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Bhagavad Gita · 17.8 · Yoga through Discerning the Three Divisions of Faith·8 of 28

आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाःरस्याः स्निग्धाः स्थिरा हृद्या आहाराः सात्त्विकप्रियाः

āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ

rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛidyā āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ

Sanskrit recitation

Food, effort, and giving · 17.7–17.22 · Teaching

Translation

The foods that increase life, purity, strength, health, joy, and cheerfulness (good appetite), which are savory, oily, substantial, and agreeable, are dear to the Sattvic (pure) people.

Meaning

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

After Swami Sivananda

Food, effort, and giving· 17.7–17.22

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
bala
strength
sukha
happiness
prīti
satisfaction
ārogya
health
rasyāḥ
juicy
sthirāḥ
nourishing
snigdhāḥ
succulent
āhārāḥ
food
hṛidyāḥ
pleasing to the heart
vivardhanāḥ
increase
āyuḥ sattva
which promote longevity
sāttvika-priyāḥ
dear to those in the mode of goodness

Related verses

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