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## The Vishan Parva
Six months were completed for the Lord, the holder of Yoga, whose greatness is inconceivable and whose position is unshakeable, like Mount Meru. ||1||
Then, with the intention of enlightening the Yatis regarding their conduct, especially their food intake, a thought arose in their minds: "Let us search for a food that is free from defects and conducive to the stability of the body." ||2||
Alas! Those newly initiated ascetics, born into great lineages, have become corrupted by hunger and other afflictions due to their lack of knowledge of the right path. ||3||
Therefore, to guide them towards the path of liberation and to attain liberation with ease, I shall now reveal the method of food intake that is conducive to the stability of the body. ||4||
The seeker of liberation should not merely make their body thin, nor should they nourish it with juicy and sweet, palatable foods. ||5||
Just as the senses should be under control and not wander off the path, so too should one strive to follow the middle path in their food intake. ||6||
Fasting and other practices are recommended to eliminate the doshas (vata, pitta, and kapha). The scriptures have outlined the intake of food for the sustenance of the life force. ||7||
One should engage in bodily austerities only to the extent that they do not lead to mental distress. For, if mental distress arises, the mind becomes fickle and one deviates from the path. ||8||
Therefore, those who desire the stability of their body, seeking the attainment of the journey of self-control, should consume food that is free from defects, without being attached to its taste. ||9||
Thus, having made this decision, the Lord, the holder of Yoga, the valiant and wise, began to move, as if shaking the entire earth with his steps. ||10||