There are many Hindus who are strictly vegetarian. They think it is against their religion to consume non-vegetarian food. But the true fact is that the Hindu scriptures permit a person to have meat. The scriptures mention Hindu sages and saints consuming non-vegetarian food.
It is mentioned in Manu Smruti, the law book of Hindus, in chapter 5 verse 30
"The eater who eats the flesh of those to be eaten does nothing bad, even if he does it day after day, for God himself created some to be eaten and some to be eater."
Again next verse of Manu Smruti, that is, chapter 5 verse 31 says
"Eating meat is right for the sacrifice, this is traditionally known as a rule of the gods."
Further in Manu Smruti chapter 5 verse 39 and 40 says
"God himself created sacrificial animals for sacrifice, ...., therefore killing in a sacrifice is not killing."
Mahabharata Anushashan Parva chapter 88 narrates the discussion between Dharmaraj Yudhishthira and Pitamah Bhishma about what food one should offer to Pitris (ancestors) during the Shraddha (ceremony of dead) to keep them satisfied. Paragraph reads as follows:
"Yudhishthira said, "O thou of great puissance, tell me what that object is which, if dedicated to the Pitiris (dead ancestors), become inexhaustible! What Havi, again, (if offered) lasts for all time? What, indeed, is that which (if presented) becomes eternal?"
"Bhishma said, "Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, what those Havis are which persons conversant with the rituals of the Shraddha (the ceremony of dead) regard as suitable in view of Shraddha and what the fruits are that attach to each. With sesame seeds and rice and barely and Masha and water and roots and fruits, if given at Shraddhas, the pitris, O king, remain gratified for the period of a month. With fishes offered at Shraddhas, the pitris remain gratified for a period of two months. With the mutton they remain gratified for three months and with the hare for four months, with the flesh of the goat for five months, with the bacon (meat of pig) for six months, and with the flesh of birds for seven. With venison obtained from those deer that are called Prishata, they remaingratified for eight months, and with that obtained from the Ruru for nine months, and with the meat of Gavaya for ten months, With the meat of the bufffalo their gratification lasts for eleven months. With beef presented at the Shraddha, their gratification, it is said , lasts for a full year. Payasa mixed with ghee is as much acceptable to the pitris as beef. With the meat of Vadhrinasa (a large bull) the gratification of pitris lasts for twelve years. The flesh of rhinoceros, offered to the pitris on anniversaries of the lunar days on which they died, becomes inexhaustible. The potherb called Kalaska, the petals of kanchana flower, and meat of (red) goat also, thus offered, prove inexhaustible.
So but natural if you want to keep your ancestors satisfied forever, you should serve them the meat of red goat.
It is mentioned in Manu Smruti, the law book of Hindus, in chapter 5 verse 30
"The eater who eats the flesh of those to be eaten does nothing bad, even if he does it day after day, for God himself created some to be eaten and some to be eater."
Again next verse of Manu Smruti, that is, chapter 5 verse 31 says
"Eating meat is right for the sacrifice, this is traditionally known as a rule of the gods."
Further in Manu Smruti chapter 5 verse 39 and 40 says
"God himself created sacrificial animals for sacrifice, ...., therefore killing in a sacrifice is not killing."
Mahabharata Anushashan Parva chapter 88 narrates the discussion between Dharmaraj Yudhishthira and Pitamah Bhishma about what food one should offer to Pitris (ancestors) during the Shraddha (ceremony of dead) to keep them satisfied. Paragraph reads as follows:
"Yudhishthira said, "O thou of great puissance, tell me what that object is which, if dedicated to the Pitiris (dead ancestors), become inexhaustible! What Havi, again, (if offered) lasts for all time? What, indeed, is that which (if presented) becomes eternal?"
"Bhishma said, "Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, what those Havis are which persons conversant with the rituals of the Shraddha (the ceremony of dead) regard as suitable in view of Shraddha and what the fruits are that attach to each. With sesame seeds and rice and barely and Masha and water and roots and fruits, if given at Shraddhas, the pitris, O king, remain gratified for the period of a month. With fishes offered at Shraddhas, the pitris remain gratified for a period of two months. With the mutton they remain gratified for three months and with the hare for four months, with the flesh of the goat for five months, with the bacon (meat of pig) for six months, and with the flesh of birds for seven. With venison obtained from those deer that are called Prishata, they remaingratified for eight months, and with that obtained from the Ruru for nine months, and with the meat of Gavaya for ten months, With the meat of the bufffalo their gratification lasts for eleven months. With beef presented at the Shraddha, their gratification, it is said , lasts for a full year. Payasa mixed with ghee is as much acceptable to the pitris as beef. With the meat of Vadhrinasa (a large bull) the gratification of pitris lasts for twelve years. The flesh of rhinoceros, offered to the pitris on anniversaries of the lunar days on which they died, becomes inexhaustible. The potherb called Kalaska, the petals of kanchana flower, and meat of (red) goat also, thus offered, prove inexhaustible.
So but natural if you want to keep your ancestors satisfied forever, you should serve them the meat of red goat.
Comments
Some Interesting Questions:
Why should a Hindu not eat beef?
Of course, Hindus see 33 crore Gods in it. For that matter, they see God in all entities of the world. Weren't it we who said, "Eeshavasya midam sarvam..."? )
To go to the details of it we may have to go into the Vedic Vishwa. Basically vedas refer "Gou" as animal and as well as "Indriya" (senses). The word "Gou" over the period of time became "Cow" in English (Apabhransh).
In Vedic peroid some yajnas were practiced -
AshwaMedh
GouMedh
AjaMedh
The real meaning of each of these word Vedic people knew. Over the period they(words) lost meanings and people considered
Ashwa Medh = to sacrifice Ashwa (Ghoda)
Gou Medh = to sacrifice Gou (Gaya)
Aja Medth = to sacrifice Aja (Bakara)
This wrong interpretations of these words resulted in heavy sacrifices of Gou and Aja (Bakara). Gou was and is social animal with lots of benefits. People knew it and so to stop unnecessary killings of animal like Gou it was made forbidden in Kali Yuga.
‘Agnihotram gavalambham sanyasam palpaitrukam| Deverachha sutoptathikaloupanchavivarjayet’|
Arthat :
'Kaliyug main panch(5) karma karane ke liye nishedh hain
· agnihotra
· Gavalamban(GouMedh)
· Sanyas
· palapaitruk yane mans pinda dekar shradha karana
That is how people in Kali Yuga stopped Gou Medh and Hindus who follow Vedic principle do not eat beef (Gou).
Gou Medh: Actually in Vedic period Gou means Indriya (senses) most of the times. How otherwise you justify a word Gou Swami? Does that mean Nandi ya Bail? Definitely not. We mean a Rishi or a saintly person who has conquered his senses. So when Gou means Indriaya Vedic people used to perform Gou Medh that is Indriya Medh that is Indria Nighriya. They used to direct Indriya rather than guided by them. Over the period this became difficult to implement and people considered it to be cow or beef.
AshwaMedh: It also had similar problems. Ashwa is A+Shwa 'A' means absence and 'Shwa' means breathing. So where 'Absence of Breathing' is achieved and only Shusmuna nadi works that state is called as Ashwa. So we have to kill that state (avastha). Interestingly, only Kshatriyas were allowed to perform Ashwa Medh. Brahmans were not allowed. Brahman means Ashwa avastha. A Kshatriya is not supposed to go to Ashwa avastha because he must look after his subjects. That is why Ashwa Medh was performed by Prabhu Ram Chandra and Yudhistir. It is difficult to understand that Prabhu Ram Chandra can kill a innocent horse for his peace of mind (Manaha Shanti). It was to remember that being Kshtriya they have to have Shawas (Nitya Karma). This was also misinterpreted in the post Vedic period and people started killings horse.
Ajamedh: AjaMedh is A+ja (That has not taken birth) so Aja Medh means kill that has not taken birth. Was that Abortion? Aja means Bramhavasta so not to indulge in Bramahavsta is what AjaMedh means. Aja avastha means Brhama avastha ko samasaman kar jo avastha utpana ho ti hain use Sama+Aja Samaj kahate hain. So AjaMedh means Samaj ka uddhar (betterment of society).
So Vedic people were -
Ashawa Medhi (Jagrut)
Gou Medhi (Indriya Nighra)
Aja Medhi (Samajsheel)
Over the period people took altogether different and wrong interpretations and hence question like Beef eating comes up. So when entire world was practicing Vedic sanskruti (culture) some of them took
Gou Medh as Gou killings (Christians, Muslims)
Some of them took it as Gou Swami, Gou Wardhan, GouPal (Hindu)
Some of them took as Strong Indria Nirodh (Jain).
By no means Vedas allowed animal sacrifices. So it is not only Gou but any animal sacrifices are not allowed.
Is vegetarianism a Hindu concept.?
Vegetarianism and Non-Vegetarianism are not Hindu (Vedic) concept.
It is there that animal sacrifices were not allowed but in the Vedic literature it is not mentioned that Mansahar (Non-Veg) is not allowed. There was actually no problem with the animal eating till Ramayana and Mahabharata. There are several instances of Ram either eating or stop eating Mansahar. It may sound contradictory to what we said above but let us explain.
We all know Four Vernas. It was a best example of Mankind Classification. A person would be classified as to be belonging to one of the Verna based on the attributes (Guna) and not the family.
Kshatriya is Kshatrap ya Warman. This means that anyone who is maintaining his physical strength to reduce mind detractors. Naturally, that person has to indulge in worldly activities. He has to reduce (Warman) chanchal vrutii so it is obvious for eating habits as well. There is no good reason to believe that it was prohibited in the Vedic society to have Mansahar.
Vegetarian better than Non-Vegetarian ?
Vedic society did not bother about this. Actually, this better & bad came because of Buddhism and Jainism in post Vedic period. Buddha preached extreme non-violence. This question is discussed because of Buddhas impact in society.
There are several instances of Mansahar being offered to deities in Rigveda.
Why the Brahmins (the priest class) are the only ones who are shunned from non-vegetarianism while others are allowed.?. Is it that Hinduism preaches non violence vegetarianism on one hand and expects only one section of it to follow.?. How can you say then Hindu values can be universally applied.
Here again purist misinterpreted Brahmins as Priest Class. Who is Brahaman? "Braham Janati Brahaman" who knows Brahama (Ultimate Knowledge) is Brahman. Veda describe Brahman as "Sharman" Sharam+Ann . Sharam means Teer (Arrow) and Ann means vibration (Spandan). "Jo Sadhak appne Sharir Kshtra dwara sadhana prayas kar tatvaruup avastha ko cheerate huai jata hain aur tatva ko prapta karta hain use Sharman kahatain hain". In-short Brahman is in tandem with Brahma (Supreme Knowledge). That person who is tandem with Brahama must be Gou Swami (Whose all Indriyas are under his control) so no Mansahar or Madira.
Now the last question
How can you say then Hindu values can be universally applied.
What are Hindu values? What we call Hindu is Vedic person; Who believes in Vedas (or their derivations) is today called as Hindu courtesy Muslims. What is Vedic Sanskruti? Ved means Gyan or Knowledge and Vedic means Gyani. So Vedic Sanskruti is culture of Gyanis. There is no concept of religion in Vedic time. So Shashtra and Vigyan are two pillars of Vedic Vishwa (world). One who wants to be Vedic will be classified as -
Brahman
Kshatria
Vysha
Shrudra
These are four stages of the student of Vedic society depending attributes (Guna) one has. Ultimate state and hence desirable is the Brahman state the meaning of which we see earlier. So making entire world Brahman is the basic principle of Vedas. This is what is the Vedic values that is Hindu Values.
Don't you read Universality in it? No other Dharma rests on such a great principle. We Hindus are supposed to make entire world Brahma- Maya. So be very clear about our roots and present true picture of Vedic (Hindu) society and teachings. Remember you should to tell what Anand (bliss) we get in Brahma!!
Then came man, greed, power, selfishness & misinterpretation of God's/the scriptures' words to meet man's needs. No GOOD god would ever say to kill anyone who does not follow their religion. One has to ask (& the world has many times in the past 10 years & will continue to) how come the majority of crazy fanatic types who did things in the name if THEIR god are MUSLIM. 9/11, Osama Bin Laden, the recent army attack...
Also, EVERYONE (not just Hindus) follow RITUALS B/C THEIR ANCESTORS HAVE BEEN A PART OF IT. What a royally dumb thing to say??
"Then came man, greed, power, selfishness & misinterpretation of God's/the scriptures' words to meet man's needs. No GOOD god would ever say to kill anyone who does not follow their religion. One has to ask (& the world has many times in the past 10 years & will continue to) how come the majority of crazy fanatic types who did things in the name if THEIR god are MUSLIM. 9/11, Osama Bin Laden, the recent army attack... "
Before pointing to anybody....set ur records striaght....why do u ppl think that Allah commands Muslims to kill other ppl who r not muslims? For your kind info He does not!!! and bout the thing that only muslims are terrorists...
1. During the second world war, people who killed 60 lakh jews, weren’t muslims.
2. The ones who killes 20 lakh people at the Paul Port of Combodia weren’t muslims.
3. Spreading terrorism for 15 years in Punjab, the Khalistanis are not muslims.
4. The Naksalites who kill thousands of policeman and people in Andhra Pradesh are not muslims.
5. The people who killed our Prime Minister were not muslims.
So, are all terrorists muslims?
There is only rule
All actions has equal and opposite reaction. Whatever you do. you have to face the circumstances in this life.