Atyaharah, eating more than you require. Actually, we should not eat unless we are very hungry. That is good eating

Expressions researched:
"Atyāhāraḥ, eating more than you require. Actually, we should not eat unless we are very hungry. That is good eating"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Atyāhāraḥ, eating more than you require. Actually, we should not eat unless we are very hungry. That is good eating. In.... When you are hungry, you can eat any ordinary things. Still, you feel very satisfactory. So not routine eating. Routine eating must be there. We should not eat more than that. But the best principle is that if we do not feel hungry, we should not eat.

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

If you want to advance in spiritual life, bhakti-yoga, then you should avoid all these things, six kinds of. Ṣaḍbhiḥ, six kind. Bhaktir pranaśyati. What is that? Atyāhāraḥ, eating more than you require. Actually, we should not eat unless we are very hungry. That is good eating. In . . . when you are hungry, you can eat any ordinary things; still, you feel very satisfactory. So not routine eating. Routine eating must be there. We should not eat more than that. But the best principle is that if we do not feel hungry, we should not eat. But if there is no hunger and at the same time no appetite and we eat, that brings indigestion, dysentery, indigestion. So why should we accept that? Therefore it is forbidden, atyāhāraḥ. Āhāra means eating, eating more than required, or āhāra means collecting also. Collecting more than necessity.

Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś. Prayāsaḥ means things which are done with great endeavor. No, we shall accept things which is very easily done, not to waste our energy unnecessarily. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ, prajalpaḥ, talking all nonsense, sitting together and on the newspaper, "Oh, such politician said like this, and social worker . . ." All nonsense. Practically you try to avoid all this newspaper reading or talking of nonsense subject matter. That is called prajalpa. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ (NOI 2). Niyamāgrahaḥ means niyama, schedule for rules and regulation, not to accept. Niyama āgraha or niyama agraha. Āgraha means unnecessarily āgraha, but without any result. That is called niyamāgrahaḥ. You must follow the rules, regulation so that you are benefitted. But if you are not benefitted simply by following the rules and regulation, that is āgraha, only for the rules and regulation, not for the result. We must see that there is result. Niyamāgrahaḥ. Jana-saṅgaś ca, to associate with unwanted people. You must associate with devotees, not others. They are called . . . laulya, jana-saṅgaś ca. And laulyam, greediness, ṣaḍbhir bhaktir pranaśyati. If you are a student of devotional service, you must avoid all these things and just the opposite number:

utsāhān dhairyāt niścayād

tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt

sato vṛtteḥ saṅga-tyāgāt

ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati

(Upadeśāmṛta 3)

Prasidhyati means you increase. What is that? Utsāha, endeavor, "In this life I must fulfill my mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is called utsāha. Dhairya. Don't be agitated because it is not giving result immediately. Just patiently go on working. Utsāhād dhairyān niścayāt. Niścayāt means to have full faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). This is called full faith that, "Kṛṣṇa has said that if I am in devotional service, I will never be lost. Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." Kṛṣṇa says. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). To have faith, this is called surrender. Not that, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa says, but may not be able to protect me." No. Kṛṣṇa is able. He is all-powerful, omnipotent. He can give you protection. When He says that ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi, that is a fact. This is called niścayāt, "Certainly Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." Not that, "Because I do not see Kṛṣṇa, I do not know whether Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." No. That word is sufficient. This is called niścayāt. Utsāhād dhairyān niścayād tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt.