For Eternal Beginners
यातयामम् गतरसम् पूति पर्युषितम् च यत् ।
उच्छिष्टम् अपि चामेध्यम् भोजनम् तामस प्रियम् ॥ १० ॥
yAtayAmam gatarasam pUti paryuSitam ca yat |
ucchiSTam api cAmedhyam bhojanam tAmasa priyam || 10 ||
तामस प्रियम् [tAmasa priyam] Creatures that are in
tamas यत् भोजनम् [yat bhojanam] like to eat food that is यातयामम् [yAtayAmam] aged, गतरसम् [gatarasam] having lost its natural flavor, पूति [pUti] foul-smelling, पर्युषितम् [paryuSitam] stale, उच्छिष्टम् अपि [ucchiSTam api] even left-over fragments अमेध्यम् च [amedhyam ca] and other dirty things.
Food gets aged when it is left for a long time. It loses its natural flavor and becomes foul-smelling.
It is said to be ‘stale’ when it acquires a different taste due to the passage of time. Left-over fragments are the remains after other creatures have consumed their food. Other ‘dirty things’ are foods we consider so dirty that we can’t consider them for worship.
This food is full with tamas . It is liked and consumed by creatures who are in tamas . Their tamas is further enhanced.
Hence, those who wish for well-being must consume food made in the quality of sattva alone to enhance the sattva in their body.