Ishwa helper Reged: 03/03/02 Posts: 553

Re: Rama & MEAT (he did or didn't eat meat) [Re: dhilwala2001] #13830 - 03/23/02 01:42 PM Edit Reply Quote

I think we have to consider these things first before we can say whether Ramachandra ate flesh or not: The Valmiki Ramayana as we know now is not written in one time by one writer, though Valmiki must have been the first writer. The Ramayana has an older kernel without Bala and UttaraKanda. First was applied BalaKanda and afterwards UttaraKanda (Uttara meaning later). The BalaKanda contradicts many statements of the kernel books. Ramachandra lived in Vedic times and worshipped Indra. Afterwards we come towards a Vishnu and Shiva worship before finally becoming a completely Bhagavata work. Of the Ramayana there are many versions, like a southern a northwestern and an eastern. Which version is the original? That is hard to say. Which translation is then right? Certainly not the ones which were given in the period of missionary and colonial activities, like the one of Grffith. The period when flesh-eating became an issue was around the period of Gautama Buddha. It must have been a transitional period from the Sutra to the Classical period.