KINGDOM OF SITHTHARS

As in this series of ‘ancient Tamils and food habits’, so far we have seen about food histories, features, tastes and characteristics and its effect on human beings. However, Siththars gave us the details about: how to take food? when to have food? what are all the foods to be taken? how to treat food as medicine and medicine as food?

Our ancestors strictly followed all the above food habits in their day to day life till the foreign incursion. 

Nowadays with the idea of globalization, it is really distressing that we almost forgot all our rooted habits. In this account, I would like to share some of those forgotten conventions in the upcoming posts. Hence, in today’s post, we will see about the how many time we have to intake food on average per day? And also about the time period for food intake..

Siththar Theraaiyar quoted that two meals per day is highly sufficient. His quote is taken from “Pathaartha Kuna Sinthaamani” which is as follows:

தன்மமி ரண்டேயூண் டப்பிமுக்காற் கொள்ளினினன்

thanmami randaeyoon dappimukkaar kollininan

சின்மதலை காளைகடல் சேர்பருவ-தன்மூகுர்த்த

sinmathalai kaalaikadal saerparuva-thanmookurththa

மொன்றுக்கு ணானகுக்கு ளோதுமிரண் டுக்குளுண்பர்

montrukku naanakukku loathumiran dukkulunpar

நன்றுக்குத் தீயோர் நயந்து

nanrukkuth theeyoar nayanthu

Intake of food in two time slot is generally good for health. In addition to this, if anyone wants to have another meals would start their first meal on a day within 1½ hour from sunrise, Then, the second meal within 6 hour from sunrise and final/third meal within 3 hour from sunset time.  Violating this food habit is generally bad for health.

மூன்றுநான் காறெண்மு கூர்த்தங் களின்முறையே

moonrunaan kaarenmu koorththang kalinmuraiyae

ஞான்றுளுண்ணு மந்த நறுமுணவே-தோன்றுடலுக்

njaanrulunnu mantha narumunavae –thoanrudaluk

கொக்குமித நோயரமு ரோகமுயிர்க் கந்தரஞ்செய்

kokkumitha noayaramu roakamuyirk kantharanjei

விக்குமித மாராய்ந்து விள்

vikkumitha maraainthu vil

Food will cause slight disease if taken within 4 hours from sunrise. If food taken after 6 hours from sunrise, it will cause diseases. If food taken after 3 hours from sunset, it will lead to deadly diseases.

The above noted view of Siththar Theraiyar should be taken under technical research. However, our ancestors followed the above food habits and lived a healthy life.

Let us see about, how to eat food in upcoming post.

Original – www.siththarkal.com

Translated by Lalithambika Rajasekaran

We inferred from our ancestors that, the intaen food of a person solely determines that person’s character. Hence, three different characters are correlated to three types of foods and we have already seen the first two in previous posts. In that series, we are going to see about thamasa food in today’s post.

Let us first see about what is thamasa food? And its characteristics as follows:

Uncontrolled anger, uncontrolled lust, more sleep, vigorous idiocy, instability are the inherent characteristics of thamasa food intakers.

People with the above characteristics are arrogant, madly short tempered, cannot think and judge equally and mostly they will be slave to senses and do silly crimes.

Even our modern science, after various researches accept the fact that the foods plays major role in one’s character and behavior. From the list of foods distinguished under three types, we perceive the type we intaken so far and the character  it imbibes in us, which might lead to personal character upgradation. 

Following are the list of food products characterized under thamasa:

1. Onion

2. White Garlic

3. Drumstick leaf

4. Pasalai leaf

5. Kalavai keerai

6. Aarai keerai

7. Siru keerai

8. Potato

9. Peruvalli kizhangu

10. Radish

11. Siruvalli kizhangu

12. Maravalli kizhangu

13. Drumstick

14. Peerkkai

15. Sword bean

16. Mochai

17. Bottle guard

18. Avarai (a type of bean)

19. Horse gram

20. Red cholam

21. Black cholam

22. Green peas

23. Black-eyed peas

24. Kambu (Pearl millet)

25.Varaku (Kodo millet)

26. Raagi (Finger millet)

27. Boiled rice

28. Brinjal

29. Drumstick flower

30. Eechavellam (Jaggery from Phnix dactoeylifera)

31. Panaivellam (Jaggery from Palmyra)

32. Palmyra candy

33. Kal types (liquour from coconut, palm like trees)

34. Unripen palm fruit

35. Castor oil

36. Paruppu keerai (Chenopodium album)

37. Pulicha keerai (Hibiscus cannabinus)

38. Kaasini keerai

39. Palm fruit

40. Custard apple

41. Pannaik keerai

42. Cashew fruit

43. Buffalo milk

44. Buffalo curd

45. Buffalo butter

46. Buffalo ghee

Till now, we have seen about the ancient Tamilians food habits, types of foods and its character imbibing qualities.

In future, we will see about how to intake these foods and also about its merits and demerits according to Siththar’s view.

Stay tuned!!

Original – www.siththarkal.com

Translated by Lalithambika Rajasekaran

Our ancestors distinguished the food into three types based on their characteristics. Among the three, we have already seen the first type (satvika food) in previous post. On continuation, we are going to see about rajo food types.

Rajo food will imbibe following list of characteristics on continual intake. The characteristics expected are; briskness, vigour, physical strength, self fanaticism, over confidence, brute force, lust, jealous, anger, psychological outburst, temporal instability, dynamic, enthusiastic and also have a feel of accomplishing any task.

Moreover, the people and society with zeal, supremacy and with aim of achieving something were having this rajo mentality.

Alright!! What are all the foods belong to this rajo group?

Our ancestors differentiated it very well.

Rajo foods:

1. Green chillies

2. Oosi Milakaai (Needle chillies)

3. Unripe lemon

4. Riped lemon

5. Tamarind

6. Fig fruit

7. Aavaram flower

8. Banana flower

9. Aru keerai

10. Red pumpkin leaf

11. Pudhina (Mint)

12. Paara vetrilai (Beetle leaf)

13. Maahali kizhangu

14. Kaara karunai kizhangu

15. Kotti kizhangu

16. Karunai kizhangu

17. Lotus rhizome

18. Siru kizhangu

19. Kalippaakku

20. Mustard oil

21. Milk from buck (vellaadu)

22. Curd from buck

23. Oil from buck

24. Ghee from buck

25. Omum

26. Poppy seed

27. Mixed ghee

28. White pumbkin

29. Red pumpkin

30. Pig snake guard

31. Ladys finger

32.  Snake guard

33. Black cumin

34. Kaattu seeragam

35. Pirappu seeragam

36. Cloves

37. Lavanga pattai

38. Appalak kaaram

39.  Table salt

40. Tamarind

41. Chillies

42. Naai kaduku (A type of mustard seed)

43. Red mustard

44. Small mustard 

45. White mustard

46. Coriander seed

47. Curcuma aromatica

48. Musk

49. Turmeric

50. Cashew nuts

51. Manila

52. Sagital

53. Red gram

54. Pineapple

55. Pomegranate

56. Komati maadhulai (A type of pomegranate)

57. All other food with the feel of hot or alkaline taste in tongue comes under this rajo food category.

All these above listed foods imbibe briskness and acuteness on inhaling persons which provoke and control the feelings of earthly peoples.

Well!! We can see about thamasa foods in upcoming posts.

Original – www.siththarkal.com

Translated by Lalithambika Rajasekaran