Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 - Dhyana Yoga - Sloka 16

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

The Criterion for Progress 16-20
1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 6 - Dhyana Yoga - Sloka 16

Na ati ashnatah tu yogah asti na cha ekantam anashnatah I

Na chati svapna shilasya jagratah na eva cha arjuna II sloka 16

न अति अश्नतः तु योगः अस्ति न च एकान्तं अनश्नतः ।

न चाति स्वप्न शीलस्य जाग्रतः न एव च अर्जुन ।। श्लोक १६

Yoga is not possible for him who eats too much or for him who abstains too much from eating; it is not for him, O Arjuna,  who sleeps too much or too little. 

 The wire of a vina snaps if tightened too much and becomes devoid of music if loosened too much. In the art of partaking food, the yogi is to act like a properly tuned vina bringing out the best music. If he over eats he becomes a dullard; if he under eats he becomes weak. In regard to the quantity and sort of food, one's physique is not the standard for another's. Each sadhaka  has to fix them for himself. Sleep brings rest and relaxation and tones the system; but over and under indulgence in it aggravates  tamas  or inertia, which is a hindrance to the practice of meditation.

Eat sumptuously in the daytime; but let your food at night be sparse and easily digestible. A sadhaka  ought to help himself to that food only which is not heating to the body and exciting to the mind

Sri Ramakrishna  Paramahamsa