FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 17.8

ఆయు:సత్త్వబలారోగ్యసుఖప్రీతివివర్ధనా: । రస్యా: స్‍నిగ్ధా: స్థిరా హృద్యా ఆహారా: సాత్త్వికప్రియా: ॥ ౮ ॥
āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-
[aayuh-sattva-balaarogya-]
sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ
[sukha-preeti-vivardhanaah]
rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā
[rasyaah snigdhaah sthiraa hridyaa]
āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ
[aahaaraah saattvika-priyaah]
Word-for-word
āyuḥ — duration of life sattva — existence bala — strength ārogya — health sukha — happiness prīti — and satisfaction vivardhanāḥ — increasing rasyāḥ — juicy snigdhāḥ — fatty sthirāḥ — enduring hṛdyāḥ — pleasing to the heart āhārāḥ — food sāttvika — to one in goodness priyāḥ — palatable .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-
āyuḥ
duration of life
sattva
existence
bala
strength
ārogya
health
sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ
sukha
happiness
prīti
and satisfaction
vivardhanāḥ
increasing
rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā
rasyāḥ
juicy
snigdhāḥ
fatty
sthirāḥ
enduring
hṛdyāḥ
pleasing to the heart
āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ
āhārāḥ
food
sāttvika
to one in goodness
priyāḥ
palatable .
Important Words
  • āyuḥ — duration of life
    From √av — to protect, to sustain. The first mark of sattvic food: it lengthens, not because of nutritional accounting but because it does not strain the body's systems. Sattva is preservative.
  • sattva — existence, being
    Here in compound — not 'the mode of goodness' but 'existence itself.' Sattvic food strengthens the very fabric of being, not merely a function of it.
  • rasyāḥ — juicy
    From rasa — juice, essence, taste, mood. Sattvic foods are full of rasa: alive, not dried out. The Gauḍīya line is sensitive to this word — rasa is the highest theological category, and even at the food-level its trace is present.
  • snigdhāḥ — fatty
    From √snih — to be sticky, oily, affectionate. Note the second meaning: the same root produces words for tenderness. Sattvic fat (ghee, oil) is not the dry austerity often confused with sattva but a warm, nourishing wetness.
  • hṛdyāḥ — pleasing to the heart
    From hṛd — the heart. The decisive test of sattvic food is not the tongue's verdict but the heart's. Does the meal leave the heart pleased — or restless, dulled, ashamed? The instrument of measurement is interior.
Foods dear to those in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one’s existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy, fatty, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
8. Foods which prolong life span, increase will, strength, immunity to disease, happiness and appetite, and are tasty, mild, substantial, and beneficial are dear to those in sattva guṇa.
Commentary

It is well known that sattvic foods increase the life span (āyuḥ). They also increase strength of will (sattva) as well as physical strength, freedom from disease, happiness and delightfulness in eating them. The food should be tasty or juicy (rasyāḥ). Jaggery has taste but is coarse or dry. Sattvic food should thus be mild, with oil (snigdhā). The foam of milk, though tasty and mild, is insubstantial. Sattvic food should be substantial, with long lasting effect in the body (sthirā). Jack fruit and other items are sweet, mild, and substantial, but are not beneficial to the stomach and other organs. Sattvic food should thus also be beneficial to the heart, stomach and other organs (hṛdyā) as well. Thus it is understood that foods such as rice, wheat, other grains, milk and sugar are dear to the sattvic people, because they have all four of the above mentioned qualities. As those foods are dear to them, the foods are understood to be sattvic. However, even if food has those four qualities, if it is impure, the sattvic people do not like it. Thus, purity should be added as a quality of sattvic food. One should compare the description of tamasic food mentioned later. The adjective used to describe tamasic food is amedhya, ritually impure, not to be offered in sacrifice.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
8. Foods which prolong life span, increase will, strength, immunity to disease, happiness and appetite, and are tasty, mild, substantial, and beneficial are dear to those in sattva guṇa.
Commentary

This verse speaks of sattvic food. Sattvic food increase life (ayuḥ), will power (sattva), strength of the body (bala), sense of satisfaction (sukha), and dearness to it (prīti). Foods which increase these qualities, and are endowed with attractive qualities mentioned in the last line, such food as milk with sugar or wheat and rice, are dear to (priyāḥ), and selected by those in the mode of goodness. The word juicy or tasty (rasyāḥ) excludes foods without juice like chick peas. The word mild (snigdha) excludes course foods like raw sugar. The word substantial (sthira) excludes foods such as milk foam. The word beneficial (hṛdyā) excludes foods like jack fruit. Items which are not beneficial for the stomach and appetite are called ahṛdya. It should be understood that all these foods should also be pure. This is because, in mentioning the foods in the mode of ignorance the world amedhya, meaning impure, will be used.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Foods in the mode of goodness – Juicy, fatty, wholesome and pleasing to the heart

Result
Increase the duration of life and purify one’s existence
Also gives strength, health, happiness and satisfaction
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
17.8 Aharah, foods; ayuh-sattva-bala-arogya-sukha-priti-vivardhanah, that augment life, firmneess of mind, strength, health delight; [Life-a brilliant life; firmness of mind or vigour; strength-ability of body and organs; happiness-pleasure of mind; delight-great joy even at seeing other persons prosperous.] and which are rasyah, succulent; snigdhah, oleaginous; sthirah, substantial, lasing in the body for long; [Beneficial to the body for long.] and hrdyah, agreeable, to one's liking; are sattvika-priyah, dear to one endowed with sattva.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
17.8 To a man endowed with Sattva, foods preponderating in Sattva become dear. The foods preponderating in Sattva promote longevity. Again they promote intellectual alertness. 'Sattva', means internal organ, viz., knowledge which is the effect of the internal organ is here meant by the term Sattva. For the Sattva is the cause of growth of knowledge, as declared in: 'From Sattva arises knowledge' (14.17). Even as the food preponderant in Sattva is the cause of the growth of knowledge, likewise, they promote strength and health; they also promote pleasure and happiness. As the time of assimilation they, by themselves, promote happiness, viz, by the performance of actions which cause happiness. They are sweet, viz., abundant in sweet juices. They are mixed with oil, viz., wholly oily. They are substantial, viz., they originate substantial effects. They are agreeable viz., they appear to the eye in beautiful forms. Food of this kind, full of Sattva-guna, is dear to the person characterised by Sattva.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
17.8 See Comment under 17.10
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
17.8 The foods which increase life, purity, strength, health, joy and cheerfulness (good appetite), which are savoury and oleaginous, substantial and agreeable, are dear to the Sattvic (pure) people.
Commentary

17.8 आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः those which increase Ayus (life)? Sattva (purity)? Bala (strength)? Arogya (health)? Sukha (joy)? Priti (cheerfulness and good appetite)? रस्याः savoury? स्निग्धाः oleaginous? स्थिराः substantial? हृद्याः agreeable? आहाराः the foods? सात्त्विकप्रियाः are dear to Sattvic (pure).Commentary Pure food increases the vitality and strength of those who eat it. It augments the energy of the mind also.Sattva Cheerfulness purity inner? moral and spiritual strength and courage that keep the mind steady even in great distress.Bala Strength absence of fatigue even in doing difficult work.Priti Absence of retching good appetite.Rasyah Sweet and juicy.Sthirah Substantial which can last long in the body vitalising but not difficult to digest.Hridyah The mere sight of the food is very pleasing to the mind and it is free from odour of smoke or burnt condition.Sattvic food produces cheerfulness? serenity and mental clarity and helps the aspirants to enter into deep meditation and maintain mental poise and nervous eilibrium. It supplies the maximum energy to the body and the mind. It is very easily assimilated and absorbed.A Sattvic man relishes juicy food and other foods which are attractive in form? soft to touch and pleasant to taste? which are small in bulk but great in nourishment like the words from the lips of a spiritual preceptor. Sattvic food is highly conducive to health.Eat that food which will develop Sattva in you. Milk? butter? fresh? ripe fruits? almonds? green Dal? barley? Parwal? Torai? Karela? plantains? etc.? are Sattvic. Abandon fish? meat? liors? eggs? etc.? ruthlessly if you want to increase Sattva and attain Selfrealisation. The mind is formed of the subtle portion of the food. जैसा अन्न वैसा मन As is the food so is the mind says a Hindi proverb. If you take Sattvic food? the mind also will be Sattvic. The seven elements (Dhatus) of the body (Chyle? blood? flesh? fat? bone? marrow and semen) are formed out of food.Ideas or concepts are generated in the mind corresponding to these seven elements. As is the constitution of these elements? so is the constitution of the mind. Just as water is rendered hot when the pot that contains it is placed over the fire? so also the nature and constitution of the mind is according to the nature and constitution of the food or the seven elements.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
17.8 Foods that augment life, firmless of mind, strength, health, happiness and delight, and which are succulent, oleaginous, substantial and agreeable, are dear to one endowed with sattva.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
17.8 The foods that prolong life and increase purity, vigour, health, cheerfulness and happiness are those that are delicious, soothing, substantial and agreeable. These are loved by the Pure.
Related values & verses
Related values
Prema (Divine Love)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Kritajnata (Gratitude)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)
Related verses
BG 6.17 BG 17.7 BG 9.26 SB 7.15.7 SB 10.13.11 SB 11.11.39 CC Madhya 15.225 CC Antya 6.227 CC Madhya 3.66 Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.5.1Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.2
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Foods dear to those in sattva increase life span, purify, give strength, joy, satisfaction — fresh, juicy, fatty, wholesome.
Practical Applications
  • Cultivate a sattvic diet — fresh, juicy, fatty (in healthy form), wholesome.
  • Track the after-feel of meals; sattva leaves you light and clear.
  • Don't romanticize over-restriction.
Reflection Questions
  • What in my diet is most sattvic? Most off?
  • What single shift would matter?
Analogy

Sattvic food is like clear river water — it leaves the body lighter than it found it, the mind quieter, the day longer. Such food does not announce itself; you notice it by what it does not produce. No agitation, no heaviness, no after-fog — only the steady fuel of a clean fire.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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