यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत्।
उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम्।।17.10।।
।।17.10।।जो भोजन अधपका? रसरहित? दुर्गन्धित? बासी और उच्छिष्ट है तथा जो महान् अपवित्र भी है? वह तामस मनुष्यको प्रिय होता है।
17.10 Bhojanam, food; which is yata-yamam, not properly cooked [Yata-yamam lit. means crooked three hours ago, that which has lost its essence; but here it is translated as not properly cooked to avoid tautology, for the next word gata-rasam, too, means lacking in essence.-Tr.] (-because food that has lost its essence is referred to by the word gatarasam-); gata-rasam, lacking in essence; puti, putrid; and paryusitam, stale, cooked on the previous day and kept over-night; and even ucchistam, ort, remnants of a meal; and amedhyam, that which is unfit for sacrifice;- this kind of food is tamasa-priyam, dear to one possessed of tamas. Now then, sacrifices of three kinds are being stated:
17.7-10 Aharah etc. upto tamasapriyam. What is old : that for which [three] yamas have elapsed [after cooking].
17.10 Stale (Yatayamam) means that food which has lost its original state, being kept for a long time. Tasteless (Gatarasam) means that which has lost its natural taste. Putrid (Puti) means emitting a bad smell. Decayed (Paryusitam) means aciring a rancidity by lapse of time. Refuse (Ucchistam) means the food that has remained over after being partaken by persons other than Gurus, etc. Unclean (Amedhyam) is that which is not fit for offering in sacrifice or worship. The meaning is that, being unfit for offering in worship, they cannot become the sacrificial remainder. Foods of this kind which promote the growth of Tamas are dear to those who are characterised by Tamas. Food (Bhojana) means that which is eaten. Tamasik food promotes further increase of Tamas. Hence, those persons who care for their own welfare by the growth of Sattva, should eat food charaterised by Sattva.
Yaatayaamam gatarasam pooti paryushitam cha yat; Ucchishtamapi chaamedhyam bhojanam taamasapriyam.
yāta-yāmam—stale foods; gata-rasam—tasteless; pūti—putrid; paryuṣhitam—polluted; cha—and; yat—which; uchchhiṣhṭam—left over; api—also; cha—and; amedhyam—impure; bhojanam—foods; tāmasa—to persons in the mode of ignorance; priyam—dear