.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://scholar.valpo.edu/gasThis Oral Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion inGraduate Academic Symposium by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member atscholar@valpo.edu.Recommended CitationMarconi, James, "Ritual Eating, Ritual Devotion: Body and Embodiment in Hinduism" (2016). Graduate Academic Symposium. 26.http://scholar.valpo.edu/gas/26James Marconi Thesis Advisor: Dr. George Pati MALS Theology Abstract  Ritual Eating, Ritual Devotion: Body and Embodiment in Hinduism  The sacralization of food is apparent in all religious systems; most often this is achieved through dichotomizing the food options into categories of purity and pollution. These simple bifurcated categories of food create a measure of holiness and devotion. While this is a significant part of initially understanding the theological relationship between food, the body, and the divine, it stops short of the ultimate communion of, and relationship between, human and god. One must begin with why certain foods have been labeled as polluting and others as conducive to purity, only then can you move to a deeper understanding of the ritualization of the pure foods that connect with, and embody the divine Arguing that Mary Douglas’ idea of purity and pollution plays a role in the sacralization of food, but does not go far enough is central. There are numerous prohibitions of food dictated by god(s) and recorded in sacred texts which works to present a “holy diet” serving as the most auspicious, everyday interaction with the edible world. However, the mere consumption of the proscribed foods is not the highest order of edible material; that is reserved for the food ritually offered to the gods. It is through the ingestion of ritualized food, which has been imbued with grace from spiritual contact with the divine that a religious man understands himself as phenomenally situated on the precipice of divinity wiping away all illusions and coming into a fuller communion with god during the consumption of the sacred, blessed food.  Applying Catharine Bell’s ritual theories to the consumption of ritualized food it is possible to understand the dialogue that takes place within this specific context. This dialogue begins at the intersection of food, the body, and the divine to further inform and interpret the unique relationship of food and ritual. Through this lens I focus my research specifically on ritual eating in devotional traditions of Hinduism. Within the Hindu tradition of Vaiṣṇavism, and more specifically the devotees of Kṛṣṇa, there is a semiotic relation to the nature of existence, food, and mokṣa (liberation from the cycle of rebirth). The ingestion of ritually offered food and its effects on the mind, body, and soul can be linked to the existential notions of authentic and in-authentic or auspicious or inauspicious. To live a life polluted by māyā (illusion) is, at its base, to be living in-authentically since one is clouded by the false trivialities that blind one from truly existing in accordance with reality to its fullest.  The method of expelling māyā is to partake in the prasāda - the “leftovers” from the food ritually offered to Kṛṣṇa. This blessed food offering is then returned to the devotee for consumption and creates a temporary realization of the true ontological reality by wiping away all māyā resulting in a temporary union of man and god only realized in final liberation.   The ritual process surrounding prasāda seeks to create a sacred reality which unifies the qualities of food and god in order to offer the devotee an authentic an auspicious relation to the nature of the cosmos. This union of food and god, being produced and sustained by the ritual process, allows for food to become divine not because it was created by god or set part as a proscription for holy life, but because it becomes a part of god. Consumption of prasāda aids in the quest for the end of the saṁsāric cycle (the cycle of rebirth) that is perpetuated by living in māyā. Employing lenses from religious studies and body studies, the paper argues that ritual eating reinforces the agency of body and embodiment in Hinduism, which is the crux of ritual devotion.  

Ritual Eating, Ritual Devotion: Body and Embodiment in Hinduism

ValpoScholar

Valparaiso University
ValpoScholar
Graduate Academic Symposium Graduate School
Spring 4-21-2016
Ritual Eating, Ritual Devotion: Body and
Embodiment in Hinduism
James Marconi
Valparaiso University, james.marconi@valpo.edu
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholar.valpo.edu/gas
This Oral Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in
Graduate Academic Symposium by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at
scholar@valpo.edu.
Recommended Citation
Marconi, James, "Ritual Eating, Ritual Devotion: Body and Embodiment in Hinduism" (2016). Graduate Academic Symposium. 26.
http://scholar.valpo.edu/gas/26
James Marconi 
Thesis Advisor: Dr. George Pati 
MALS Theology 
Abstract 
 
Ritual Eating, Ritual Devotion: Body and Embodiment in Hinduism 
 
The sacralization of food is apparent in all religious systems; most often this is achieved 
through dichotomizing the food options into categories of purity and pollution. These simple 
bifurcated categories of food create a measure of holiness and devotion. While this is a 
significant part of initially understanding the theological relationship between food, the body, 
and the divine, it stops short of the ultimate communion of, and relationship between, human 
and god. One must begin with why certain foods have been labeled as polluting and others as 
conducive to purity, only then can you move to a deeper understanding of the ritualization of 
the pure foods that connect with, and embody the divine 
Arguing that Mary Douglas’ idea of purity and pollution plays a role in the sacralization of 
food, but does not go far enough is central. There are numerous prohibitions of food dictated 
by god(s) and recorded in sacred texts which works to present a “holy diet” serving as the 
most auspicious, everyday interaction with the edible world. However, the mere consumption 
of the proscribed foods is not the highest order of edible material; that is reserved for the food 
ritually offered to the gods. It is through the ingestion of ritualized food, which has been imbued 
with grace from spiritual contact with the divine that a religious man understands himself as 
phenomenally situated on the precipice of divinity wiping away all illusions and coming into a 
fuller communion with god during the consumption of the sacred, blessed food.  
Applying Catharine Bell’s ritual theories to the consumption of ritualized food it is possible 
to understand the dialogue that takes place within this specific context. This dialogue begins at 
the intersection of food, the body, and the divine to further inform and interpret the unique 
relationship of food and ritual. Through this lens I focus my research specifically on ritual eating 
in devotional traditions of Hinduism. 
Within the Hindu tradition of Vaiṣṇavism, and more specifically the devotees of Kṛṣṇa, there 
is a semiotic relation to the nature of existence, food, and mokṣa (liberation from the cycle of 
rebirth). The ingestion of ritually offered food and its effects on the mind, body, and soul can be 
linked to the existential notions of authentic and in-authentic or auspicious or inauspicious. To 
live a life polluted by māyā (illusion) is, at its base, to be living in-authentically since one is 
clouded by the false trivialities that blind one from truly existing in accordance with reality to its 
fullest.  The method of expelling māyā is to partake in the prasāda - the “leftovers” from the 
food ritually offered to Kṛṣṇa. This blessed food offering is then returned to the devotee for 
consumption and creates a temporary realization of the true ontological reality by wiping away 
all māyā resulting in a temporary union of man and god only realized in final liberation.  
 The ritual process surrounding prasāda seeks to create a sacred reality which unifies the 
qualities of food and god in order to offer the devotee an authentic an auspicious relation to 
the nature of the cosmos. This union of food and god, being produced and sustained by the 
ritual process, allows for food to become divine not because it was created by god or set part 
as a proscription for holy life, but because it becomes a part of god. Consumption of prasāda 
aids in the quest for the end of the saṁsāric cycle (the cycle of rebirth) that is perpetuated by 
living in māyā. Employing lenses from religious studies and body studies, the paper argues that 
ritual eating reinforces the agency of body and embodiment in Hinduism, which is the crux of 
ritual devotion.  


https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1039&context=gas

Ritual Eating, Ritual Devotion: Body and Embodiment in Hinduism

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