Brahmārpañam Brahma Havir BrahmāgnauBrahmañāhutaṃ,
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam BrahmakarmāSamādhinah.
The act of offering is God. The oblation is God. By God it is offered into the Fire of God. God is That which is to be attained by him who performs action pertaining to God.
Word for word translation
brahmā: supreme spirit; arpañam: oblation, havih: butter, agnau: in the fire of consummation. brahmana: by the spirit soul. aahutam: offered.brahma: spiritual kingdom: eva: certainly. tena: by him. gantavyam: to be reached.brahma: spiritual. karma: in activities. samadhina: by complete absorption.
AhamVaishvānaroBhutvā PrāñināmḌehamāshritaha,
PrāñāpānaSamāyuktah PachāmyannamChaturvidham.
Becoming the life-fire in the bodies of living beings, mingling with the subtle breaths I digest the four kinds of food.
Word for word translation
aham: I. vaisvanarah: My plenary portion as the digesting fire. bhutva: becoming. praninam: of all living entities. deham: in the bodies. asritah: situated. prana: the outgoing air. apana: the down-going air. samayuktah: keeping in balance. pachami: I digest. annam. foodstuff. catuh-vidham. the four kinds.
The two verses are from the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter IV, Verse 24 and Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XV, Verse 14.
Sathya Sai Baba's explanation of this prayer
We should partake food with a pure, serene (satvic) mind. Our ancestors recommended the offering of food to God before partaking. Food so partaken becomes consecrated offering (prasad). Prayer cleanses the food of the three impurities caused by the absence of cleanliness of the vessel, cleanliness of the food stuff, and cleanliness in the process of cooking. It is necessary to get rid of these three impurities to purify the food, for pure food goes into the making of a pure mind. It is not possible to ensure the purity of the cooking process because we do not know what thoughts rage in the mind of the man who prepares the food. Similarly, we cannot ensure the cleanliness of the food ingredients because we do not know whether it was acquired in a righteous way by the person who sold it to us. Hence, it is essential on our part to offer food to God in the form of prayer so that these three impurities do not afflict our mind.
The prayer:
Brahmārpañam Brahma Havir BrahmāgnauBrahmañāhutaṃ,
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam BrahmakarmāSamādhinah.
AhamVaishvānaroBhutvā PrāñināmḌehamāshritaha,
PrāñāpānaSamāyuktah PachāmyannamChaturvidham.
HarirDātāHarirBhoktā Harir Annam Prajāpatih
HarirVipraSharīrāstu BhūnkteBhojayateHarih.
The food thus offered to God is digested by 'Vaishwanara" in the digestive system. Since God exists in the form of fire as Vaishwanara, He digests the food along with the impurities. So, man will not be affected even if the impurities enter the food.
Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1993
English equivalent of the food prayer
Oh Lord, Thou art the food,
Thou art the enjoyer of the food,
Thou art the giver and preparer of the food.
Along with the inward and outward breaths
You are the digestive fire that digests all types of food.
We offer to You, all that we consume.