Gokarna, 20 August 2026: Food tastes have a close connection with emotions, and the flavours consumed through food can influence the emotional state of the body, Sri Ramachandrapura Matha Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Raghaveshwara Bharati Swamiji said.
Speaking at Dharma Sabha organised as part of the ‘Annabrahma Chaturmasya’ at Ashoke Moolamatha in Gokarna on Thursday, August 20, 2026, as part of the Annam Brahma discourse series, the seer said different tastes were associated with different emotional responses.
According to him, sweetness evokes happiness, pungency is associated with anger, bitterness with sorrow and sourness with a sense of pride. Since human beings experience different emotions, he said, the diet should include all six tastes.
Ayurveda offers detailed understanding of digestion
Sri Raghaveshwara Bharati said Ayurveda had carried out extensive research into the human body and digestion, while modern science had also made significant advances in the field.
However, he said Yoga Shastra and Ayurveda had explained even minute aspects of the human body and digestive process. Achievements of ancient scholars who carried out such observations and practices without modern instruments were remarkable, he said.
Food generally takes around four hours to undergo digestion, he said, adding that the digestive process takes place in three stages, with different substances and tastes being produced at different stages.
“Knowledge and research handed down by our ancestors have become like a precious gem placed in the hands of a monkey,” he said, expressing concern that the present generation was increasingly unaware of the depth of traditional knowledge.
Digestive fire and food
The seer said the strength of the body's digestive fire, or agni, was important for digestion. If the digestive fire was sufficiently strong, even poison could be digested, he said, citing the example of King Nala and his ability to withstand the poison of the serpent Karkotaka.
He explained that six factors — ushma (heat), vayu (movement), kleda (moisture), sneha (unctuousness), kala (time) and samayoga (proper combination) — play a role in transforming food into the body's tissues.
Proper digestion requires these factors to function in balance and at the appropriate time, he said.
Sri Raghaveshwara Bharati advised people to chew food properly until it becomes well-mixed with saliva before swallowing. He also recommended drinking water in small sips. He noted that, according to the traditional view, consuming excessive quantities of water during meals could disturb the balance required for digestion.
Late-night sleep may reduce its benefits
In a separate part of the discourse, Sri Raghaveshwara Bharati spoke about the appropriate time for sleep. He said a person should ideally go to sleep about one-and-a-half hours after dinner for restful night-time sleep. According to the Ayurvedic understanding referred to by him, the night is divided into periods associated with kapha, pitta and vata.
Going to sleep during the kapha period is considered conducive to obtaining the full benefits of sleep, while sleeping late during the pitta and vata periods may not provide the same benefits, he said.
The discourse was attended by members and representatives of the Karki, Apsarakonda, Bhatkal, Maravanthe and Bhavatarini Havyaka circles of the Honnavar Havyaka Mandal.
The Udaya Bhat family offered Gurubhiksha Seva on behalf of the Havyaka circles. Nagaraj Mattigar, Radhakrishna Bhat of Bhatkal, Hariprasad Periyappu, G.S. Hegde, Sudhakara Badagani and Vishnu Bhat Kavalakki were present. Ram Bhat Ramakunja and his wife were also present as dinapradhanis.
Keywords
Annabrahma Chaturmasya, Raghaveshwara Sri, food tastes and emotions, Ayurveda digestion, six tastes, digestive fire, sleep timing, Raghaveshwara Bharati Swamiji, Gokarna News, Citizen News Puttur