Bhagavad Gita BG 17.9
Chapter 17, Verse 9 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः । आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः ॥
katv-amla-lavana-tyushna- tikshna-ruksha-vidahinah ahara rajasasyeshta duhkha-shoka-amaya-pradah
Meaning
Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, very hot, pungent, dry, and burning — producing pain, grief, and disease — are liked by the rajasic.
Understanding
Rajasic food is characterized by extreme sensory stimulation: katv (bitter), amla (sour), lavana (salty), atyushna (very hot), tikshna (pungent/sharp), ruksha (dry), vidahin (burning). These are not moderate flavors but their extremes — food that assaults and overstimulates the palate. The result: duhkha (pain/suffering), shoka (grief), amaya (disease). The Ayurvedic framework here is precise: rajasic food produces a body-mind system that is agitated, prone to emotional extremes, and physically stressed. Priyah (liked) — the rajasic person craves exactly this overstimulation because it matches their inner state of agitation. Like is attracted to like.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| कट्वम्ल | katv-amla | bitter (katu) and sour (amla) |
| लवण | lavana | salty |
| तीक्ष्ण | tikshna | pungent, sharp, piercing |
| विदाहिनः | vidahinah | burning, causing burning/inflammation |
| दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः | duhkha-shoka-amaya-pradah | giving/producing pain, grief, and disease |