Verse 17.10

Verse 17.10: “Void of freshness, no longer savoury, foul smelling; and what has stayed overnight; what has been left part-eaten and is unholy: such the fare favoured by those of Tamasa temperament. (154)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

He (Tamas-tempered person) feels no repugnance while eating rotten, defiled, and left part-eaten food, in the way, a she-buffalo does not feel (repugnance) while consuming mash of grain, bran etc., laid before it (amboṇa). A Tamas-tempered person takes ungrudgingly food that was cooked in the morning or in the afternoon of the previous day. He also takes food that is imperfectly cooked or is over-cooked; also that which is no longer savoury. The proper type of food is that which is well-cooked and has become fully savoury. The Tamas-tempered one is not convinced about it (he holds a different view); were he by chance to get fresh and nice food to eat, he would not take it until it became foul-smelling in the way a tiger does.

Food that has been cooked days back, (food) that has lost all its flavour, (food) that has completely dried up, (food) that has rotten or fermented or swollen, (food) that has been squeezed and crushed by children like clay, or that has been mixed up (rubbed in together) as an oblation to family-Goddess by (five) married women and a virgin all sitting in company (boḍaṇa) it is only when he takes such a foul and dirty food that he feels he has had a happy meal; yet even with this the sinner (the wretch) does not feel really satisfied. Just see, the wonder of it is that his longing for food and drink that is prohibited by the Scriptures, and which is also unwholesome and unfit to be taken, becomes extremely intense. Such is the liking, Oh Warrior, of one who has taken to Tamas sort of food. It however takes no time for such a one to reap the fruit of such tendencies on his part, since he becomes the receptacle of sins, the moment his mouth comes in touch with such unholy drink and food. Whatever he takes in as food should not be considered as feeding (i.e. an aid to vitality), but (should be taken) as mere stuffiing in (impending) troubles. Will any one like to go through the ordeal of cutting one’s throat (head) or entering a blazing fire, simply to have a taste of it? But he (a Tamas ridden person) continually suffers bitter pangs of the same nature (as a result of this diet). Thus the effects of the Tamas sort of food cannot, Oh, Arjuna, be distinguished from the Tamas-ridden disposition itself,” said the Lord.

(God further said) “The sacrifices are also of three kinds like the diet, and you attend to the subject. The first of these is Sattvic sacrifice and you hear about the mystic significance (the touchy point—varma) of it, Oh, the (head) gem (śiromaṇī) among the famous.