BHAGVAD GITA’S WAY OF FOODING

Food is the main source of  fuel for living being. Food ingested is digested and used by a living being’s body for bodily development. Food is medicine if eaten correctly and food may be toxic or poisonous if misused. In present world many people are suffering with non-communicable disease caused due to wrong food habit. Our scriptures from ancient times has been giving emphasis on correct food habits for health and wellbeing. Today in this article we will have a look at the idea of food habit as suggested by Krishna in the holy book of Hindus “ TheBhagvad Gita” .

According to Bhagvad Gita and the core concept of Hindu philosophy there are three types of Gunas . The Satvikguna(Absolute goodness with non-violence and good deeds and behaviours). The Rajasiguna(the mixture of rajasi in some aspects and tamasi in others)and the TamasiGuna (Absolute badness).Same is for food and food habits too. There are 3 types of food Good , moderate and bad i.e. Satvik, Rajasi and Tamasi respectively.  Lord Krishna describes about these various categories of foods (food is divided into different categories in the basis of tastes in Ayurveda) in chapter 17. Answering to Arjuna lord in chapter 17 verse 7 says:

Aaharastwaapisarvasyatrividhobhavatipriyah
yagyas tapas tathaadaanamtesaambhedamimamshrinu.

Meaning: There are three types of food liked by different people. Now hear the difference between these foods.

So, in this verse Krishna said there are three types of food as I cleared earlier.

Then in the next verse Krishna describes about the characters of food that are liked by people of different gunas  or in next word he describes food with different gunas. He says :

For Sativik foods or food eaten by people with Satvikgunas

Ayuhsatvabalaarogyasukhapreetivivardhanaah

Rasyaasnigdhaasthiraahridyaaaaharaahsaatvikapriyaah

Meaning :Foods that give longevity , vitality , strength , immunity against diseases , happiness and good mood which have abundance of fluid and moisture ( water content ) and that stay in body till adequate time for proper digestion are liked by Satvik people thus are Satvik foods i.e. food with goodness.

 For Rajasi foods or food eaten by people with Rajasigunas

KatuamlalavanaatiushNatikshnarukshavidahinah

Aahaaraaraajasasyestaa duhkha sokabhayapradaa

Meaning: Very bitter , very sour , very salty , very hot , very dry foods are of Rajasi nature and liked by people with Rajasigunas. They are the source of misery and fear.

For Tamasi foods or food eaten by people with Tamasigunas

Yaatayaamamgatarasampootiparyusitam cha yat

Uchhistamapichaamedhyambhojanamtaamasa Pritam

Meaning : The food that is stale , tastleless , foul , without rasa and left over of others are preferred by those of Tamasi nature  such foods are tamasi foods.

In this way the holy book ‘Gita’ clearly classifies that people with different nature like food of different nature and lead to health affects as per the nature of food consumed .Hence , food of Satvic nature should always be preferred for longevity , good health and happy existence.