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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00022 Jun 2004

 
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             (continuing from Part 6)
------------------------------------------------------

Dear friends,

In the 6th chapter of the Bhagavath-Gita there is a 
line which finally sums up the Vedantic view of "anna
shuddhi".
 
        "nAth-yashna-tatsu yOgOsti
          na chykAnta-mashnataha: I"  
               (Bhagavath-Gita. Ch.VI.16)             

 
"The path taken by the Wise-Ones (Yogi) in the journey
of life", says the Gita, "is not for he who eats too
much or too little."

Too much or too little of any type of Food -- whether
"sAttvic", "rajasic" or "tAmasic" is bad. The wise
human -- the "yOgi" -- is he who knows exactly what
should constitute his diet. It is that diet ("aahAra")
which is just right for him ("shuddhi"), that which is
in absolute consonance with his inner nature ("gUNa")
and that which shall promote his all-round well-being
in life.

The Gita line above is not merely a call for men to
observe moderation in the consumption of Food. There
is a far greater lesson implicit in it. It tells us
that we can learn a great deal about what we should
eat, what diet is right for us, and what food we must
avoid by simply following the precept and example of
the 'yOgi-s' of the world. 

In the long Vedantic tradition of India, many indeed
are the great Masters of past and present, "achAryA-s"
and "guru-s" who in their own lifetimes observed
strict rules of diet i.e. "anna shuddhi". They knew in
their wisdom what balance of 'sattva', 'rajas' and
'tamas' should go into their diet. (The SriVaishnava
'AchArya', Swami Venkatanathan (13th century CE), even
wrote a useful treatise on "anna shuddi", called
"aahAra-niyamam", which is even today a useful manual
for good dietary practices). The example of such
'yOgi-s' shows us clearly how to we must carry out an
important responsibility towards ourselves viz.
ensuring our "atma-shuddhi" through "anna shuddi".
  
Human life is a rather long and hectic journey. One
needs the highest and most refined form of Energy
("prANa") to undertake it. And it is Food, "annam",
that is the basic fuel needed for travel. Good Food,
like good fuel, determines to a large extent what the
quality of the journey-experience shall be.

                   ************

                   (CONCLUDED)

Rgds,

dAsan,
Sudarshan
   


























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