Verse 17.7

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 17.7:

आहारस् त्व् अपि सर्वस्य त्रि-विधो भवति प्रियः ।
यज्ञस् तपस् तथा दानं तेषां भेदम् इमं शृणु ॥ ७ ॥

āhāras tv api sarvasya tri-vidho bhavati priyaḥ |
yajñas tapas tathā dānaṃ teṣāṃ bhedam imaṃ śṛṇu || 7 ||

āhāraḥ–the food; tu–indeed; api–even; sarvasya–of all living beings; tri-vidhaḥ–according to the three qualities; bhavati–is; priyaḥ–dear; yajñaḥ–sacrifice; tapaḥ–austerity; tathā–also; dānam–charity; teṣām–all of these; bhedam–division; imam–this; śṛṇu–now hear.

Even the food that is dear to a person is of three kinds, in accordance with that person’s individual qualities. The same is true of sacrifice, austerity and charity. Now hear of the distinctions between them.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Those who discard the injunctions of scripture and act whimsically enter the demoniac species of life. This was mentioned in the previous chapter. This chapter describes how those of a demoniac nature who worship Yakṣas, Rākṣasas and spirits also enter the demoniac species of life. One can categorize people as divine or demoniac according to the type of food they eat. This will be explained in thirteen consecutive verses beginning here with āhāras tu.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Having explained the three categories of śraddhā, or faith, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes the specific food, sacrifices and so forth corresponding to each. Those who are of a particular mode are inclined to food, sacrifices, austerities and charities in the same mode. Nowadays, some people imagine that food has no relationship with religious principles, while others think that protecting and maintaining the body is the basis of all religious practice (śarīram ādyaṃ khalu dharma sādhanam). One should thus note that those who accept sense enjoyment as the only purpose of human life feel great satisfaction in drinking wine and eating meat, eggs and even cow-flesh. Fortunately, some people understand that the living entity’s tendency for sense enjoyment has caused his bondage to māyā, by which he is undergoing so much misery life after life. For those who yearn to become free from all miseries, it is imperative to abandon the desire to indulge in sense enjoyment. Only those in this human life who have developed such awareness understand the need to accept pure sāttvika food. In their endeavour to transcend the three modes of the material energy, they first try to surmount the mode of ignorance by coming to the mode of passion; they then destroy the mode of passion by coming to sattva-guṇa, the mode of goodness. Finally they eliminate the mundane quality of goodness and come to the platform of pure spirituality, śuddha-sattva, being free from the modes of nature.

Saintly persons and scripture both state that control of the mind is indeed the root of all religion. The body’s nearest relative is the mind, and thus one’s inclination of mind becomes good or bad, depending on the type of food one takes. Evidence of this is common. Most people in the world today consume inedible and demoniac foodstuffs and indulge in acts of illicit sex, cheating, duplicity and violence. Proper moral conduct is rare. Therefore, after careful consideration, those who are wise should only accept such foodstuffs that nourish the body and purify the intelligence. For this reason, Śrī Bhagavān has described the three types of foodstuffs that manifest the three modes. It is seen that those who aim to adopt the mode of goodness become disinterested in foods that are in the modes of passion and ignorance, being attracted to sāttvika foods only.

While commenting on this verse concerning foodstuffs, Śrī Rāmānujācārya has cited two sources of evidence from the Śrutis. (1) “Annamayam hi saumya-manaḥ–one who eats grains will have a peaceful mind” and (2) “Āhāra-śuddhau sattva-śuddhiḥ–if one’s food is pure, then one’s existence will become purified.” The Śrutis have also cautioned us that purity of food determines purity of the mind. This can be easily understood by these proofs. We must, therefore, give up any food that scripture prohibits.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself has lucidly explained this in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.25.28):

pathyaṃ pūtam anāyas tam āhāryaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam
rājasaṃ cendriya-preṣṭhaṃ tāmasaṃ cārtti-dāśuci

Food that is wholesome, pure and obtained without difficulty is in the mode of goodness. That which is very pungent, sour and salty and meant only to gratify the senses is in the mode of passion, and food that is collected from an impure place, contaminated and that causes distress is in the mode of ignorance. But that food approved by scripture and offered to Me is beyond the modes of nature.

From the word ca (and) in this verse (11.25.28), both Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura and Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī have concluded that any object that is offered to Bhagavān is nirguṇa. Those who violate these instructions of scripture and accept any type of impure food based on their fancy certainly fall into the category of asuras (demons).