परो हि नियमश्चैष मां विलोक्य यदश्यते । मामनालोक्य यद्भुक्तं तद्भुक्तं केवलत्वघम्
paro hi niyamaścaiṣa māṃ vilokya yadaśyate | māmanālokya yadbhuktaṃ tadbhuktaṃ kevalatvagham
இந்த நியமம் உண்மையிலே உச்சமானது—என்னைத் தரிசித்த பின்பே உணவு கொள்ள வேண்டும்; என்னைத் தரிசிக்காமல் உண்டது வெறும் சுயமயப் பாவமே.
Śiva (Īśvara)
Tirtha: Kāśī-Avimukta (Viśvanātha-darśana as daily niyama)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical)
Scene: A devotee stands before a Śiva icon in Kāśī at dawn, taking darśana; only then he sits to eat a simple meal, treating it as prasāda.
Food becomes dharmic when rooted in remembrance and darśana of the Divine; consumption without God-consciousness is condemned as spiritually harmful.
Kāśī is the implied sacred setting where Śiva’s presence (darśana) is central to daily religious life and merit.
A niyama is taught: one should take food only after beholding Śiva (and by implication, after offering/acknowledging the deity).