Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: ‘Annadata sukhi bhava’ means ‘those who are providing me with this food, let them be happy’. Will you all say this one mantra every day before your meals?

When you say this, you are wishing prosperity for three people. One is to the farmer; the second is to the trader who buys from the farmers and sells the produce, and the third is to the woman who cooks the food and serves it to you.

First, we wish well for the farmers. When the farmers are happy, then the ones who eat the food will also be happy. But, if the farmers are unhappy, and they are shedding tears and giving us food, then when we eat that food, we become sick. So, you must wish the farmers good health and happiness.

In this country we are ignoring the farmers. Farmers are committing suicide because they are sad and unhappy. When they are sad, then the food they produce brings us only misery. So, all of you should wish them happiness.

Second, we should wish well for the traders. If the merchants do their business properly, by not being greedy and not hoarding things, then there will be no dearth of food in the country. If there is a problem in our country, it is because of wrong government policies and the hoarding attitude of businessmen. As a result of this, it is the farmers who suffer the most. Can you imagine, three years ago, food companies were making 300 per cent profit, while the farmers were going bankrupt? This shows that there is a serious flaw in our system; we need to look into it. Hoarding is the biggest crime.

Third, we should wish well for the women at home who cook the food and serves it to us. There should be no tears in the eyes of the lady of the house who is cooking the food. It is not going to do you any good. So, when you say Annadata Sukhi Bhava every day, you are praying for the lady of the house to be happy; you are praying for the merchant to conduct his business in a fair and just manner (not out of greed), and you are wishing the farmer a happy life. If these three people are happy, then the society is happy.

If you really look at it, the true Annadaata (the Giver of Food) is none other than God himself. And God is always happy and content. Does God ever become unhappy? No! Yet, at the level of this gross material world that we are in, we pray to God who is the ultimate nurturer, for the happiness and well-being of these three people who help to provide us with food. We all should chant this every day, both before and after our meals. Bless them before and after you have had your food.