Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17 Verse 10 — Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
Sanskrit
यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत् | उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् ||१७-१०||
Transliteration
yātayāmaṃ gatarasaṃ pūti paryuṣitaṃ ca yat . ucchiṣṭamapi cāmedhyaṃ bhojanaṃ tāmasapriyam ||17-10||
Hindi Meaning
।।17.10।। अर्धपक्व, रसरहित, दुर्गन्धयुक्त, बासी, उच्छिष्ट तथा अपवित्र (अमेध्य) अन्न तामस जनों को प्रिय होता है।।
English Meaning
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.
Commentary
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, dāl, 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 prasādam, 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-gītā the Supreme Lord says that He accepts preparations of vegetables, flour and milk when offered with devotion. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. Of course, devotion and love are the chief things which the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepts. But it is also mentioned that the prasādam 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.
Hinglish Commentary
Khane ka maqsad hai zindagi ko lamba karna, mann ko shudh banana aur sharir ki taakat badhana. Yeh hi iska asal maqsad hai. Pehle ke samay mein, mahan logon ne un khanon ko chuna jo sehat ke liye sabse behtar hote the aur zindagi ki avadhi ko badhate the, jaise doodh ke utpaad, cheeni, chawal, gehun, fal aur sabziyan. Yeh khane un logon ko bahut pasand hote hain jo goodness ke mode mein hote hain. Kuch aur khane, jaise bhuni hui makki aur gur, khud mein itne tasty nahi hote, lekin jab inhe doodh ya dusre khanon ke saath milaya jata hai, tab yeh bhi goodness ke mode mein aa jate hain. Yeh sab khane apne aap mein shudh hote hain, aur yeh un chizon se bilkul alag hain jo chhuane layak nahi hain, jaise maans aur sharab. Jis tarah se aathve verse mein fatty foods ka zikr hai, unka jaanwar ke maans se koi sambandh nahi hai. Jaanwar ka charbi doodh ke roop mein milta hai, jo sab khanon se sabse adbhut hai. Doodh, makhan, paneer aur aise hi utpaad jaanwar ke charbi ko ek aise roop mein dete hain jisse kisi bhi nirdosh prani ki jaan lena zaroori nahi hota. Yeh sab sirf ek jaanvar ki soch se hota hai. Zaroori charbi ka sivilized tareeka doodh se milta hai. Qatal un logon ka kaam hai jo insaniyat se door hain. Protein split peas, dāl, aur poore gehun ke roop mein achhe se milta hai. Passion ke mode mein aane wale khane, jo kadwe, zyada namkeen, ya zyada teekhe hote hain, woh pet mein mucus ko kam karke takleef dete hain, jo bimari ki taraf le jaata hai. Ignorance ya andhkaar ke mode mein aane wale khane wo hote hain jo taja nahi hote. Agar koi khana teen ghante se zyada pehle pakaya gaya hai (prasādam ko chhod kar, jo Bhagwan ko bhog lagaya jaata hai), toh woh andhkaar ke mode mein mana jata hai. Kyunki yeh khane kharab ho rahe hote hain, yeh bura badboo dete hain, jo aksar is mode ke logon ko attract karta hai lekin goodness ke mode ke logon ko door bhagata hai. Khane ke baad ke chhode hue bache khane tabhi khaye ja sakte hain jab yeh pehle Bhagwan ko bhog lagaye gaye ho ya kisi saintly vyakti ne pehle khaye ho, khaas taur par spiritual master ne. Warna, yeh bache hue khane andhkaar ke mode mein hi samjhe jaate hain, aur yeh infection ya bimari badhate hain. Aise khane, jo andhkaar ke mode ke logon ko bahut pasand hote hain, goodness ke mode ke logon ko nafrat karte hain. Sabse achha khana wahi hota hai jo Bhagwan ko bhog lagane ke baad bacha ho. Bhagavad-gītā mein Bhagwan kehte hain ki woh sabziyon, aate aur doodh se bane khanon ko bhakti se bhog lagane par accept karte hain. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. Yahan bhakti aur prem sabse zaroori cheezein hain jo Bhagwan accept karte hain. Lekin yeh bhi kaha gaya hai ki prasādam ko ek khaas tareeke se tayyar kiya jaana chahiye. Kisi bhi khane ko jo scripture ke niyam se tayyar kiya gaya ho aur Bhagwan ko bhog lagaya gaya ho, woh khane ke liye theek hota hai, chahe woh kitna bhi purana kyun na ho, kyunki aisa khana transcendental hota hai. Isliye, khane ko antiseptic, khane layak aur sabke liye tasty banane ke liye, khane ko Bhagwan ko bhog lagana chahiye.
Chinmaya Commentary
यातयाम कालगणना की प्राचीन पद्धति के अनुसार एक दिन को आठ यामों में विभाजित किया जाता है। प्रति याम तीन घंटे का होता है। इसलिए तीन घंटे पूर्व पकाया गया अन्न यातयाम कहलाता है जो भोजन के योग्य नहीं समझा जाता। वैसे इस शब्द का अर्थ बासी अन्न हो सकता है परन्तु इसी श्लोक में पर्युषित अर्थात् बासी अन्न का स्वतन्त्र उल्लेख किया गया है अत यहाँ इसका दूसरा अर्थ अर्धपक्व अन्न समझना चाहिए।गतरस अधिक समय बीत जाने पर अन्न का रस समाप्त हो जाता है परन्तु तामसी लोगों को यही अन्न रुचिकर लगता है। दक्षिण भारत में चावल को पकाकर रातभर जल में भिगोकर रखते हैं और दूसरे दिन उसे खाते हैं। यद्यपि अनेक लोगों को वह अन्न रुचिकर लगता है परन्तु वह बासी और रसहीन होने से तामस भोजन ही कहलायेगा। सम्भवत उत्तर भारत में बासी रोटी खायी जाती हो।पूति तमोगुणी लोगों को दुर्गन्धयुक्त आहार स्वादिष्ट लगता है जबकि अन्य लोगों को वह दुर्गन्ध असह्य होती है।पर्युषित बासी रात भर का रखा हुआ अन्न बासी कहलाता है। इसमें हम मादक द्रव्यों को भी समाविष्ट कर सकते हैं। तामसी लोगों को मद्यपानादि प्रिय होता है। अत्यन्त अज्ञानी और निम्न संस्कृति के घृणित व्यक्तियों को अशुद्ध अपवित्र तथा उच्छिष्ट जूठा त्यागा हुआ भोजन प्रिय होता है। अब त्रिविध यज्ञों का वर्णन करते हैं