BHAGAVAD-GITA 17:10

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 17:10

 

yata-yamam gata-rasam

puti paryusitam ca yat

ucchistam api camedhyam

bhojanam tamasa-priyam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

yata-yamam--food cooked three hours before being eaten;

gata-rasam--tasteless; puti--bad-smelling; paryusitam--decomposed;

ca--also; yat--that which; ucchistam--remnants of food eaten by

others; api--also; ca--and; amedhyam--untouchable; bhojanam--eating;

tamasa--to one in the mode of darkness; priyam--dear.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Food prepared more than three hours before being eaten, food that is

tasteless, decomposed and putrid, and food consisting of remnants and

untouchable things is dear to those in the mode of darkness.

 

PURPORT

 

The purpose of food is to increase the duration of life, purify the

mind and aid bodily strength. This is its only purpose. In the past,

great authorities selected those foods that best aid health and

increase life's duration, such as milk products, sugar, rice, wheat,

fruits and vegetables. These foods are very dear to those in the mode

of goodness. Some other foods, such as baked corn and molasses, while

not very palatable in themselves, can be made pleasant when mixed with

milk or other foods. They are then in the mode of goodness. All these

foods are pure by nature. They are quite distinct from untouchable

things like meat and liquor. Fatty foods, as mentioned in the eighth

verse, have no connection with animal fat obtained by slaughter.

Animal fat is available in the form of milk, which is the most

wonderful of all foods. Milk, butter, cheese and similar products give

animal fat in a form which rules out any need for the killing of

innocent creatures. It is only through brute mentality that this

killing goes on. The civilized method of obtaining needed fat is by

milk. Slaughter is the way of subhumans. Protein is amply available

through split peas, dal, whole wheat, etc.

 

Foods in the mode of passion, which are bitter, too salty, or too hot

or overly mixed with red pepper, cause misery by reducing the mucus in

the stomach, leading to disease. Foods in the mode of ignorance or

darkness are essentially those that are not fresh. Any food cooked

more than three hours before it is eaten (except prasadam, food

offered to the Lord) is considered to be in the mode of darkness.

Because they are decomposing, such foods give a bad odor, which often

attracts people in this mode but repulses those in the mode of

goodness.

 

Remnants of food may be eaten only when they are part of a meal that

was first offered to the Supreme Lord or first eaten by saintly

persons, especially the spiritual master. Otherwise the remnants of

food are considered to be in the mode of darkness, and they increase

infection or disease. Such foodstuffs, although very palatable to

persons in the mode of darkness, are neither liked nor even touched by

those in the mode of goodness. The best food is the remnants of what

is offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Bhagavad-gita the

Supreme Lord says that He accepts preparations of vegetables, flour

and milk when offered with devotion. Patram puspam phalam toyam. Of

course, devotion and love are the chief things which the Supreme

Personality of Godhead accepts. But it is also mentioned that the

prasadam should be prepared in a particular way. Any food prepared by

the injunctions of the scripture and offered to the Supreme

Personality of Godhead can be taken even if prepared long, long ago,

because such food is transcendental. Therefore to make food

antiseptic, eatable and palatable for all persons, one should offer

food to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.