Verse 17.9

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 17.9:

कट्व्-अम्ल-लवणात्य्-उष्ण-तीक्ष्ण-रुक्ष-विदाहिनः ।
आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःख-शोकामय-प्रदाः ॥ ९ ॥

kaṭv-amla-lavaṇāty-uṣṇa-tīkṣṇa-rukṣa-vidāhinaḥ |
āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkha-śokāmaya-pradāḥ || 9 ||

kaṭu–bitter; amla–sour; lavaṇa–salty; aty-uṣṇa–very pungent; tīkṣṇa–sour;rukṣa–dry; vidāhinaḥ–burning; āhārāḥ–foods; rājasasya–the person in passion; iṣṭāḥ–dear; duḥkha–pain; śoka–grief; āmaya–disease; pradāḥ–they give.

Foods that are very bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry or burning, and which give rise to pain, misery and disease, are liked by people of a passionate nature.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

The word ati (very) is used for seven words, the first being kaṭu. Foods that are very bitter, like neem, very sour, very salty, very hot, very pungent, such as radish, poison, and also black pepper, very dry, like asafoetida, or hing, and which give a burning sensation, like roasted black gram, are the cause of pain, disease and grief. Here, the word duḥkha refers to the instant misery caused to the eyes, throat and so forth while eating, and the word śoka refers to anxiety about reactions to come. The word āmaya means ‘disease’.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

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

One immediately gets a burning sensation in the tongue, throat and belly by eating foodstuffs in the mode of passion, and wind and indigestion follow. After that, the mind becomes disturbed by unpleasant thoughts and anxiety, and various types of diseases develop. In this way, life becomes miserable. Aside from this, the mind becomes distracted from religious activities and disinterested in them. People of a sāttvika nature, therefore, do not accept such food.