The vEdhaantha dEsikar, the one with the grace of YathiirAjar stood like a lion and triumphed over many debating adversaries; researched the vEdhaas and saasthraas, with the view to guide us in choosing foods that ennoble us and avoid foods that debase us and has given us this prabhandam called aagaara niyamam. adiyEn shall wear His flower like thiruvadi as an ornament on my head.
All chEthanaas must understand that there are two kinds of foods, those that are ennobling (saathveeka) and those that are debasing (thaamasa). These are described by KaNNan in Sri Bhagavath Geethai, by Yathiraajar in His Srimadh Geethaa Bhaashyam, and by many rishis in many saasthraas and smrithis. By following these principles, ajakaran attained mOksham. Likewise, we must understand and follow these rules.
Forbidden foods:
1. Foods that are not brought into the house through the main door: grains such as varagu, etc.
2. Foods that mingle with stuff that have fallen from the mouth; remainder of what was put into the mouth.
3. Foods seen by immoral people
4. Foods that are burnt
5. Foods touched by clothes, or contaminated by saliva or sneeze.
6. Foods seen or touched by dogs
7. Foods cooked on days such as Ekaadhasi
8.Foods smelt by animals or people
9.Foods touched by people with disease
10.Foods that are not offered with kindness
11.Foods contacted by fly, worm, thread, hair, and nail
12.Foods offered by sanyaasi or touched by his vessel
13.Foods touched by the mouth of people, rats, chicken, crow, and cat
This paasuram lists the vegetables that are forbidden:
white eggplant, varieties of fruit, flower from Atthi tree, pErArkku, iRali, Pupil tree, arasu (aswattham),
naRuvili, Pungu, Aayil, Aarai, kurinji, thAnRi, kusumpai, vELai, red drum stick, domestic murungai, sukam, lotus root, garlic, uLLI, small beans, thummatti, certain kinds of spinach (PaNNaikkeerai, ThoyyiRkkeerai), mushroom,
seenkAdan, tERaRkkAi, OovaikkAy, Palm heart, nAyurivi, kadampu, mushrooms, suraikkAi, peerkku, saNarkkeerai and all that grew on tainted ground.
Forbidden foods:
Vegetables taken from other's garden without permission, portion that is set aside for oneself prior to the partaking of the rest of the group, foods that are exceedingly bitter, salty, pepper hot, or sour. The other vegetables to be avoided are: siRu keerai, Red ahatthy, thorny Mutungai, siRu pasaLai, Perum PasaLai and ammaNanthAL.
Forbidden foods:
Foods that were not offered to our Lord, foods that were not offered to the guests, foods that were cooked without first cleaning them, foods earned in immoral ways, cooked with other foods that are forbidden, cooked by unclean children, and foods that are contaminated by excrements.
Foods intended for dEvathaas
Foods offered to dEvathaas such as Sivan
Foods that harm our praaNan and indhriyam
Foods that are unrecognizable
Foods that is intolerably hot (temperature) and spicy
Foods those are not palatable and not pleasing to the mind
Vegetables and flowers that bloom in an untimely fashion
Food cooked in dirty salt.
Calcium (suNNaambu) extracted from sea shells
Bubbles and froth from water
Foods that are not offered to our Lord
Harvested from the stems that were previously harvested
Foods avoided by learned persons with pure heart
Foods from which the essence is taken out, except buttermilk ViLaam fruit and popped rice during the day
Foods prepared with curd and sesame seed oil, during night time
Foods that interfere with mantra japam and penance
Foods that are said to give magical powers
No foods on Ekaadasi days, and at dusk or midnight.
Do not eat:-
Before your shower and sandhya japam Alone, eat with a group of bhakthaas
Foods that are mashed by someone else Under the moonlight or fire
Husband and wife together
While staring at inferior individuals
With your left hand
Anything that is avoided by righteous people
Do not eat:-
Ghee that is served after you have begun eating
Foods that have been cooked twice (reheated)
Foods served by bare hand or spatulas made of Iron, uncooked foods may be served by bare hand
Foods already bitten into, old, and spoilt foods
Foods prepared in someone else's house (no potluck)
Foods that someone else wanted or rejected
Foods with smell of earth, or separated by finger nails, salt that you can see
Separated for one self and guests
Sap coming out of trees, except asafoetida.
Accept without hesitation:
Foods with the saliva of one's father, teacher, and first older brother
Saliva in the sOmaa vessel during sOma yaagam
Foods with husband's saliva for wife, if such food is contaminated with hair, worm, or
thread, these may be removed properly and the food accepted.
maadhuLangaay, only during our Lord's muga Vaasa soorNam.
All prohibited foods during calamitous time’s can be used.
Water, roots, ghee, milk, havis from yaagam, niminthraNam, guru's teachings, and medicine may be accepted even during fasting days.
Accept without hesitation:
Sugar cane juice, yogurt, milk, ghee, beetle nut, pepper, honey, cardamom, water made from snow anything until you realize its blemish. Dip in the ocean is permitted on full moon day and new moon day. During times of lunar and solar eclipse all waters will be considered equal to gangaa water; Water in rivers, even if it carries horses, donkeys and cadaver, will become purified with current. Foods cooked without water (cooked directly by fire)
Fruits ripened on their own accord Boiled rice vadaam, snacks such as appam, seedai, rotti, even if they are old, but tasty; do not accept foods that are fresh, but not tasty. Foods prepared with milk, like thirattuppaal, snacks like thEnkuzhal, muRukku, etc. Medicines prescribed by physicians, flower, vellam, wheat old rice that is soaked in clean water may be taken with buttermilk, ghee, milk, yogurt. Snacks made of yogurt and juice of flower, vegetables, and fruits; these are alright even if they are slightly spoilt. Foods that are spoilt may be taken during calamitous times by cleansing them and adding ghee and honey. If these foods are further contaminated with hair or other unclean stuff, cleanse them with sand and water.
Forbidden milk:
Milk from one hoofed animals like horse or donkey, cow that has twin calf, or camel milk
Salt added milk
Milk from women
Milk from pregnant cow
Milk extracted with the help of calf that does not belong to the cow
Milk from Cows that belong to temples
Goat milk, milk bought from Brahmins
Milk kept in copper vessels, burnt milk
Forbidden water:
Water from previous day, except gangaa water
remainder of water used for cleaning feet
Murky water
Heated coconut water
Water gathered in a ditch
Water offered in "water-sheds"
Doubtful water, water taken from where washer men work
Water contaminated by saliva
Water from conch
Rain water that has not fallen on the ground
About betel leaves:
Don’t chew betel nut without betel leaves (anemia caused)
Don’t consume the bottom, stem, or tip of betel leaves
Don’t chew betel leaves and nuts at the same time; widows, sanyaasi, and bachelors must not consume betel leaves
Don’t consume the betel leaf used to keep calcium
Never use betel leaves on fasting days such as Ekaadasi
Don’t drink water while chewing betel leaves
A particular food item may be acceptable or forbidden based on the caste, stage in life, geography, time of eclipse, individual dharmam, etc., etc. For example, it is said that milk from kapilai cow is acceptable for brahmins, but forbidden for shudraas. Therefore, one must approach learned people and get your doubts clarified.
For the benefit of people who live in this world characterized by lack of wisdom, Lord kaNNan showed many principles in saasthraas. After consulting with aachaaryaas, these principles have been laid out in this prabhandam. Guard yourself against the agnostics who believe only in this transient body and world. Consume only those saathveeka foods that helps us amplify our devotion to the thiruvadi of PEraruLaaLan.
