) Food that is not brought into the house legitimately through the main door has to be avoided.

Comment: Here, swami is referring to smuggled food items that are usually brought into the
house through the back door.

2) Food grains mixed with varagu (millet) to be avoided. That is, millet has to be separated out
before boiling rice.

Comment: This recommendation does not hold good for our times where we no longer need to
separate paddy from the chaff.

3) Food that has been rendered impure by saliva emanating even from one’s own mouth is to
be avoided. Also, if one has over-stuffed his mouth with food, the food that is taken out should
not be consumed again.

Comment: This essentially means “எச்சில் பண்ணுதல் ” is ruled out.

4) Food that has caught the eyeballs of a cruel, unworthy man should not be consumed.

Comment: This essentially means that we should consume food preferably in our home
premises as much as possible.

5) Food that is contaminated by coming into contact with clothes, someone’s sneeze etc. are to
be avoided.

Comment: This essentially means that the food that spills on to our clothes should not be
consumed again.

6) Food that has met the eyeballs of a dog (including all animals) or is adulterated by the saliva
of a dog (including all animals/birds) is to be avoided.

7) Food cooked on fasting days like that of Ekadesi has to be avoided.

Comment: Swami emphasizes that upholding Ekadesi fast is a must for a Srivaishnava. No
cooking should happen on this day, save the consumption of milk and fruits that need not be
cooked before consumption.

8) Food that has come in contact with people having contagious diseases like leprosy is to be
avoided.

9) Food that is not served with a kind, generous intention is to be avoided.

Comment: Intention is very important in food preparation and consumption. Food consumed
will fail to fulfill its primary purpose of energizing us if the intention with which it is
prepared/served is not good.

10) Food that has been contaminated by the presence of flies, worms, hair, nails are to be
avoided.

11) Food that is borrowed from a sanyasi and food that has come in contact with a sanyasi’s
vessel is to be avoided.
12) Vegetables to be avoided: Country Fig (அத்தி), White Fig (இறலி), White Egg
Plant/White Brinjal (வெள் ளள கத்தாரி), Fruit from banyan tree (ஆல் ), Fruit of Peepal
Tree, Onion, Garlic, Drumstick, சிறிய அெளர (A small type of beans, small avarakkai),
Mushrooms (காளான்), Radish (முள் ளங் கி), Bottle Gourd (சுளரக்காய் ), Ridge
Gourd (பீர்கங் காய் ), Celosia (பண்ளணக் கீளர), Unripe Pomegranate
(மாதுளங் காய் ), Lotus Stalk (தாமளரக் கிழங் கு), Pasalakkeerai
(பசளலக்கீளர), Sanarkeerai (சனர்க்கீளர), Sirukkeerai (சிறுக்கீளர), Red
Agathik keerai (சிெப் பு அகத்தி).

13) Vegetables that are taken from another person’s garden without the permission of the owner
is to be avoided.

14) Food that is extremely salty, sour or spicy is to be avoided.

15) Food that is not offered to the Lord before consumption is to be avoided.

16) Food that was not offered to the guests and set apart for our consumption should be avoided.

17) Unwashed fruits/vegetables bought from outside shops are not to be consumed.

18) Food that is bought through money earned in illegitimate ways (not authorized by the
sastras) is to be avoided.

19) Food that is cooked with disallowed items is to be avoided.

Comment: This essentially means while rice with சாத்தமுது is allowed, சாத்தமுது
made out garlic is not allowed to be had with rice.

20) Food that is cooked by children/people who lack AchAram is to be avoided.

21) Food that has been offered to demigods (including Shiva) as neivedhyam is to be avoided.

22) Food that is extremely hot or extremely cold is to be avoided.

23) Food items, whose nature/sattvic quality cannot be estimated are better avoided.

24) Other than buttermilk, any other food item whose composition has been diluted is not to be
consumed.

25) Do not consume any food item containing sesame (எள் ளு) during night time.

26) Do not consume puffed rice (வபாரி) and wood-apple fruit (விளாம் பழம் ) during the
day time.

27) Do not consume food late in the night.

28) Do not consume food without bathing and performing sandhyavandhanam.

29) Do not consume food from the hands of someone else. That is இன்வனாருெர்
பிளசந்து வகாடுத்த உணவு உண்ணத்தக்கதல் ல.
30) Food that is cooked twice should not be consumed.

31) Food prepared in another person’s kitchen should not be consumed.

32) Other than Asafoedita (வபருங் காயம் ) any food item that is made out of the sap of
trees is to be avoided.

33) Do not consume food which you hear someone say is not good/tasty.

34) Food that is contaminated by the saliva of one’s father, one’s acharyan and one’s first elder
brother can be consumed. Wives can consume the food contaminated by the saliva of their
husbands.

35) On fasting days, one is allowed to consume water, tubers (கிழங் குகள் ), ghee, milk,
havis (ஹவிஸ்) from yagams and medicines.

36) Food items like sugarcane juice (கரும் புச்சாறு), curd (தயிர்), milk (பால் ), ghee
(வநய் ), betel nut (பாக்கு), pepper (மிளகு), honey (ததன்), cardamom (ஏலக்காய் )
etc. are beyond dhoshams and can be consumed anytime.

37) Food items that have been cooked in heat without the addition of water, fruits that ripe
naturally (and not by artificial methods), boiled rice (புழுங் கல் அரிசி*), vadaam
(ெடாம் ), appam (அப் பம் ), seedai (சீளட), thenkuzhal (ததன்குழல் ), milk derivatives
like thiratti paal (திரட்டிப்பால் ), etc. can be consumed even if they have gone beyond their
use-by date.

38) Foods that recommended for avoidance above are allowed for consumption under life-
threatening circumstances.

* – The boiled rice mentioned here is not the one that is bought from outside. In earlier days,
people used to boil rice themselves at home.

Also, cooked rice from the previous night, when stored in clean water (பளழயது/பளழய
சாதம் ) can be consumed.

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