17-9

कट्वम्ल लवण अत्युष्ण तीक्ष्ण रूक्ष विदाहिनः ।
आहारा राजसस्य इष्टा दुःख शोकामय प्रदाः ॥ ९ ॥

kaTvamla lavaNa atyuSNa tIkSNa rUkSa vidAhinaH |
AhArA rAjasasya iSTA duHkha zokAmaya pradAH || 9 ||

इष्टा आहाराः [iSTA AhArAH] The favorite foods राजसस्य [rAjasasya] of a person in rajas दुःख [duHkha] are those that are difficult, शोक प्रदाः [zoka pradAH] giving distress आमय [Amaya] and indigestion. कटु [kaTu] They are pungent, अम्ल [amla] sour, लवण [lavaNa] salty, अति उष्ण [ati uSNa] full of heat, तीक्ष्ण [tIkSNa] sharp रूक्ष [rUkSa] and rough to the taste, विदाहिनः [vidAhinaH] having scorching effects.

Pungent and sour juices mixed with a lot of salt, made very hot, sharp and rough to the taste, have a scorching effect. The sharpness comes from excessive cold or excess of heat, making the food difficult to consume. They parch and hence are rough to the taste. Their heat has scorching effects.

People in rajas like these foods. Since they are made in the quality of rajas , they are difficult to consume and cause distress. They cause the quality of rajas to grow.