To be too fat is not very good for spiritually advanced life

Expressions researched:
"Becoming fat is not a very good qualification in spiritual life" |"If one becomes too fat, it is to be assumed that he is not advancing spiritually" |"To be too fat is not very good for spiritually advanced life" |"To get fatty is not very favorable for spiritual understanding" |"in spiritual advancement becoming fat is not at all satisfactory"

SB Canto 3

To be too fat is not very good for spiritually advanced life. Rather, one should reduce because if one becomes fat it is an impediment to progress in spiritual understanding.

SB 3.33.14, Translation and Purport:

She began to bathe three times daily, and thus her curling black hair gradually became gray. Due to austerity, her body gradually became thin, and she wore old garments.

It is the practice of the yogī, brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsī to bathe at least three times daily—early in the morning, during noontime and in the evening. These principles are strictly followed even by some gṛhasthas, especially brāhmaṇas, who are elevated in spiritual consciousness. Devahūti was a king's daughter and almost a king's wife also. Although Kardama Muni was not a king, by his yogic mystic power he accommodated Devahūti very comfortably in a nice palace with maidservants and all opulence. But since she had learned austerity even in the presence of her husband, there was no difficulty for her to be austere. Still, because her body underwent severe austerity after the departure of her husband and son, she became thin. To be too fat is not very good for spiritually advanced life. Rather, one should reduce because if one becomes fat it is an impediment to progress in spiritual understanding. One should be careful not to eat too much, sleep too much or remain in a comfortable position. Voluntarily accepting some penances and difficulties, one should take less food and less sleep. These are the procedures for practicing any kind of yoga, whether bhakti-yoga, jñāna-yoga or haṭha-yoga.

SB Canto 4

Becoming fat is not a very good qualification in spiritual life because a person who is engaged in spiritual life must reduce the comforts of the body—namely eating, sleeping and mating—to a minimum.

SB 4.23.20, Purport:

Pṛthu Mahārāja's wife, Arci, was steadily determined to execute the duty of a wife, and while her husband was in the forest, she followed him in eating only fruits and leaves and lying down on the ground. Since a woman's body is considerably more delicate than a man's, Queen Arci became very frail and thin, parikarśitā. When one engages in austerities, his body generally becomes lean and thin. Becoming fat is not a very good qualification in spiritual life because a person who is engaged in spiritual life must reduce the comforts of the body—namely eating, sleeping and mating—to a minimum. Although Queen Arci became very thin from living in the forest according to regulative principles, she was not unhappy, for she was enjoying the honor of serving her great husband.

We can definitely see that to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one must control his bodily weight. If one becomes too fat, it is to be assumed that he is not advancing spiritually.

SB 4.28.35-36, Translation and Purport:

In the province of Kulācala, there were rivers named Candravasā, Tāmraparṇī and Vaṭodakā. King Malayadhvaja used to go to those pious rivers regularly and take his bath there. Thus he purified himself externally and internally. He took his bath and ate bulbs, seeds, leaves, flowers, roots, fruits and grasses and drank water. In this way he underwent severe austerities. Eventually he became very skinny.

We can definitely see that to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one must control his bodily weight. If one becomes too fat, it is to be assumed that he is not advancing spiritually. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura severely criticized his fat disciples. The idea is that one who intends to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness must not eat very much. Devotees used to go to forests, high hills or mountains on pilgrimages, but such severe austerities are not possible in these days. One should instead eat only prasāda and no more than required. According to the Vaiṣṇava calendar, there are many fasts, such as Ekādaśī and the appearance and disappearance days of God and His devotees. All of these are meant to decrease the fat within the body so that one will not sleep more than desired and will not become inactive and lazy. Overindulgence in food will cause a man to sleep more than required. This human form of life is meant for austerity, and austerity means controlling sex, food intake, etc. In this way time can be saved for spiritual activity, and one can purify himself both externally and internally. Thus both body and mind can be cleansed.

SB Canto 7

By enjoying the senses one becomes fat. Therefore in spiritual advancement becoming fat is not at all satisfactory.

SB 7.13.16-17, Translation and Purport:

Seeing the saintly person to be quite fat, Prahlāda Mahārāja said: My dear sir, you undergo no endeavor to earn your livelihood, but you have a stout body, exactly like that of a materialistic enjoyer. I know that if one is very rich and has nothing to do, he becomes extremely fat by eating and sleeping and performing no work.

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura did not like his disciples to become very fat in the course of time. He would become very anxious upon seeing his fat disciples becoming bhogīs, or enjoyers of the senses. This attitude is herewith confirmed by Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was surprised to see a saintly person adopting ājagara-vṛtti and becoming very fat. In the material world also, we generally see that when a man who is poor and skinny gradually endeavors to earn money through business or some other means and he then gets the money, he enjoys the senses to his satisfaction. By enjoying the senses one becomes fat. Therefore in spiritual advancement becoming fat is not at all satisfactory.

Generally those engaged in spiritual advancement take food only once, either in the afternoon or in the evening. If one takes food only once, naturally he does not become fat.

SB 7.13.18, Translation and Purport:

O brāhmaṇa, fully in knowledge of transcendence, you have nothing to do, and therefore you are lying down. It is also understood that you have no money for sense enjoyment. How then has your body become so fat? Under the circumstances, if you do not consider my question impudent, kindly explain how this has happened.

Generally those engaged in spiritual advancement take food only once, either in the afternoon or in the evening. If one takes food only once, naturally he does not become fat. The learned sage, however, was quite fat, and therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja was very much surprised. Because of being experienced in self-realization, a transcendentalist certainly becomes bright-faced. And one who is advanced in self-realization must be considered to possess the body of a brāhmaṇa. Because the bright-faced saintly person was lying down and not working and yet was quite fat, Prahlāda Mahārāja was puzzled and wanted to question him about this.

General Lectures

To get fatty is not very favorable for spiritual understanding.

Lecture at Krsna Niketan -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

Prabhupāda: You are one ten-thousandth part of a point, and you have developed a big body like elephant. (laughter) Or Brahmānanda Swami. (laughter) (chuckles) When he was getting fat, I was very much thinking that "This boy is getting fat." To get fatty is not very favorable for spiritual understanding. My Guru Mahārāja said. If you'll say some disciple is getting fat, he'll immediately say, "Oh, he is getting fat?" Yes. Spiritual life does not mean very fat. That is an impediment. That means materially he's becoming developed. (laughter) That's a fact. So we should not eat more to get fat. You should simply eat to keep yourself (chuckling) body and soul together. Not to get fatty. No. That's not good. Of course, we are not fatty.

Devotee (1): You told us about that Bhāratī Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Bhāratī Mahārāja. (chuckles)

Yamunā: What was that?

Prabhupāda: My Godbrother, there was one Bharati Mahārāja. He was... (laughter) So Prabhupāda used to criticize, "Oh, this man is getting fatty."