When we think of the Bhagavad Gita, what usually comes to mind is a battlefield, a confused warrior, and divine wisdom on life and dharma. Rarely do we connect this 5,000-year-old scripture to our kitchen shelves or dinner plates.
.jpeg "What the Bhagavad Gita Really Says About Food – The Untold Side of Spiritual Eating (Including Garlic, Onion & Aloo)")
But tucked away in Chapter 17, Krishna shares precise, surprisingly relevant insights on food, how it affects your body, mind, and even your spiritual progress.
Today, we’re diving deep into the Gita’s view on food — including what it says (directly or indirectly) about common debates like garlic, onion, and aloo. And we’ll see how this ancient wisdom is more practical than ever in an age of processed snacks, binge eating, and Swiggy delivery at midnight.
Chapter 17: When Krishna Talks About What’s On Your Plate
In Shlokas 7–10 of Chapter 17, Krishna classifies food into three categories — based on the three gunas (गुण):
-
Sattva (सत्त्व) – purity and harmony
-
Rajas (रज) – restlessness and passion
-
Tamas (तम) – inertia and ignorance
These aren’t food groups like protein and carbs. They’re energetic qualities that food carries — and they directly impact your thoughts, emotions, and behavior.
Let’s go step-by-step.
Sattvik (सात्त्विक) Food – For Clarity, Calm & Inner Strength
Gita 17.8
"Āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ..."
"Foods that increase life, purity, strength, health, joy, and satisfaction are liked by those in sattva."
Examples of Sattvik Foods:
-
Fresh fruits & vegetables
-
Whole grains (like brown rice, millets)
-
Cow's milk, ghee, curd
-
Soaked nuts, seeds
-
Lightly spiced dals and khichdi
-
Herbal teas
-
Fresh coconut water
These foods are:
-
Cooked with care and calm
-
Served warm and fresh
-
Eaten with gratitude (bhava se bhojan)
Sattvik food is what balances your nervous system, helps you think clearly, and reduces cravings. No sugar highs, no energy crashes.
What About Spices?
Sattvik doesn’t mean bland. It allows gentle spices like jeera, saunf, haldi, elaichi, and hing. These aid digestion without overstimulating the system.
Rajasic (राजसिक) Food – For Speed, Spice & Stress
Gita 17.9
"Kaṭu-amla-lavaṇa-atyuṣṇa-tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ..."
"Foods that are too bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry, and burning cause pain, distress, and disease."
Examples of Rajasic Foods:
-
Over-spiced curries and pickles
-
Deep-fried snacks
-
Tea, coffee, aerated drinks
-
High-sugar desserts
-
Garlic and onion
-
Fast food, instant noodles
-
Masala-laden chaats and street food
Rajasic food excites the senses. It builds ambition, desire, and aggression. Great for a short-term boost, but over time, it leads to restlessness, frustration, and burnout.
Garlic & Onion: What’s the Real Issue?
-
Garlic and onion are considered rajasic and often tamasic, depending on how they’re cooked and used.
-
In Ayurveda and yogic diets, they’re said to stimulate the lower chakras, increase sexual desire, and agitate the mind.
-
That's why they’re excluded from sattvik diets, especially during fasting, spiritual practices, or in ashrams.
Yet, they have medicinal value — garlic lowers blood pressure, onion has antioxidants. So it's about context, not blanket rejection.
Tamasic (तामसिक) Food – For Laziness, Confusion & Disconnection
Gita 17.10
"Yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ pūti paryuṣitaṁ ca yat..."
"Stale, tasteless, putrid, decomposed, leftover food causes darkness and confusion."
Examples of Tamasic Foods:
-
Leftovers stored for days
-
Frozen meals
-
Fermented or over-fermented foods
-
Processed snacks with preservatives
-
Alcohol
-
Over-fried, reheated items
-
Burnt or spoilt food
Tamasic food dulls the mind and makes the body sluggish. It's linked to depression, fatigue, and a general disconnect from one’s surroundings.
Even garlic and onion, when stale or overly fried in reused oil, become tamasic.
What About Aloo (Potato)? Why So Much Debate?
Aloo is a perfect example of how the preparation and context matter more than the ingredient.
Aloo Can Be Sattvik:
-
Boiled aloo in light spices
-
Aloo in vrat ke khane
-
Simple aloo curry with minimal masala
Aloo Becomes Rajasic or Tamasic When:
-
Deep-fried (e.g., aloo bhujia, chips, pakora)
-
Cooked with heavy masalas and garlic/onion base
-
Reheated multiple times or kept for too long
So the Gita doesn’t cancel aloo. It just asks:
"Is your food serving your mind, or confusing it?"
Beyond the Ingredients: The Gita on How You Eat
The Gita also emphasizes the intention and environment around eating.
-
Food offered with devotion becomes prasāda
-
Eating should be done in a calm state, not while fighting over Netflix
-
Food made in a positive mood is more nourishing
-
Eating late at night, overeating, or eating in guilt or anger – all reduce the spiritual quality of food
“Even sattvik food, if eaten mindlessly, becomes rajasic or tamasic in effect.”
Gita vs. Modern Eating Culture
| Gita’s Approach | Today’s Habit |
|---|---|
| Freshly cooked with intention | Frozen or delivered with no emotion |
| Light and seasonal | Heavy and out-of-sync with digestion |
| Eaten mindfully in silence | Eaten while scrolling or working |
| Food as prasad | Food as entertainment or distraction |
Food Is Not Just Fuel – It’s Emotional and Energetic
The Gita invites us to look at food beyond taste.
Ask yourself:
-
“Is this food supporting my clarity or clouding it?”
-
“Am I eating to nourish or to numb?”
-
“What energy went into making this?”
Final Thoughts: Rediscovering the Spiritual Power of Bhojan
Food has always been sacred in Indian culture. In temples, we don’t call it lunch — we call it prasāda.
The Bhagavad Gita doesn't preach strict food rules. It offers a simple idea:
"If you want peace, strength, and joy — eat food that carries those qualities."
Garlic and onion? Use them if they serve your purpose. Aloo? Go ahead, but keep it real and clean.
The goal is not to label food as “good” or “bad,” but to become conscious of what you’re putting into your body, mind, and soul.
Because ultimately:
"Jaisa ann, vaisa mann."
As is the food, so becomes the mind.