The Ultimate Poison!!

In Samskritam Subhashitham there is a wonderful verse which says

"दीपो भक्षयते ध्वान्तं कज्जलं च प्रसूयते 

यादृशं भक्षयेदन्नं जायते तादृशी प्रजा      ||"

The lamp consumes darkness and generates soot/smoke. (Similarly) The type of food you eat has a corresponding influence on the offspring.]

Another variation of the subhashita ends as 'तादृशी मति: ' which means that the food you eat produces the quality of thinking that emanates from you.

Now a question arises, what kind of food do we need to consume?

Sri Krishna in Bhagavad Gita says 

"Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt." 

 "Anyone who eats for sense pleasure, or cooks for himself, not offering his food to the Supreme Lord Sri Hari, eats only sin."

All the variegated objects in the material worlds are of 3 kinds i.e Sattva ( Goodness ), Rajas( Passion ) and Tamas( Ignorance ).

Sri Krishna in Bhagavad Gita has described elaborately on the 3 kinds of food that must be consumed and that must be avoided.

Bg 17.8

āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-
sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ
rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā
āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ

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.

Bg 17.9

kaṭv-amla-lavaṇāty-uṣṇa-
tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ
āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā
duḥkha-śokāmaya-pradāḥ

Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease.

Bg 17.10

yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ
pūti paryuṣitaṁ ca yat
ucchiṣṭam api cāmedhyaṁ
bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam

Food prepared more than three hours before being eaten, food that is tasteless, decomposed and putrid, and food consisting of remnants and untouchable things is dear to those in the mode of darkness.

The Supreme Lord Sri Hari who is situated in the pure sattva platform purifies the food we offer to him, and thus the food consumed purifies our mental and physical existence, creating a suitable platform to help understand the absolute truth.