Chinmaya International Foundation

Bhiksha – Offering Food

Offering bhiksha (food) to a swamin (sannyasin), brahmacharin and antevasin (ashram residents) have been considered one of the foremost duties and privileges of a householder in the Indian tradition. It has been considered a great blessing equivalent to offering food for the entire universe. One could offer breakfast, lunch, dinner or full day bhiksha. CIF also has the Maha Bhiksha option, through which you can offer food on a special occasion including birthdays, anniversaries or any day of importance to you, for 11 consecutive years by making a donation of ₹2,00,000 or US$5000.

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Note: The Bhiksha can be offered on any special occasions of your choice. In that case, the date of offering and the occasion can be mentioned in the “Remarks” column.

All donations are eligible for Income tax relief in India under section 80G of the Income Tax Act.

Ancient Indian vision differentiates between different ashramas (stages of life) and their respective duties. In this context, the most important dharma of householders, one of the four ashramas, is to offer Bhiksha to those of the ashramas: Brahmacharya, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa. Offering Bhiksha to Sannyasins is considered equivalent to offering food to the entire universe.

Swamins, Brahmacharins and other sevaks reside at Adi Sankara Nilayam serving the vision of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda of “giving the maximum happiness to the maximum people for the maximum time.” By offering Bhiksha to the residents of the ashram, one retains the age-old tradition of Hinduism and at the same time fulfils one’s own grahasta dharma (household duty). Bhiksha for breakfast, lunch and dinner can be offered separately and so also one can offer Bhiksha for a whole day.

Bhiksha – Offering Food

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