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Chapter 17 · Verse 9 · Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga

Bhagavad Gita 17.9

philosophical Attachment & Letting Go Mind & Meditation

Sanskrit

कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः।आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः।।17.9।।

Transliteration

kaṭv-amla-lavaṇāty-uṣhṇa- tīkṣhṇa-rūkṣha-vidāhinaḥ āhārā rājasasyeṣhṭā duḥkha-śhokāmaya-pradāḥ

Word by Word

kaṭu bitter
amla sour
lavaṇa salty
ati-uṣhṇa very hot
tīkṣhṇa pungent
rūkṣha dry
vidāhinaḥ chiliful
āhārāḥ food
rājasasya to persons in the mode of passion
iṣhṭāḥ dear
duḥkha pain
śhoka grief
āmaya disease
pradāḥ produce
Simplified Perspective

Lord Krishna reveals here a profound truth: the foods we consume are not mere physical substances—they are carriers of consciousness itself. What we eat shapes not just our body, but the very texture of our mind and spirit.

Foods that are bitter, sour, excessively salty, scalding, pungent, and dry—these ignite the rajasic mind, drowning us in restlessness, craving, and the endless cycle of desire and suffering. In our modern age of processed foods, stimulant-laden beverages, and overly spiced convenience meals, we must pause and ask: are we nourishing ourselves, or are we systematically feeding our own agitation?

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Bhagavad Gita 17.9 — BG 17.9

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Sanskrit text from the Bhagavad Gita (public domain). Commentary © Mahakatha.

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