Vatapi Jeernobhava

Soon as I hog food, I roll my hand over my stomach and say "Vatapi Jeernobhava", I feel pretty relaxed after this, as if the food I ate is digested very quickly and I am ready for the next grub.

There is an interesting story behind "vatapi Jeernobhava". In Sanskrit (ancient Indian language), Jeernobhava means to digest. Mahabharata and Ramayana are two poems of epic proportions and must be read by all. Today's Indian generation are well aquainted with the Potter's and the Hobbits, but if you ask who Rama was they would say, it's our next door neighbor named Ramnath Sharma!

Anyway, in Mahabharatha there is a story about Agastya (one of the seven magnificent hermits of ancient Hindu mythology) and how he rescues all the sages from the evil plans of Llvala and Vatapi. Llvala and Vatapi are two rakshasa (demon) brothers, who have a clever trick to kill sages. They invite the sages for lunch. Llvala would convert Vatapi in to a goat magically and make a nice dish out of it. Hermits would eat this and when they do, Llvala would say "Vatapi come out!", this would make Vatapi tear the sages stomach and kill them.

Agastya comes to know about this and plans to get rid of Vatapi. When Agastya reach Llvala's house he becomes delighted to see the sage, and offers him his hospitality. As usual he makes Vatapi in to a goat, cooks his meat and serves the meet. Agastya accepts the food and at the end says "Vatapi Jeernobahava" (Vatapi, get digested) moving his hand over his stomach....

Llvala was beside himself with grief; he attacked Agasthya. By his yogic power Agasthya destroyed the angry llvala.

The story ends here, but the impact of the story is still with me. Long before television, a generation of kids used to read comic books and in India, Amar Chitra Katha used to print such stories. I belong to that generation and such story readings have made an ever lasting impact on me...