यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत् ।
उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् ॥
उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
जो भोजन अधपका, रसरहित, दुर्गन्धित, बासी और उच्छिष्ट है तथा जो महान् अपवित्र भी है, वह तामस मनुष्यको प्रिय होता है ॥
English
Food that is half-cooked, tasteless, foul-smelling, stale, leftover, and impure is dear to people ruled by tamas.
What this verse means
People dominated by tamas are drawn to food that is stale, tasteless, foul-smelling, leftover, or impure.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Krishna is teaching Arjuna how faith shows itself in daily choices. After describing pure and restless habits, he names the food preferred by tamas: stale, impure, and lifeless. The point is to show how inner heaviness shapes appetite.
Why this verse still matters
You open the fridge late at night and reach for whatever is dead easiest, not what actually helps you. The body keeps a record of what the mind has been feeding it.
The takeaway
Your cravings can reveal your condition before your thoughts do.
Word-by-word translation
यातयामम् (half-cooked / stale) / गतरसम् (devoid of taste) / पूति (foul-smelling) / पर्युषितम् (stale / left overnight) / च (and) / यत् (which) / उच्छिष्टम् (leftover) / अपि (even) / च (and) / अमेध्यम् (impure) / भोजनम् (food) / तामसप्रियम् (dear to tamasic people)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga — The Three Kinds of Faith, which contains 28 verses.
Explore related themes: shraddha (34 verses), indriya (19 verses), tamas (18 verses)