In Bhagavad Gita 17.10, Krishna says food that is stale, tasteless, putrid, left over, rejected and impure is dear to the tamasic.
Sanskrit Verse
श्रीभगवानुवाच · The Blessed Lord said
यातयामं गतरसं
पूति पर्युषितं च यत्
उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं
भोजनं तामसप्रियम् ॥ १७-१० ॥
yātayāmaṃ gatarasaṃ
pūti paryuṣitaṃ ca yat
ucchiṣṭamapi cāmedhyaṃ
bhojanaṃ tāmasapriyam
English transliteration yaatayaamam gatarasam
pooti paryushitam cha yat
uchchhishtamapi chaamedhyam
bhojanam taamasapriyam ॥ 17.10 ॥
Translation / Meaning
Food that is stale, tasteless, putrid and left overnight, that is the leftover of others and impure, is dear to the tamasic.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| यातयामम् yātayāmam | stale |
| गतरसम् gatarasam | tasteless gata (gone) + rasam (taste) |
| पूति pūti | putrid |
| पर्युषितम् paryuṣitam | left overnight |
| च ca | and |
| यत् yat | which |
| उच्छिष्टम् ucchiṣṭam | the leftover of others |
| अपि api | also |
| च ca | and |
| अमेध्यम् amedhyam | impure |
| भोजनम् bhojanam | food |
| तामसप्रियम् tāmasapriyam | dear to the tamasic tāmasa (tamasic) + priyam (dear) |
Word-wise Chanting
- yā–ta–yā–maṃ ga–ta–ra–saṃ 8 syllables yaa-ta-yaa-mam ga-ta-ra-sam
- pū–ti par–yu–ṣi–taṃ ca yat | 8 syllables poo-ti par-yu-shi-tam cha yat
- uc–chiṣ–ṭa–ma–pi cā–medh–yaṃ 8 syllables uch-chhish-ta-ma-pi chaa-medh-yam
- bho–ja–naṃ tā–ma–sap–ri–yam || 17-10 8 syllables bho-ja-nam taa-ma-sap-ri-yam
How to read this
How to chant: each line is one pāda (quarter-verse); chant it in one breath. The hyphen (-) divides the syllables, inside a word and across a sandhi join, so every pāda shows its 8 syllables (11 in triṣṭubh verses). A consonant cluster is divided after its first consonant (kar-ma, vet-ti): that syllable is held longer. Mark above a syllable: guru, long (two beats); laghu, short (one beat). | closes the half-verse, || the verse; the number is the syllable count of the pāda.
Deeper Explanation – Chapter 17 Verse 10
Context
Krishna describes the three kinds of food (17.8–17.10).
Meaning
Tamasic food is yātayāma, cooked long ago and gone stale; gatarasa, without flavour or nourishment; pūti, spoiled; paryuṣita, kept overnight; ucchiṣṭa, leftover from another’s plate; and amedhya, unclean. Such food dulls the body and mind.
Food that has lost its freshness and vitality also loses its capacity to nourish. Fresh, clean food supports a clear mind.
In Practice
Choose fresh food over stale or highly processed food at one meal today.
Related Verses
Continue Your Study
This verse belongs to Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (The Threefold Nature of Faith). Read the chapter overview, browse every verse of the Gita, or return to the chapter-by-chapter guide. For a reading plan, see how to study the Bhagavad Gita and the study resources.