Bhagavad Gita 17.10 is Chapter 17, Verse 10, in Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (Three Types of Faith). Below are the Sanskrit text, a transliteration, a plain-English translation and an explanation.
yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ pūti paryuṣitaṁ ca yat ucchiṣṭam api cāmedhyaṁ bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam
"Food that is stale, tasteless, putrid, leftover, and impure, this is dear to the tamasic."
What This Means:
Tamasic people prefer food that is stale (overcooked or sitting too long), flavorless, rotten, leftover (half-eaten), and impure. Such food increases darkness and lethargy.
Going Deeper:
'Yāta-yāmam', cooked more than three hours before (stale). 'Gata-rasam', without taste/juice (depleted). 'Pūti', putrid, foul-smelling. 'Paryuṣitam', leftover (overnight). 'Ucchiṣṭam', remnants (partially eaten). 'Amedhyam', impure, unfit for offering. This food increases tamas, dullness, heaviness, disease.
How To Apply This:
Avoid processed, preserved, leftover, or dubious food. Freshness matters. If food doesn't feel clean or look appealing, don't eat it. Tamasic food creates tamasic mind, dull, confused, lethargic.
Key Sanskrit Terms: