Control of the Tongue is the main entrance to yoga, says the Gita.
It has ruled that it is impossible to enter into Yoga and attain Divinity, without controlling one's own tongue which is a very important sense organ.
Among the sense organs only tongue has two kinds of powers, power of speech and power of taste. That is why Gitacharya says
"Whoever keeps his tongue under control, such a sadhaka's heart will be pure, unwavering and selfless and he will surely attain Divinity."
Excessive intake of food is very dangerous to health. You should take limited quantity of food.
In the first instance, you must control your tongue . Then all the other senses will automatically come under control. There is nothing more valuable in this world than the word. Therefore, keeping our words and tongue under control is the most important sadhana.
If you want to develop good qualities in you, you will have to sacrifice bad qualities. If you take food simply to satisfy your palate, you will be subjected to raga (attachment or desire), and dwesha (hatred). These disturbances and mental depressions reduce full-man into one-fourth man.He drowns himself in deep sorrow. He feels, life is not worth living.He is elated when praised and get depressed when scorned. Thus he develops inequanimity .
You must assess whether the food you take is sathwic, rajasic or thamasic. You must also see whether it is hitha (promoting health) and mitha (limited in quantity) to you. When you thus enquire and take hitha and mitha food with full knowledge, you will not be disturbed by any external forces.
When you sacrifice inequality, you get equality.
When you sacrifice bad thoughts you will get good thoughts.
When you sacrifice bad intentions you will get good intentions.
Keeping the tongue under control, if you make it satisfied with limited quantity of food and limited talk, you will get happiness easily. This is called "Mouna".
The three types of purification
We should not take any food, without subjecting it to three types of Suddhi (purification).
1. Paathra Suddhi : Proper cleaning of the vessels.
2, Padaartha Suddhi : Cleaning of the food material used.
Enquire Whether The food that is obtained through illegal means
( ill-gotten money or by the sweat of one's brow, by stealing, by penalising others etc.,)
or through whole hearted contribution.
The food obtained by illegal means will not only cause ill-health, will also develop bad qualities.
The food obtained through whole hearted contribution will give good health and good qualities.
3. Paaka Sudhi : Purity of the person cooking.
To ensure Paaka suddhi, it must be enquired whether the food is prepared with good intention and pure heart.
Among the above three suddhis, we can only ensure paathra suddhi.
Padaartha suddhi and paaka suddhi are not in our hands.
That is why, before pataking of the food, it must be offered to
God with a prayer
"Brahmarpanam Brahma Havihir Brahmagnow
Brahanahutham
Brahmaiva thena Ganthvyam Brahma Karma
Samdhinaa"
When we do this, all the above three suddhis will accure to the food. It is only for this purpose the Bhagavad Gita exhorted us to offer such a prayer before taking of our food. Before this prayer it is only food, but after doing this prayer it becomes Prasada (a gift from God.)
Our prayer will remove all the three types of impurities, namely
Paathradosha, Padaarthadosha and paakadosha.
It is for this reason the Gita exhorted us to take Sathwic food in limited quantity by controlling our tongue.
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