Food

vṛtty-arthaṁ bhojanaṁ yeṣāṁ santānārthaṁ ca maithunam

vṛtty-arthaṁ bhojanaṁ yeṣāṁ santānārthaṁ ca maithunam |
vāk satya-vacanārthāya durgāṇy api taranti te ||
(Hitopadeśa: Sandhi, 92)

“Those who eat for the sake of upkeep, engage in intercourse for the sake of children, and speak for the sake of truthful speech certainly overcome adversities.”

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yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ pūti paryuṣitaṁ ca yat

yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ pūti paryuṣitaṁ ca yat |
ucchiṣṭam api cāmedhyaṁ bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 17.10)

“Foods that are stale [lit., past their time], tasteless, foul-smelling, putrid, left over [i.e., partial eaten by another person], and unofferrable foods [e.g., meat] are dear to a tāmasic person.”

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kaṭv-amla-lavaṇātyuṣṇa-tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ

kaṭv-amla-lavaṇātyuṣṇa-tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ |
āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkha-śokāmaya-pradāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 17.9)

“Foods which are excessively bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, astringent, or burning, and which cause discomfort, dejection, and disease are desired by a rājasic person.”

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āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ

āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ |
rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 17.8)

“Foods that increase longevity, energy [alt., mental steadiness], [physical] strength, health [lit., freedom from disease], satisfaction [alt., peace of mind], and delight, and which are tasty, succulent, wholesome [alt., substantial], and pleasant [alt., nourishing], are dear to sāttvic persons.”

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anabhyāse viṣaṁ śāstram ajīrṇe bhojanaṁ viṣam

anabhyāse viṣaṁ śāstram ajīrṇe bhojanaṁ viṣam |
daridrasya viṣaṁ goṣṭhī vṛddhasya taruṇī viṣam ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti: 4.15)

“Without regular practice, śāstra is poison [because it can lead to delusion]. When undigested, food is poison [because it causes disease]. For a poor person, congregating is poison [because one cannot properly host others], and for an elderly man, a young woman is poison [because he cannot fulfill all her needs].”

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ātmanaś ca parasyāpi yaḥ karoty antarodaram

ātmanaś ca parasyāpi yaḥ karoty antarodaram |
tasya bhinna-dṛśo mṛtyur vidadhe bhayam ulbaṇam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.29.26; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha 106)

[Kapiladeva:] “I, Death, cause tremendous fear for [i.e., subject to saṁsāra] one of disunited vision who differentiates between one’s own belly and another’s.”

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tāmra-pātre payaḥ-pānam ucchiṣṭa-ghṛta-bhojanam

tāmra-pātre payaḥ-pānam ucchiṣṭa-ghṛta-bhojanam |
dugdhaṁ lavaṇa-sārdhaṁ ca sadyo go-māṁsa-bhakṣaṇam ||
nārikelodakaṁ kāṁsye tāmra-pātre sthitaṁ madhu |
aikṣavaṁ tāmra-pātrasthaṁ surā-tulyaṁ na saṁśayaḥ ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa: Brahma-khaṇḍa, 27.22–23)

“Drinking milk in a copper vessel, eating remnant ghee, and milk with salt [all] immediately become [equivalent to] eating cow meat. Coconut water in a white copper [i.e., bell metal or brass] vessel, honey situated in copper vessel, and sugarcane products situated in a copper vessel are equivalent to wine. There is no doubt.”

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āhārārthaṁ samīheta yuktaṁ tat-prāṇa-dhāraṇam

āhārārthaṁ samīheta yuktaṁ tat-prāṇa-dhāraṇam |
tattvaṁ vimṛśyate tena tad-vijñāya vimucyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.18.34)

“Endeavor made specifically for food for the sake of sustaining one’s life is proper. Thereby, tattva is deliberated upon, and by realizing it, one is liberated.”

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guṇāś ca ṣaṇ mita-bhuktaṁ bhajante

guṇāś ca ṣaṇ mita-bhuktaṁ bhajante
ārogyam āyuś ca sukhaṁ balaṁ ca |
anāvilaṁ cāsya bhaved apatyaṁ
na cainam ādyūna iti kṣipanti ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.37.30; Vidura-nīti)

“Six qualities adorn one who eats moderately: (1) [good] health, (2) [long] life, (3) comfort, (4) strength, (5) one’s children becoming wholesome, and (6) others not reviling one for being gluttonous.”

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