SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
yAthayAmam gatharasam pUthi paryushitham cha yath |
uchchishtam api chAmEdhyaṁ bhOjanam thAmasapriyam ||
word-by-word meaning
yAtha yAmam – stale
gatha rasam – lost the natural taste
pUthi – stinking
paryushitham cha – having the taste changed due to having been held for a long time
uchchishtam – food remnants from the same container a person (other than AchAryas and learned elders) ate
amEdhyam – food which is not offered in yAgam [thiruvArAdhanam]
yath bhOjanam – those food items
(such food items)
thAmasa priyam – dear to those who are having abundance of thamO guNam (ignorance)
Simple Translation
Those food items which are stale, have lost the natural taste, are stinking, having the taste changed due to having been held for a long time, which are remnants from the same container a person (other than AchAryas and learned elders) ate and which had not offered in yAgam [thiruvArAdhanam], are dear to those who are having abundance of thamO guNam (ignorance).
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘Dear to Tāmasa-men is food which is stale, changed, stinking, and putrid; refuse and foul.'[1. Vide: Yoga-tatvoponishat: “Yoga-vighna-karmāhāram varjayed yogavittamaḥ, lavaṇam saṛshapam ch-āmlam ushṇam rukshṇan cha etc.”]
Yātayāmam = Stale or very old (kept over-night, or literally old by a yāma or three hours). Gata-rasam = changed or that which has lost its (original) natural taste. Pūti = Stinking or that which emits a strong offensive smell. Paryushitam = Putrid or corrupted into a different taste by long standing. Uccḥishtam = Refuse or leavings after food has been eaten by others except Gurus (=spiritual teachers, and other privileged (holy) persons). Amedhyam = Foul, or that which is to be considered impure by not having been consecrated at a Yajña.
Such foods are dear to those who are Tamas-full.
Bhojana = Food, because it is that which is eaten (bhujyate). Tamas-food eaten breeds still Tamas. Hence those who have a care for themselves, ought to serve themselves with Satva-food, to promote Satva.
archived in http://githa.koyil.org
pramEyam (goal) – http://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org