patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati |
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 9.26)
[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] “One who with bhakti offers a leaf, flower, fruit, or water to me—I partake of that offered out of bhakti from one of pure heart.”
nāhaṁ kāmān na saṁrambhān na dveṣān nārtha-kāraṇāt |
na hetuvādāl lobhād vā dharmaṁ jahyāṁ kathañcana ||
saṁprīti-bhojyāny annāni āpad-bhojyāni vā punaḥ |
na ca saṁprīyase rājan na cāpy āpad-gatā vayam ||
akasmād dviṣase rājañ janma-prabhṛti pāṇḍavān |
priyānuvartino bhrātṝn sarvaiḥ samuditān guṇaiḥ ||
akasmāc caiva pārthānāṁ dveṣaṇaṁ nopapadyate |
dharme sthitāḥ pāṇḍaveyāḥ kas tān kiṁ vaktum arhati ||
yas tān dveṣṭi sa māṁ dveṣṭi yas tān anu sa mām anu |
aikātmyaṁ māṁ gataṁ viddhi pāṇḍavair dharma-cāribhiḥ ||
kāma-krodhānuvartī hi yo mohād virurutsati |
guṇavantaṁ ca yo dveṣṭi tam āhuḥ puruṣādhamam ||
yaḥ kalyāṇa-guṇāñ jñātīn mohāl lobhād didṛkṣate |
so’jitātmājita-krodho na ciraṁ tiṣṭhati śriyām ||
atha yo guṇa-sampannān hṛdayasyāpriyān api |
priyeṇa kurute vaśyāṁś ciraṁ yaśasi tiṣṭhati ||
sarvam etan na bhoktavyam annaṁ duṣṭābhisaṁhitam |
kṣattur ekasya bhoktavyam iti me dhīyate matiḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.89.24–32)
“Neither out of desire, nor out of anger, nor out of enmity, nor for the sake of wealth (artha), nor because of a dispute, nor out of greed shall I ever forsake dharma. Foods are to be eaten out of affection or to be eaten [when] in distress. Neither are you affectionate, O King, nor are we beset with distress [and thus we will not accept your offering of foods]. O King, without cause, you hate the Pāṇḍavas, your brothers, who, since birth, have been amiable, compliant, and endowed with all virtues. Furthermore, hatred of the Pāṇḍavas without cause is not right. Who can say what against them—the Pāṇḍavas—who are fixed in dharma? One who hates them hates me. One who is with them is with me. Know me to be possessed of oneness of heart with the Pāṇḍavas, who are adherent to dharma. They say one who, acquiescing to desire (kāma) and anger out of delusion, hates and contends with a person endowed with virtue is the lowest of human beings. One of uncontrolled mind and uncontrolled anger who out of delusion and greed wishes to see relatives endowed with auspicious qualities does not remain in prosperity for long. Alternately, one who with kindness captivates even those endowed with virtue who are not dear to one’s heart long remains in eminence. All this food beset with sin is not fit to be eaten. The lone kṣattṛ’s [food] is fit to be eaten—this my judgement determines [to be the right course of action].”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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].”
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.”
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.”
āhārārthaṁ samīheta yuktaṁ tat-prāṇa-dhāraṇam |
tattvaṁ vimṛśyate tena tad-vijñāya vimucyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.18.34)
“One should endeavor for the sake of food. Sustaining one’s life is rightful. Thereby, reality is deliberated upon, and by realizing it, one can become completely liberated.”
