Verse 17.9
कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः ।
आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः ॥
Transliteration
kaṭvamlalavaṇātyuṣṇatīkṣṇarūkṣavidāhinaḥ |
āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkhaśokāmayapradāḥ ||
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3
Translation
The foods that are bitter, sour, saline, excessively hot, pungent, dry and burning, are liked by the Rajasic and are productive of pain, grief and disease.
From the owner's sheet · +1 more
Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, very hot, pungent, dry and burning are liked by the rajasic, and they bring pain, grief and disease.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08 · +1 more
Word by word
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08
Explanation
Rajasic people like foods that are bitter, sour, salty, very hot, sharp, dry and burning. These bring pain, grief and illness. The list describes foods that excite and overstimulate, matching the restless energy of rajas (passion). The verse points to a pattern seen throughout the Gita: what is pleasant in the moment often brings suffering later. Choosing food for intensity alone mirrors a life driven by craving for stimulation.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08