TAITTRIYA UPANISHAD: A SUBLIME ECONOMIC POLICY

2013-28  Taittriya Upanishad : A Sublime Economic Policy

[The special feature of the third chapter Brugu Valli of the Taittriya Upanishad is the glorified conception of food for contemplation by any earnest aspirant of the ultimate Truth. Food which sustains the body should not be belittled . This is explained in the last four sections, namely 3.7 - 3.10]

Do not condemn [speak ill of]  food.  
[अन्नं न निन्ध्यात्  |                                                [3.7.1] 

Do not waste [cast away, reject] food.  
[अन्नं न परिचक्षीत  |                                                [3.8.1] 
Do produce food in abundance. 
[अन्नं बहु कुर्वीत  |                                                    [3.9.1] 
Do not refuse [food] to anyone at the house. 
[न कम् चन वसतौ प्रत्याचक्षीत  |                             [3.10.1] 
That should be observed as a pious rule.
तत्  व्रतम्  |    

Therefore a man should, by all righteous means [enjoined by the scriptures], acquire much food to be kept ready for guests.  If he gives food amply, food is given to him amply. If he gives food fairly, food is given to him fairly. If he gives food meanly, food is given to him meanly.

When guests come, not only should they be given shelter but also food.  Hence much food should be acquired for that purpose.  That is the Dharma of a house-holder.  The Sruthi enjoins that an inhospitable person is debarred from all good, both here and hereafter.

Whenever guests come to a wise man’s house, he never turns them away.  On the other hand, he always offers them food by saying that it is ready for them. This is the reason why much food should be acquired.

If food is prepared in the best manner and offered to the guests with courtesy and humility, the giver is blessed in return with ample food.

If food is prepared neither amply nor with care and if it is offered with vanity and reluctance, it is gift of medium value. And the giver gets only the merit of a medium kind and food accrues to him in a medium way.

When food is prepared meanly and offered with insult and disregard, the giver gets equally, a mean return of food.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------