1 Gita Sloka Every Day - Chapter 17 - Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga - Sloka 10

The entire content of this mail is from Shri V N Gopala Desikan's  Srimad Bhagavad Gita, published by Vishishtadvaita Research Centre, Chennai and The Bhagavad Gita by Swami Chidbhavananda published by Ramakrishna Mission

The Three Kinds of Food 8-10

1 Gita Sloka  Every Day - Chapter 17 - Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga - Sloka 10

Yaat yamam gata rasam pooti paryushitam cha yat I

Ucchishtam api cha amedhyam bhojanam tamasa priyam II sloka 10

यात् यामं गत रसम् पूति पर्युषितं च यत् I 

उच्छिष्टं अपि च अमेध्यं भोजनं तामस प्रियम् II  श्लोक 10

That which is stale, tasteless, stinking, cooked overnight, refuse and impure is the food liked by the tamasika.

Discrimination has to be used in regard to food cooked overnight. There are certain kinds of food which can not be used immediately after cooking, but have to be kept for hours or even days before being used. There are others which have to be consumed soon after preparation. The fitness for consumption or otherwise of a food article is self-revealed. A fruit kept long loses its attractive colour as it gets rotten.The putrid food produces foul odour. Old food becomes stale. The spoilt food becomes tasteless. The food already tasted by somebody is unfit to be taken by another. The remnants left over in the plate by one individual are unfit to be served to another. People with a tamasika disposition are heedless to all these restrictions. They help themselves to any impure or rotten food without the least hesitation. Their attainments are indicated by the sort of food they take and the manner in which they partake of it.

The way in which adoration is made to the Almighty is another indicator of the spiritual attainments of people. It is being elaborated as follows in the next sloka.