Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 17 - Shloka (Verse) 8

व्याख्या -- आयुः -- जिन आहारोंके करनेसे मनुष्यकी आयु बढ़ती है सत्त्वम् -- सत्त्वगुण बढ़ता है बलम् -- शरीर? मन? बुद्धि आदिमें सात्त्विक बल एवं उत्साह पैदा होती है आरोग्यः -- शरीरमें नीरोगता बढ़ती है सुखम् -- सुखशान्ति प्राप्त होती है और प्रीतिविवर्धनाः -- जिनको देखनेसे ही प्रीति पैदा होती है (टिप्पणी प0 841.3)? वे अच्छे लगते हैं।इस प्रकारके स्थिराः -- जो गरिष्ठ नहीं? प्रत्युत सुपाच्य हैं और जिनका सार बहुत दिनतक शरीरमें शक्ति देता रहता है और हृद्याः -- हृदय? फेफड़े आदिको शक्ति देनेवाले तथा बुद्धि आदिमें सौम्य भाव लानेवाले रस्याः -- फल? दूध? खाँड़ आदि रसयुक्त पदार्थ स्निग्धाः -- घी? मक्खन? बादाम? काजू? किशमिश? सात्त्विक पदार्थोंसे निकले हुए तेल आदि स्नेहयुक्त भोजनके पदार्थ? जो अच्छे पके हुए तथा ताजे हैं।आहाराः सात्त्विकप्रियाः -- ऐसे भोजनके (भोज्य? पेय? लेह्य और चोष्य) पदार्थ सात्त्विक मनुष्यको प्यारे लगते हैं। अतः ऐसे आहारमें रुचि होनेसे उसकी पहचान हो जाती है कि यह मनुष्य सात्त्विक है।

आयु? बुद्धि? बल? आरोग्यता? सुख और प्रीति? इन सबको बढ़ानेवाले तथा रस्यरसयुक्त? स्निग्ध -- चिकने? स्थिर -- शरीरमें बहुत कालतक ( साररूपसे ) रहनेवाले और हृद्य -- हृदयको प्रिय लगनेवाले ऐसे आहार ((৷৷) भोजन करनेके पदार्थ ) सात्त्विक पुरुषको प्रिय -- इष्ट होते हैं।

He illustrates the specific foods that are the object of the Sattvic person's fondness—"Ayuh," etc.

"Ayuh"—life/longevity; "Sattva"—steadiness of mind; or "Virya" (strength)—the capacity to perform actions; "Arogya"—freedom from disease; "Sukha"—internal delight;

"Priti"—supreme joy arising from seeing others also prosperous/satisfied; "Vivardhanah"—from the derivation "they increase," meaning enhancers of these.

"Rasyah"—endowed with juice (tasty), worthy of being tasted, succulent. "Sthirah"—staying in the body for a long time, (or) causing benefit to the body for a long time.

Among them, He first illustrates the foods that are the object of the Sattvic person's fondness—"Ayuh," etc. "Ayuh"—long life; "Sattva"—of the nature of mental steadiness and enthusiasm; "Bala"—bodily capacity in performing actions; "Arogya"—freedom from disease; "Sukha"—internal delight born of contentment merely by seeing (the food); "Priti"—supreme joy upon seeing others fully satisfied (with food), or relish/taste. Or "Priti"—happiness born of satiety.

Enhancers ("Vivardhanah")—specifically causing the increase—of Ayuh, Sattva, Bala, Arogya, Sukha, and Priti. "Rasyah"—juicy, like sugar etc.; "Snigdhah"—unctuous, like milk etc.; "Sthirah"—staying in the body for a long time, (or) causes of benefit to the body for a very long time; "Hridyah"—devoid of visible and invisible faults, pleasing to the heart. Foods of this kind are "Priya" (dear/desired) to the Sattvic person.

Those who have fondness for such food should be known as Sattvic; and they should be adopted by those desiring Sattvic nature, this is the meaning.

"Priti" is the immediate satisfaction (after eating). "Hridyatvam" (being pleasing to the heart) lies in the sight (pleasing to look at).

"Sthirah" means those that do not get digested (consumed) right then and there (but provide sustained energy). Just like ghee (clarified butter) etc.

'Ayuh'—Life. 'Sattva'—Enthusiasm. 'Bala'—Strength/Power. 'Arogya'—Absence of disease. 'Sukha'—Cheerfulness of mind. 'Priti'—Relish/Taste.

Those that enhance, i.e., cause the increase of these, are 'Ayuh-sattva-bala-arogya-sukha-priti-vivardhanah.'

'Rasyah'—Juicy. 'Snigdhah'—Unctuous (oily/fatty). 'Sthirah'—Staying in the body for a long time in the form of essence (Rasa/Ojas). 'Hridyah'—Pleasing to the heart merely by sight.

(Such) foods—ghee, milk, sugar, etc.—are dear to the Sattvic person.

To a person endowed with the quality of Sattva, foods that are "Sattvamaya" (full of Sattva) are dear. And "Sattvamaya" foods are enhancers of "Ayuh" (longevity); and again, they are enhancers of "Sattva."

"Sattva" means the internal organ (Antahkarana); here, by the word "Sattva," the effect of the internal organ, namely "Knowledge" (Jnana), is expressed. As it is stated "From Sattva arises knowledge" [Gita 14.17], designating Sattva as the cause of the increase of knowledge. Food, being "Sattvamaya," is also a cause for the increase of knowledge.

Similarly, they are enhancers of "Bala" (strength) and "Arogya" (health); they are enhancers of "Sukha" (happiness) and "Priti" (delight).

At the time of digestion (result), they are enhancers of "Sukha" by themselves. And they are enhancers of "Priti" through the commencement of actions that are causes of delight.

"Rasyah"—Endowed with sweet taste. "Snigdhah"—Endowed with unctuousness. "Sthirah"—Having lasting effects. "Hridyah"—Having a pleasing appearance. Such "Sattvamaya" foods are dear to the Sattvic person.

There, He states the threefold nature of food with three verses—"Ayuh," etc.

"Ayuh"—life; "Sattva"—enthusiasm; "Bala"—power; "Arogya"—absence of disease; "Sukha"—cheerfulness of mind; "Priti"—relish.

"Vivardhanah"—enhancers, specifically causing the increase of Ayuh etc. And they are "Rasyah"—juicy; "Snigdhah"—unctuous; "Sthirah"—staying in the body for a long time as essence; "Hridyah"—captivating the heart merely by sight. Foods of this kind—eatables, masticables, etc.—are dear to the Sattvic person.

Some qualities of food like increasing longevity (Ayuh) should be known from Ayurveda; others are established by direct perception without needing scripture. With the intention that a taste for Sattvic food arises indeed from the increase of Sattva, (Ramanuja) says—"Punardpi" (Again...). "Ayuh" (Life) is mentioned first because it is useful for the accomplishment of all human goals. "Sattva" is specifically required by the seeker of liberation (Mumukshu), so it is mentioned immediately after.

Since this statement is meant to support/elaborate the Shruti "When food is pure, Sattva becomes pure; when Sattva is pure, memory becomes firm" [Chandogya 7.26.2], the intention is to impart knowledge about the specific increase of "Sattva" (Knowledge) achievable through food; with this intention, to use the word "Sattva" figuratively for "Knowledge," he first leads it to its cause (the internal organ)—"Sattva means Antahkarana."

Amarakosha [3.3.212] states: "The word Sattva (in non-feminine gender) is used for substance, life-breath (Asu), and resolve (Vyavasaya) in living beings"—thus, the word Sattva has been used before in the sense of specific knowledge (resolve); with this intention, he says—"Knowledge is the effect of the internal organ." "Here"—meaning in the context of elaborating the Shruti on food purity.

Just as the tastes etc. present in specific substances nourish bodily tissues etc., and thus the substances themselves are designated as such (nourishers) by scripture, similarly here, since the quality of Sattva is the cause of the increase of knowledge, the food-substance which is the locus of that Sattva is also designated as such; with this intention, he quotes "From Sattva arises knowledge."

The continuous reading of "Bala-Arogya" and "Sukha-Priti" is due to their cumulative operation and the intention to express their mutual concomitance; thus he divides the compounds as "of Bala and Arogya, of Sukha and Priti." Here "Bala" means the nourishment of the vital force (Prana) and digestive fire (Agni). "Arogya" means the balance of humors/tissues (Dhatus). Diseases manifest due to the imbalance of Karma, Dosha, Agni, and Dhatus.

Since being "Rasya" (tasty) and "Hridya" (pleasing) establishes the generation of immediate pleasure, to avoid repetition, "enhancer of Sukha" is qualified as "at the time of result (digestion)." To show the difference from "enhancer of Priti," he says "by themselves," indicating immediacy (without intermediate steps for Sukha). Just as consuming substances that cause madness etc. increases a person's "Apriti" (unhappiness) through actions that cause public anxiety etc., similarly substances that are causes of Sattva impel one towards auspicious, public-benefiting, and other-worldly beneficial actions, and through them generate "Priti"; with this intention, he says—"Through the commencement of actions that are causes of Priti."

आध्यात्मिक प्रवृत्ति के सात्त्विक पुरुषों को स्वभावत वही आहार रुचिकर होता है? जो आयुवर्धक हो? न कि केवल शरीर को स्थूल बनाने वाला आहार। आहार ऐसा हो? जो ध्यानाभ्यास के लिए आवश्यक ओज प्रदान करे तथा विषयों के प्रलोभनों से अविचलित रहने के लिए बल की वृद्धि करे। अरोग्यवर्धक आहार सात्त्विक पुरुष को प्रिय होता है। उसी प्रकार प्रीति और मन की प्रसन्नतावर्धक आहार सात्त्विक कहलाता है।भोज्य पदार्थों के गुणानुसार यहाँ उन्हें चार भागों में वर्गीकृत किया गया है। वे हैं रस्या रसयुक्त? स्निग्ध चिकनाई से युक्त? स्थिर और मनप्रसाद के अनुकूल हृद्या। सात्त्विक पुरुषों को ऐसे समस्त पदार्थ स्वभावत प्रिय होते हैं? जो उपर्युक्त गुणों से युक्त होते हैं अर्थात् आयुबलादि विवर्धक होते हैं।इसमें कोई सन्देह नहीं है कि भोक्ता पर भोजन का प्रभाव पड़ता है। सामान्यत? मनुष्य जिस प्रकार का भोजन करता है? वैसा ही प्रभाव उसके मन पर पड़ता है। उसी प्रकार मनुष्य का स्वभाव उसके आहार की रुचि को नियन्त्रित करता है। यह देखा जाता है कि प्राणीमात्र की किसी विशेष परिस्थिति में किसी आहार विशेष की तीव्र इच्छा होती है। कुत्ते और बिल्ली रोगादि के कारण कभीकभी घास खाने लगते हैं? गाय लवण को चाटती है? छोटे बालक मिट्टी खाते हैं और गर्भवती स्त्रियों को खटाई आदि खाने की तीव्र इच्छा होती है।

"Ahara" (Food) is also threefold due to the distinctions of Sattva etc., like faith. So too are "Sacrifice, Austerity, and Charity."

That is stated—from "Ahara" up to "Tamasapriyam" (verse 10).

"Yatayamah"—That of which the 'Yamas' (watches/time segments) have passed.

He explains the difference in meaning between "Priti-vivardhanah" (enhancers of satisfaction) and "Hridyah" (pleasing to the heart)—with "Priti," etc. "Priti" (according to Madhvacharya) is "Anantarika" (immediate); the suffix 'than' implies immediacy, meaning the time immediately following consumption. As the saying goes: "That which gives immediate happiness is 'Priya'".

"Hridyatvam" refers to that captivation of the mind which persists even after the sight or experience. As the saying goes: "That which is captivating even afterwards is 'Hridya'".

(Objection:) Since foods are momentary (consumed), how can they be "Sthira" (stable/lasting)? How is this adjective fitting? To this he says—"Sthirashcha" (And stable). "Cha" (And) here has the sense of "Tu" (But), excluding the common notion of stability (like a stone). The meaning is: They do not get "cooked" (digested/consumed) right then in a short time, but rather, having completed digestion, they provide benefits/qualities to the body for a long time.

To remove the impossibility (of food being stable), he gives an example—"Tatha hi" (For instance)—like Ghee etc.

The distinctions of food, sacrifice, austerity, and charity are explained in fifteen verses.

Among them, the distinction of food is explained in three verses—beginning with "Ayuh," etc. "Ayuh"—long life; "Sattva"—mental fortitude, which brings about changelessness even in intense sorrow; "Bala"—bodily capacity, which ensures absence of fatigue in one's proper duties; "Arogya"—absence of disease; "Sukha"—delight/satisfaction immediately following the meal; "Priti"—absence of distaste and intensity of desire at the time of eating. "Vivardhanah"—specific causes of increase of these.

"Rasyah"—tasty, predominantly sweet; "Snigdhah"—endowed with unctuousness, either natural or added; "Sthirah"—staying in the body for a long time in the form of essence etc.; "Hridyah"—pleasing to the heart, devoid of visible and invisible faults like bad odor or impurity. Such foods—chewable, suckable, lickable, and drinkable—are dear to Sattvic people.

By these signs, Sattvic persons should be known; and those desiring Sattvic nature should adopt these foods, this is the meaning.

Having thus made (Arjuna) attentive, He says—"Ayuh," etc. "Ayuh"—life; "Sattva"—purity of heart; "Bala"—capacity; "Arogya"—absence of disease; "Sukha"—contentment of mind; "Priti"—affection/love. "Vivardhanah"—Enhancers of these, specifically by being fruitful through Dharma leading to utility (Artha).

Among them, enhancer of longevity—remnant of festival sacrifices; accomplisher of Sattva—in the form of remnants (Uchhishta) of Guru etc.; enhancer of strength—remnants of offerings to Pitris and Devas; enhancer of health—prepared/served by mother etc.; enhancer of happiness—earned through righteous means; enhancer of affection—from the house of friends etc.

And by nature too, they are: "Rasyah"—juicy; "Snigdhah"—unctuous; "Sthirah"—nourishing the body due to staying for a long time; "Hridyah"—causing joy in the heart merely by sight.

Such foods are dear to the Sattvic people—"are" is to be supplied. Thus, those who consume such food should be known as Sattvic, this is the meaning.

Ayuh and Sattva and Bala and Arogya and Sukha and Priti—these are "Ayuh-sattva-bala-arogya-sukha-priti"; the enhancers of these are "Ayuh-sattva-bala-arogya-sukha-priti-vivardhanah".

And they are "Rasyah"—endowed with juice; "Snigdhah"—possessed of unctuousness; "Sthirah"—staying in the body for a long time; "Hridyah"—pleasing to the heart.

Such foods are "Sattvikapriya"—desired by the Sattvic person.

Among them, first foods—"Ayuh," etc. To one endowed with the quality of Sattva, Sattvamaya foods are dear.

And they are enhancers of "Ayuh" (longevity); and enhancers of "Sattva"—which implies Knowledge (Jnana)—and the rest.

"Rasyah"—endowed with sweet taste and unctuousness; "Sthirah"—having lasting effects (stable transformation); "Hridyah"—of pleasing form.

Such foods in the form of grains etc. are "Sattvikapriya"—meaning generators of Sattva and dear; or dear to Sattvic people; and are beneficial (Kshemakara)—this is the purport.

आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः those which increase Ayus (life)? Sattva (purity)? Bala (strength)? Arogya (health)? Sukha (joy)? Priti (cheerfulness and good appetite)? रस्याः savoury? स्निग्धाः oleaginous? स्थिराः substantial? हृद्याः agreeable? आहाराः the foods? सात्त्विकप्रियाः are dear to Sattvic (pure).Commentary Pure food increases the vitality and strength of those who eat it. It augments the energy of the mind also.Sattva Cheerfulness purity inner? moral and spiritual strength and courage that keep the mind steady even in great distress.Bala Strength absence of fatigue even in doing difficult work.Priti Absence of retching good appetite.Rasyah Sweet and juicy.Sthirah Substantial which can last long in the body vitalising but not difficult to digest.Hridyah The mere sight of the food is very pleasing to the mind and it is free from odour of smoke or burnt condition.Sattvic food produces cheerfulness? serenity and mental clarity and helps the aspirants to enter into deep meditation and maintain mental poise and nervous eilibrium. It supplies the maximum energy to the body and the mind. It is very easily assimilated and absorbed.A Sattvic man relishes juicy food and other foods which are attractive in form? soft to touch and pleasant to taste? which are small in bulk but great in nourishment like the words from the lips of a spiritual preceptor. Sattvic food is highly conducive to health.Eat that food which will develop Sattva in you. Milk? butter? fresh? ripe fruits? almonds? green Dal? barley? Parwal? Torai? Karela? plantains? etc.? are Sattvic. Abandon fish? meat? liors? eggs? etc.? ruthlessly if you want to increase Sattva and attain Selfrealisation. The mind is formed of the subtle portion of the food. जैसा अन्न वैसा मन As is the food so is the mind says a Hindi proverb. If you take Sattvic food? the mind also will be Sattvic. The seven elements (Dhatus) of the body (Chyle? blood? flesh? fat? bone? marrow and semen) are formed out of food.Ideas or concepts are generated in the mind corresponding to these seven elements. As is the constitution of these elements? so is the constitution of the mind. Just as water is rendered hot when the pot that contains it is placed over the fire? so also the nature and constitution of the mind is according to the nature and constitution of the food or the seven elements.

Aharah, foods; ayuh-sattva-bala-arogya-sukha-priti-vivardhanah, that augment life, firmneess of mind, strength, health delight; [Life-a brilliant life; firmness of mind or vigour; strength-ability of body and organs; happiness-pleasure of mind; delight-great joy even at seeing other persons prosperous.] and which are rasyah, succulent; snigdhah, oleaginous; sthirah, substantial, lasing in the body for long; [Beneficial to the body for long.] and hrdyah, agreeable, to one's liking; are sattvika-priyah, dear to one endowed with sattva.

To a man endowed with Sattva, foods preponderating in Sattva become dear. The foods preponderating in Sattva promote longevity. Again they promote intellectual alertness. 'Sattva', means internal organ, viz., knowledge which is the effect of the internal organ is here meant by the term Sattva. For the Sattva is the cause of growth of knowledge, as declared in: 'From Sattva arises knowledge' (14.17). Even as the food preponderant in Sattva is the cause of the growth of knowledge, likewise, they promote strength and health; they also promote pleasure and happiness. As the time of assimilation they, by themselves, promote happiness, viz, by the performance of actions which cause happiness. They are sweet, viz., abundant in sweet juices. They are mixed with oil, viz., wholly oily. They are substantial, viz., they originate substantial effects. They are agreeable viz., they appear to the eye in beautiful forms. Food of this kind, full of Sattva-guna, is dear to the person characterised by Sattva.