To those who are situated in sattva guṇa the mode of goodness, foods that are of the nature of sattva or goodness such as milk, fruits, grains and vegetables are very dear.

Such foods promote long life, invigorating the body and elevating the mind in its function of intelligence.

As was confirmed earlier in chapter XIV verse XVII:

“From the quality of sattva guṇa knowledge arises”.

Sattva guṇa facilitates spiritual knowledge and likewise food that is sattva also facilitates spiritual intelligence as well as good health, strength, happiness and relish.

The word sukha meaning happiness refers to the pleasure experienced while ingesting the food and afterwards when it is digesting and assimilating within the body.

The word prīti means satisfaction that is derived from the intake of pure foods inspiring congenial interest in spiritual activities.

The word rasyāḥ means succulent, delectable. Snigdhāḥ means oleaginous, unctuous. Sthirāh means nourishing, sustaining. Hṛdyā means agreeable, pleasing.

These are the qualities of sattva foods which are very much appreciated by those in sattva guṇa.

Foods that are acidic, bitter, salty, sour, spicy, pungent, dry, hard or burning are the foods that those in raja guṇa are very much attracted to.

The word Tīkṣṇa refers to food of no value because they are either to cold or to hot. Rakṣa are foods which are to dry and hard. Vidāhinaḥ are those foods that cause a burning sensation in the body.

These foods produce pain, distress, sickness and misery and decreases longevity of life and increase desires for more and more Rājas or passion.

The foods liked by those in tama guṇa the mode of ignorance are yāta-yāmaṃ meaning stale, foods that are old from the previous day, foods cooked more than a yama which is literally three hours before.

Gata-rasa means those foods which have lost their original flavour and have become tasteless.

Pūti means putrid, possessing a foul smell. Paryuṣitaṃ means decomposed, unrecognisable. Ucchiṣṭam means eating the remains of others, food after they have eaten.

This does not apply to honouring the remnants of mahā Prasādam or sanctified food first offered to Lord Krishna and then eaten by the spiritual preceptors who mercifully leaves some for their devotees which is then glorified by them as mahā Prasādam.

Amedhyaṃ means unsanctified foods, due to not having been consecrated by first offering it to the Supreme Lord and thus impure.

Partaking of foods in tama guṇa such as meat, fish, fowl, eggs, wine, alcohol, etc. breeds dark nescience and great ignorance.

So in conclusion those fortunate jīvas or embodied beings with spiritual insight should absolve themselves from the intake of foods in raja guṇa and tama guṇa and resort exclusively to foods in sattva guṇa.

“स्थिराः स्थिरगुणाः धृतादयः । कद्वादीनामप्यारोग्यरसाद्यर्थत्वेन साच्चिकत्वमेव । रस्यादीनामपि दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः उत्युक्तैः । सत्त्वं साधुभावः । भवति हि सोऽपि शुच्यन्तात् ॥ हृद्यं पश्चान्मनोहारी प्रियं तत्कालसीख्यदम् । सुखदं दीर्घसुखदं रस्यमभ्याससीख्यदम् ॥ इति शब्दनिर्णये ॥” — Food that creates stability having stable attributes are pleasurable. Food that is bitter if it promotes health are satvika, wholesome promoting enlightened outlook, becoming pure living, the attribute of the saints.. हृद्यं - desirable is that which makes one desire for more. Pleasurable is what pleases at that moment alone. सुखं - happiness is what continues to make one happy for a long time. That which becomes agreeable even after consuming repeatedly is रस्यम् - savoury or palatable” thus in Shabda Nirnaya.

8 *'Longevity, inner basic constitution (sattva), strength, health, happiness, and cheerfulness: such foods as promote these, and are savoury, succulent, sustaining and satisfying, are dear to those of Sāttvika temperament.'* (125)

Should the enjoyer be luckily inclined towards Sattva qualities, his liking for sweet articles of food increases; food articles which by themselves are savoury, sweet, and well-cooked, well-shaped, soft to touch and succulent and flavoury to the tongue,—articles that are full of syrup (रस-पाक) inside, and with soft exterior and with the internal liquidity thickened by heat, but not over-cooked articles although small in size (are) big (highly invigorating) in effect, like a single letter alphabet from the mouth of the preceptor, which though small gives immense internal satisfaction—articles that are as beneficial to the interior as they are sweet (tasteful) to the mouth: such sorts of edible articles are greatly liked by the beings of Sāttvic nature. Food possessing such signs should be known as Sāttvic food. It conserves longevity. When the cloud in the form of such flavoury sāttvic liquid food showers the interior of the body, the river of longevity gets swollen day by day. The Sun is the cause of the advance of the day; in that way such kind of diet is most suitable for preserving the Sāttvic quality. Such (kind of food) is also a great support for strengthening the mind as also the body and with such food the ailments find no scope whatsoever (to attack the body). When one gets such Sattvic food, then only can one enjoy sound health and the star in the form of goodluck is in the ascendant for the body: and it is with such food alone that a person gets scope for doing such acts as make him happy, and this happiness is firmly wedded to joy (lit. happiness augments its intimacy with joy). The Sāttvic food proves in the long run thus great and beneficial to the body both externally and internally. Now I tell you, as the occasion demands, the diet dear to the Rajas—tempered persons.

The foods, which promote life, vitality, strength, purity, health, happiness\* and peace, which are sweet and juicy (fruit, milk etc.,) which provide strength to the heart and lungs, and which are oily such as butter, ghee, almonds, cashewnut and raisins etc., are dear to the sāttvika type of men. These can be of four kinds—those which are eaten, are drunk, licked, and those which are sucked. A person, who likes such foods is of sāttvika temperament.

तरी सत्त्वगुणाकडे । जें दैवें भोक्ता पडे । तैं मधुरीं रसीं वाढे । मेचु तया ॥ १२५ ॥ आंगेंचि द्रव्यें सुरसें । जे आंगेंचि पदार्थ गोडसे । आंगेंचि स्नेहें बहुवसें । सुपक्वें जियें ॥ १२६ ॥ आकारें नव्हती डगळें । स्पर्शें अति मवाळें । जिभेलागीं स्नेहाळें । स्वादें जियें ॥ १२७ ॥ रसें गाढीं वरी ढिलीं । द्रवभावीं आथिलीं । ठायें ठावो सांडिलीं । अग्नितापें ॥ १२८ ॥ आंगें सानें परीणामें थोरु । जैसें गुरुमुखींचें अक्षरु । तैशी अल्पीं जिहीं अपारु । तृप्ति राहे ॥ १२९ ॥ आणि मुखीं जैसीं गोडें । तैसीचिहि ते आंतुलेकडे । तिये अन्नीं प्रीति वाढे । सात्त्विकांसी ॥ १३० ॥ एवं गुणलक्षण । सात्त्विक भोज्य जाण । आयुष्याचें त्राण । नीच नवें हें ॥ १३१ ॥ येणें सात्त्विक रसें । जंव देहीं मेहो वरीषे । तंव आयुष्यनदी उससे । दिहाचि दिहा ॥ १३२ ॥ सत्त्वाचिये कीर पाळती । कारण हाचि सुमती । दिवसाचिये उन्नती । भानु जैसा ॥ १३३ ॥ आणि शरीरा हन मानसा । बळाचा पैं कुवासा । हा आहारु तरी दशा । कैंची रोगां ॥ १३४ ॥ हा सात्त्विकु होय भोग्यु । तैं भोगावया आरोग्यु । शरीरासी भाग्यु । उदयलें जाणो ॥ १३५ ॥ आणि सुखाचें घेणें देणें । निकें उवाया ये येणें । हें असो वाढे साजणें । आनंदेंसीं ॥ १३६ ॥ ऐसा सात्त्विकु आहारु । परीणमला थोरु । करी हा उपकारु । सबाह्यासी ॥ १३७ ॥ आतां राजसासि प्रीती । जिहीं रसीं आथी । करूं तयाही व्यक्ती । प्रसंगें गा ॥ १३८ ॥

(17.125) भोक्ता जब भाग्यवशात् सत्त्वगुण की ओर आकृष्ट रहता है तब उसकी रुचि मधुर रसों में बढ़ती है।

(17.126) जो पदार्थ स्वभावतः सुरस रहते हैं, स्वभावतः मीठे रहते हैं, तथा जो स्वभावतः खूब रस से भरे और पके हुए होते हैं,

(17.127) आकार में जो बड़े नहीं होते, स्पर्श में जो अत्यन्त कोमल तथा जीभ का जो सान्द्र और स्वादु होते हैं,

(17.128) जिनमें रस अटूट और मृदु रहता है, जो द्रवभाव से भरे हुए परन्तु कहीं-कहीं अग्नि की गरमी के कारण जिनका द्रवत्व निकल गया है,

(17.129) जो श्रीगुरु के मुख के अक्षरों के समान तन से छोटे पर परिणाम में बड़े होते हैं, तथा जो छोटे होते हैं तथापि अपार तृप्ति बनी रहती है,

(17.130) और ऊपर से जैसे सुन्दर वैसे भीतर से भी मीठे रहते हैं, उन पदार्थों के अन्न पर सात्त्विक की रुचि बढ़ती है।

(17.131) सात्त्विक आहार ऐसे गुण और लक्षणों का रहता है। यह आहार आयुष्य का नित्य नूतन रक्षक है। (17.132) जब शरीर में ऐसे सात्विक रस-रूपी मेघ बरसते हैं तब आयुष्य-रूपी नदी दिन-दिन बढ़ती जाती है।

(17.133) हे सुमति! दिन की वृद्धि के लिए जैसे सूर्य होता है वैसे ही सत्त्व की रक्षा के लिए यह आहार कारण होता है,

(17.134) और शरीर और मन दोनों को इसी आहार के बल का आश्रय मिलता है। तो फिर रोग कहाँ से प्रकट हो सकते हैं?

(17.135) एवं सात्विक आहार का सेवन करने से ही शरीर को आरोग्योभोग-रूपी सौभाग्य प्राप्त होता है

(17.136) तथा इस आहार से सब व्यापार भली भाँति सुखरूप दिखाई देते हैं; इससे आनन्द की मित्रता भी वृद्धिगत होती है।

(17.137) इस प्रकार इस सात्विक आहार का बहुत बड़ा परिणाम होता है। यह बाह्य और अन्तर दोनों का उपकारी है।

(17.138) अब रजोगुणी मनुष्य की जिन रसों में रुचि रहती है उन्हें भी प्रसंगवशात् विशद कर बताते हैं।

'आयुः'—जिन आहारोंके करनेसे मनुष्यकी आयु बढ़ती है; 'सत्त्वम्'—सत्त्वगुण बढ़ता है; 'बलम्'—शरीर, मन, बुद्धि आदिमें सात्त्विक बल एवं उत्साह पैदा होता है; 'आरोग्यः'—शरीरमें नीरोगता बढ़ती है; 'सुखम्'—सुख-शान्ति प्राप्त होती है; और 'प्रीतिविवर्धनाः'—जिनको देखनेसे ही प्रीति पैदा होती है*, वे अच्छे लगते हैं।

इस प्रकारके 'स्थिराः'—जो गरिष्ठ नहीं, प्रत्युत सुपाच्य हैं और जिनका सार बहुत दिनतक शरीरमें शक्ति देता रहता है; और 'हृद्या:'—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।