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

Hindu Scriptures on killing animals #20798 - 09/20/02 04:12 PM Edit Reply Quote

Hindu scriptures on eating meat/killing animals The Hinduscriptures from the oldest Vedic to all the later layers in time all advocate vegetarianism and not killing animals and certainly never offer animals in their Yajnas! The Vedic word frequantly mentioned is Aghnya = not to be killed. This word was in particular used for cows. Aahavaniiye maamsapratishedha (Katyayana Sutra) That which is used in Yajna (aahavaniiya) must be vegetarian Maa himsyaat sarvabhuutaani. (RigVeda) No creature/animal should be killed. Yah paurusheyena kravishaa samankte yo ashvyena pashunaa yaatudhaanah, Yo aghyaayaa bharati kshiiramagne teshaam shirshaani harasaapi vrshcha. (RV 10.87.16) The evil person who kills or eats the meat of a horse or cow deserves to be terminated. Dhaanaa dhenurabhavad, vatso�syaastilo�bhavat. (AtharvaVeda 18.4.32) Rice is named as �cow� and sesame as �calf�. [Just like someone saying �I want the meat of hazel = I want the nut of hazel] Maamsapaakapratishedhashcha tadvat. (MiimaamsaSuutra 10.3.65) Killing and eating meat is totally prohibited. Dhenuvachcha ashvadakshinaa. (MS 10.3.65) Like a cow is given (in charity) so also a horse. Suraam matsyaan madhu maamsamaasavam krsaraudanam, Dhuurttaih pravartitam hyetannaitad vedeshu kalpitam. (Mahabharata, ShaantiParvan 265.9) It is only the evil-minded hypocrites who started telling that Vedic Yajnas involve intoxicants and meat eating. It is not in the Vedas. [This comment must have been around the time, far beyond the Bharata Battle and in post-Vedic times, when many customs arrived in the Vedic Heartland, which were totally foreign to its culture] The full AnushaasanaParvan of the Mahaabhaaratam discusses the evils of meat eating: Akhaadannanumodamshcha bhaavadoshena maanavah, Yo�numodati hanyantam so�pi doshena lipyate. (MB, AnushaasanaParvan 115.39) The one who himself doesn�t eat meat but even if he gives his consent to eat meat or to kill an animal, he becomes equally sinful as them. Ijyaayajnashrutikrtairyaa maargairabudho�dhamah, Hanyaajjantuun maamsagrdhnuh sa vai narakabhaangnarah. (MB, AP 115.43) The meateater who kills an animal in the name of Vedic Yajna or tells that it is a requirement of the Yajna is a sinner and he will be a person who will dwell in hell. Aahartaa chaanumantaa cha vishastaa krayavikrayii, Samskartaa chopabhoktaa cha khaadakaah sarva eva te. (MB, AP 115.45) The one who brings an animal to be killed, the one who buys an animal to be killed, the one who sells, buys, cooks and eats the meat are all sinners. Na dadyaadaamisham shraaddhe na chaadyaad dharmatattvavit, Munyannaih, syaatparaa priitiryathaa na pashuhimsayaa. (Bhaagavatam 7.15.7) It is Dharma that in the Shraaddha feast he should never offer meat nor should eat meat. Only vegetarian food must be offered because meat is obtained by killing. [One can understand that in the days of this particular verse, the mainstream Hindus were confronted with people starting to eat meat] Naitaadrshah paro dharmo nrnaam saddharmaamichchhataam, Nyaaso dandasya bhuuteshu manovaakkaayajasya yah. (Bhaagavatam 7.15.8) This is the best Dharma to observe for everyone that one should not hurt other beings even in his thoughts. ManuSmriti or ManavaDharmaShastra Manu strongly admonishes that one should never drink and should never even smell any intoxicant like wine. (MS. 11.146-149) Manu asserts that selling, buying, cooking and eating meat is a sin which is as great as killing an animal itself. (MS 5.15) Gaudii Paishtii cha Maadhvii cha Vijneyaa trividhaa suraa. Yathaivaika tathaa sarvaa na paatavyaa dvijottamaih. (MS 11.94) Yaksharakshah pishaachaannam madyam maamsam suraasavam. Tad braahmena naattavyam devaanaamashnataa havih. (MS 11.95) Brahmans, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas should never drink wine, liquor or intoxicants of any kinds, because intoxicants, wine, liquor and meat of animals are the food of Yakshas, Rakshasas and Pishachas (all kind of non-Vedic people or even demons). So they mustn�t consumed. Naakrtvaa praaninaam himsaam maamsamutpadyate kvachit. Na cha praanivadhah svargyastamaanmaamsam vivarjayet. (MS 5.48) Anumantaa vishasitaa nihantaa krayavikrayii. Samskartaa chopahartaa cha khaadakashchetighaatakaah (MS 5.51) Flesh of animals is obtained only after killing him, which is a sin, and the killer of animals never enters the celestial abode. All those involved in killing, consenting the killing, helping the killing, carrying, selling, buying, cooking and eating the meat of an animal are equally sinful as the killing of that animal. Incorrect view of Hindus (Shraaddha ritual) Annam tu saadhikshiiram goghrtam sharkaraanvitam. (Maasam) priinaati vai sarvaanpitrnityaaha keshavah. (Matsya Purana 17.30) Vegetarian food prepared with pure butter, milk, sugar and curd, etc. are most pleasing to the Pitr. Dvau maasau matsyamaamsaena triinmaasaanhaarine tu. Aurashnenaatha chaturah shaakunenaatha pancha vai. (MP 17.31) Shanmaasam chhaagamaamsena trnyanti pitarastathaa. Sapta paarshatamaamsena tathaashtavenajena tu. (MP 17.32) Dasa maasaamstu trnyanti varaahamahishamishaih. Shashakuurmajamaamsena maasaanekaadeshaiva. (MP 17.33) Samvatsaram tu gavyena payasaa paayasena cha. Rauravena cha trpyanti maasaanpanchadashaiya tu. (MP 17.34) Vaardhranisasya maamsena trptirdvaadashavarshikii. Kaalashaakena chaanantaa khadgamaamsena chaiva hi. (MP 17.35) Verses 31 to 35 describe the acts of cooking and offering of all kinds of meat (fish, gazelle, sheep, special birds, goat, deer, black deer, pig, buffalo, rabbit, turtle, special deer, rhino) to Pitr, which is totally out of place and out of context, and it appears to have been deliberately interpolated. The 36th verse again goes like this: Yatkimchinmadhusammishram gokshiiram ghrtapaayasam, Dattamakshayamityaahuh pitarah puurvadevataah. (MP 17.36) Apart from the cow�s milk, honey and the sweet pudding made of milk and rice and sugar with dry nuts satifies Pitr forever. Interpolation in Aashvalayana GrhyaSutra 5 (Shraaddha) In the end of this chapter there are 45 sutras on Shuulagava which is a ceremony to sacrifice a bull/ox for Shiva to appease him. Everybody familiar with Shiva and Nandinii, knows that that is impossible. If Ashvalayana was a gotra of Vasishtha, as stated in the Sutras, then that is equally impossible, because Vasishtha owned Nandinii, and was famous for his protection of cows. And he was a Shaiva. Note It is very significant that most of the interpolated verses on eating of animal flesh is in relation to the Shraaddha ritual. The rest are in other Samskara ceremonies. The Harivamsha an appendix to the Mahabharata describes in the Giri Utsava Varnana the sacrifice of bulls and buffaloes in the Govardhana worships. One familiar with the Krshna worship does understand the ridiculous statement. In the Paraskara GrhyaSutra one comes across the description of a 6 month old baby who has to be fed with meat in the Annapraashana Samskara ceremony. How disgustful and obviously a horrid interpolation. Source: Swami Prakshananda: The True History and Religion of India 2001, Delhi. Motilal Banarsidass. (additional remarks, changes and new order done by me) Edited by Ishwa (09/20/02 04:15 PM)