aagaara niyamam

aagaara niyamam
by Parthasarati Dileepan ( courtesy www.ramanuja.org)

Swami Sri vEdhaantha dEsikar, the one with the grace of
Ethiraajaa 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, has given
us this prabhandam called aagaara niyamam.

All chEthanaas must understand that there are two kinds
of foods, those that are ennobling (saathveega) and those
that are debasing (thaamasa). These are described by
KaNNan in sri bagavath geethai, by Ethiraajaa in
srimadh geethaa bhaashyam, and by many rishees in
many saasthraas and smrithees. By following these
principles, ajakaran attained mOksham. Likewise, we
must understand and follow these rules.

[2] Forbidden foods:
- Foods that are not brought into the house through
the main door.
- grains such as varagu, etc.
- foods that mingle with stuff that have fallen from
the mouth
- remainder of what was put into the mouth
- foods seen by immoral people
- foods that are burnt
- foods touched by clothes, or contaminated by
saliva or sneeze.
- foods seen or touched by dogs
- foods cooked on days such as Ekaadhasi

[3] forbidden foods continued...
- foods smelt by animals or people
- foods touched by people with decease
- foods that are not offered with kindness
- foods contacted by fly, worm, thread, hair, and
nail
- foods offered by sanyaasi or touched by his vessel
- foods touched by the mouth of people, rats,
chicken, crow, and cat.

[4]
This lists the vegetables that are forbidden. I
can't recognize many of them. Of the ones I am able to
recognize, I don't know the English names. The rest are
listed below.

white eggplant, lotus stem, garlic, certain kinds of
spinach, mushroom, certain kinds of drumstick

[5] More 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.

[6] More 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.

[7] forbidden foods continued...
- foods intended for dEvathaas
- foods offered to other dEvathaas
- foods that harm our praaNan and indhriyam
- foods that are unrecognizable
- foods that are intolerably hot
- foods that are not palatable to the mind
- vegetables and flowers that bloom in an untimely
fashion
- dirty salt.

[8] forbidden foods continued...
- 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

[9] forbidden foods continued...
- 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 are said to give magical powers
- no foods on Ekaadasi days, and at dusk or
midnight.

[10] 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 religious people.

[11] 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.

Foods that may be accepted are listed now.
[12] 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 times
- water, roots, ghee, milk, havis from yaagam,
nimandhraNam, guru's teachings, and medicine
may be accepted even during fasting days.

[13] Accept without hesitation,
- sugar cane juice, yogurt, milk, ghee, beetle nut,
pepper, honey, cardamon, 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.

[14] Accept without hesitation,
- foods cooked without water
- 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

[15] Accept without hesitation,
- 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

[16] Accept without hesitation,
- snacks made of yogurt and juice of flower,
vegetables, and fruits; these are OK 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.

[17] 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
- cows that belong to temples (?)
- goat milk, milk bought from brahmins
- milk kept in copper vessels, burnt milk

[18] 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
washermen work
- water contaminated by saliva
- water from conch
- rain water that has not fallen on the ground

[19] about beetle leaves
- don't chew beetle nut without beetle leaves
- don't consume the bottom, stem, or tip of beetle
leaves
- don't chew beetle leaves and nuts at the same time
- widows, sanyaasi, and bachelors must not
consume beetle leaves
- don't consume the beetle leaf used to keep calcium
- never use beetle leaves on fasting days such as
Ekaadasi
- don't drink water while chewing beetle leaves

[20]
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.

[21]
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 saathvega foods that helps us amplify our
devotion to the thiruvadi of pEraruLaaLan.