Bhagavad Gita · Dhyana Yoga (Atma-samyama Yoga)Chapter 6, Shloka 16 (6.16)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः
न चाति स्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन
॥ 6.16 ॥
nātyaśnatastu yogo'sti na caikāntamanaśnataḥ
na cāti svapnaśīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna
Translation
"O Arjuna, yoga is not achieved by one who eats too much, nor by one who does not eat at all; nor by one who sleeps too much, nor by one who stays awake (too much)."
Interpretation
Two "excesses" — both obstacles. Eating too much and not eating at all; sleeping too much and staying awake too much.
Shankaracharya — "one's own measure". Ātma-saṃmitam anna-parimāṇam atītya aśnataḥ — one who eats beyond the amount of food suitable for oneself; and na ca ekāntam anaśnataḥ — one who does not eat at all. As evidence, a shruti statement (Shatapatha): yad u ha vā ātma-saṃmitam annaṃ tad avati tan na hinasti, yad bhūyo hinasti tad, yat kanīyo'nnaṃ na tad avati — food in one's own measure protects and does no harm; more than that harms; less does not protect. An alternative: the measure of yoga texts — … sa-vyañjanānnasya tṛtīyam udakasya ca, vāyoḥ saṃcaraṇārthaṃ tu caturtham avaśeṣayet — (taking the stomach as four parts) two parts food with accompaniments, the third water, and the fourth left empty for the movement of air.
Acharya Ramanuja. Atyaśanānaśane yoga-virodhinī — both overeating and fasting oppose yoga; ativihāra-avihārau ca — too much moving about and none at all; atimātra-svapna-jāgarye — too much sleep and too much wakefulness; atyāyāsānāyāsau — too much exertion and no exertion at all.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.