[Three divisions of stomach] The consumer of the food should divide the total capacity of his stomach into three parts – a third of the portion of the space should be allocated to solid food articles, a third to liquid food substances and the remaining third should be left for the (movement of) vata, pitta and kapha. One who keeps this basic thumb-rule during dietary intake, does not get affected by any adverse effect arising out of improper quantity of diet.
न च केवलं मात्रावत्त्वादेवाहारस्य कृत्स्नमाहारफलसौष्ठवमवाप्तुं शक्यं, प्रकृत्यादीनामष्टानामाहारविधिविशेषायतनानां प्रविभक्तफलत्वात् ||४||
[Importance of eight factors in beneficial effect of food] It is not possible to derive all the beneficial effects of any diet only on the basis of the quantity of food consumed because the other seven factors (discussed in the preceding chapter, such as prakriti (nature of food) etc.) have their own individual role to play.
na ca kevalaM mAtrAvattvAdevAhArasya kRtsnamAhAraphalasauSThavamavAptuM zakyaM, prakRtyAdInAmaSTAnAmAhAravidhivizeSAyatanAnAM pravibhaktaphalatvAt ||4||
तत्रायं तावदाहारराशिमधिकृत्य मात्रामात्राफलविनिश्चयार्थः प्रकृतः| एतावानेव ह्याहारराशिविधिविकल्पो यावन्मात्रावत्त्वममात्रावत्त्वं च ||५||
[Focus on qunatum of food] However, the focus of this chapter is only to analyze the effect of the quantum of food (rashi) ingested, with the objective of determining appropriate and inappropriate quantities. This is the only consideration to decide how much is the proper and improper quantity of food.