Chapter 17 · Verse 10 · Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 17.10
Sanskrit
यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत्।उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम्।।17.10।।
Transliteration
yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ pūti paryuṣhitaṁ cha yat uchchhiṣhṭam api chāmedhyaṁ bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam
In plain words
You know what it feels like to consume poison—whether it's your partner's rage, your own spiraling thoughts, or the toxic stories you tell yourself about what you deserve. Krishna says: what you take in shapes what you become, and you have the power right now to stop feeding yourself decay. The first act of freedom is noticing what you're swallowing, and choosing differently.
Word by Word
This verse reveals how consciousness shapes what nourishes us—the tamasic mind gravitates toward decay, corruption, and spiritual poison because it mirrors its own inner state of darkness and delusion. When we consume stale, putrid, or impure food—whether literal or metaphorical in the form of negative thoughts, addictions, or toxic relationships—we reinforce the chains of ignorance that bind us.
By becoming aware of what we're taking in, we reclaim the power to choose higher nourishment and begin the journey toward clarity.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 17.10 — BG 17.10
Your Mantra Prescription
This mantra is prescribed for clarity and purpose. Is that what you're going through?
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