Sri Vedanya Desikar in his work "Aahara Niyamam" has mentioned white brinjal (venn kathari) as one of the vegetables to be shunned; the commentator has added that only the white variety is to be avoided and the rest are acceptable, even though, some others extend the ban on all varieties of brinjal. Vedanta Desikar has concluded this short work with a tolerant note. What is allowed and what is to be avoided will depend on the varna, asrama, guna, location, season, time etc. Hence finer points of aahara niyamam must be ascertained from the elders; same item may be acceptable to some but to be avoided by some others. Sampath