Translation
Sattvic foods increase the duration of life (ayuh), purify
one’s existence (sattva) and give strength (bala), health (arogya), happiness (sukha)
and satisfaction (priti vardhana). Foods which are juicy (rasya), made from
healthy fats (snigdha), nourishing (sthira), and pleasing to the heart (hrdya) are
healthy foods.
Why sattvic food?
Food is not merely something to fill our stomachs with.
Krishna says that sattvic food has the power to not only nourish us but also
purify our mind and body. Sattvic food shapes the way we think, speak, and act. It keeps us healthy, mentally and physically. If we remember that food has to be offered to Krishna before we eat, we will
also be conscious of what we eat and how well we prepare it.
A story from the Mahabharata.
Bhishma pitamaha lay on the bed of arrows, watching the rest
of the war unfold before his eyes. By the time the war came to an end, most of
the blood had flowed out of his frail body. Yet, he looked on, waiting to be
assured that his precious Hastinapur would be in safe hands. Having the boon of
‘ichha mrutyu’, he could choose the time of his death and so he had not yet
given up his mortal body, waiting to see the Pandavas emerge victorious.
After the war, the Pandavas, stood around him, devastated by
the sight of their great-grandfather lying in that state. Even as they shed
tears, Bhishma was instructed by Krishna to impart wisdom on dharma to Yudhishthira
and his brothers.
As Bhishma spoke with clarity about righteousness, duty,
kingship, and ethics, a question arose, often attributed to
Yudhishthira or to other members present at the scene –
‘You possess such deep understanding of dharma, but why did
you remain silent when you saw injustice happening? Why did you not stop the
humiliation of Draupadi in the court? Why did you not oppose the wrongful acts
of Duryodhana?’
Bhishma smiled sadly.
‘During my years in Hastinapur, I lived under the protection
and patronage of the Kauravas. I ate their food, was sustained by their wealth,
and bound by loyalty to the throne of Hastinapura. Over time, this dependence
clouded my judgment.’
Bhishma says that the food he consumed, earned through
Duryodhana’s unjust rule, affected his clarity of mind. It dulled his ability
to act decisively for dharma. Only now, after his body had been pierced and
that ‘tainted blood’ had flowed out, did he regain full clarity and detachment
to speak purely of righteousness.
Is it only about food?
This explanation is not merely about the food we eat. Whatever one accepts, materially or morally, shapes one’s thinking. To stay healthy mentally and physically, we must be careful not only about the food we put into our mouths but also the thoughts we feed into our minds, and the dependency we allow into our lives.
