Vegetarianism and meateating in 8 religions hinduism today. Those from the hindu right who oppose beefeating ignore the practices of their own ancestors. Rigveda, manusmiriti sanction beefeating, the milli. The ancient and medieval hindu texts recommend ahimsanonviolence against all life forms including animals because they believe that it minimizes animal deaths. Mar 11, 2019 it is said mahatma gandhi became a vegetarian because he felt cows were illtreated. At the same time this book also manages to incite your curiosity. This also shows that the project to transform hinduism into vedism failed in many ways.
Hindus, please stop consuming milk products too and end the hypocrisy. July, 20 a buddhists analysis of meat and beef eating in ancient india by shravasti dhammika from to eat or not to eat meat, a buddhist reflections. Jhas research on the prevalence of beefeating practices in ancient india, shattering the perception of sanctity that has been associated with the cow in india. Such is the respect for the cow, notes scholar jeaneane fowler in her book on hinduism, that indians had offered to take in millions of cows waiting for slaughter in britain as a result of the crisis in beef production in 1996.
The tirukural, a 2,200yearold masterpiece of ethics, states, when a man realizes that meat is the butchered flesh of another creature, he will abstain from eating it 257. This rule was made in hinduism when no other religion conquered india with sword in hands. Modern hindus forbidden from eating beef but ancient. Here are some verses from hindu scriptures that seem to support beef eating. In fact, it also manages to give you an peek of ancient hindu and buddhist religious practices. Heres the unpalatable truth about beef and hinduism the present controversy around beef eating, accompanied by violent objection and equally aggressive support, is engineered by. While cow veneration and vegetarianism may be the hallmarks of hinduism today, jha compiles copious. My friend said that it is allowed for hindus so i want to know and please give me refference also. Nonethnic hindus, or hindus by choice, often retain the dietary customs of their home country, so many american hindus eat beef as their parents did before them. You will be surprised to know that according to ancient hindu rites and rituals, a man cannot be a good hindu who does not eat beef. Dec 21, 2015 is beef eating by hindus justified simply because the vedic people were eating meat or beef as claimed by some. An urban educated hindu who happened to have eaten beef can undergo shuddhi rituals and try to upgrade oneself into a sincere practitioner of the necessary mandates of dharma.
The ancient and medieval hindu text recommend ahimsa nonviolence against all life forms including animals because they believe that it minimizes animal deaths. Also, comments of some great scholars of hinduism are also worth noting. But this fact cannot be regarded as evidence that beefeating was condemned in the rigvedic period. Singling out beef as some kind of special variety is simply inconsistent and more commonly pushed by iskcon leading one to be confused on their stance on other kinds of meat. Hindus are not allowed to eat beef because the cow is considered as the most sacred animal.
It is said mahatma gandhi became a vegetarian because he felt cows were illtreated. The myth of the holy cow by dn jha books the guardian. Jul 06, 2007 beef eating was also thought to stimulate sexual passion, so eating beef was advised for those wishing to conceive children. Featurefeaturefeaturefeature vegetarianism and meat eating in 8 religions while religions around the world share a quest for spirituality, they vary in their perception that respecting all forms of life is integral to that quest. If ahimsa is the reason for not eating beef, then one should not eat any other forms of meat either. Manu samhita is widely recognized as law book for hinduism. Beef eating in ancient india beef was widely eaten in. If you know the answer to this question, please register to join our limited beta program and start the. When a man who is properly engaged in a ritual does not eat meat, after his death he will become a sacrificial animal. As a person born in a hindu family i have been raised since childhood with the teaching that eating beef is not allowed in hinduism. The practice of eating or not eating beef among hindus may have more to do with the established culture of the region. October 28, 2010 proofs that beef was eaten by ancient hindus and is eaten by many hindus today.
Many cultures forbid the killing and eating of a community totem, or a pet write for toi blogs interested in blogging for. When jhas book was first published, leaders from the ruling bharatiya janata party and the vishwa hindu parishad had called for it to be burned publicly. Is the adoption of vegetarianism within hinduism a later feature caused by the influence of buddhism. Meateating is strictly prohibited in jainism, whereas it is conditionally allowed in hinduism and buddhism. Why hindus stopped eating beef and began to worship cows. Doc beef eating in the hindu tradition rohini bakshi. November 9, 2010 one mans beef one mans beef pankaj mishra finds the roots of postpartition conflict in dn jhas account of indias sacred cows, the myth of the holy cow. The book the history and culture of the indian people published by bharatiya vidya bhavan, bombay and edited by renowned historian r c majumdar vol 2,page 18 says. Hindu ethics are focused on promoting vegetarianism and respect for lives of animals. The book also says you should eat as many kinds of fish as available. However i will be interested to read the part in script where is specify eating meat or beef.
Hinduism and its complicated history with cows and people. So just not eating beef doesnt help the holy mother. This new navayana edition features an excerpt from dr b. Consider the following statements from the primary hindu book of law. I would like to know from the members here in this forum, why is eating beef prohibited in hinduism.
Modern hindus forbidden from eating beef but ancient hindus. This book is a bonafide research report on the history of beef eating in hindu culture. Many hindus consider all life sacred and follow the principles of nonviolence towards animals, which is why some of them refrain from eating the flesh of animals. Oct 10, 2015 there is no cow slaughter or beef eating in vedas or any classical hindu scriptures. Jul 16, 2017 hinduism and its complicated history with cows and people who eat them. Meat eating in hinduism and buddhism hindu website. I do not have current access to the comprehensive list of rebuttals. There are clear evidences in the rig veda, the most sacred hindu scripture, that the cow used to be sacrificed by hindus for religious purposes. Even the dwaita hindu ideology is an influence of islam.
There is no cow slaughter or beef eating in vedas or any. Book excerpt read what ambedkar wrote on why brahmins started worshipping the cow and gave up eating beef it was a strategy, wrote the father of. Adultery is not allowed for both males and females. Hinduism and its complicated history with cows and people who eat them. Hindu scriptures allowed the eating of meat manusmriti chapter 5 verse 30 says, it is not sinful to eat meat of eatable animals, for brahma has created both the eaters and the eatables.
Eating of meat and beef in the hindu tradition the hindu. Heres the unpalatable truth about beef and hinduism the present controversy around beef eating, accompanied by violent objection and equally aggressive support, is engineered by extremist. Meat can never be obtained without injury to living creatures, and injury to sentient beings is detrimental to the attainment of heavenly bliss. That is why for those who are addicted to meat eating, meat eating is allowed under. In kaula jnana nirnaya by matsyendranath, it is said that gomamsa beef is one of the best daily food to consume.
I have provided quotes which indicate meateating and those that prohibit it. Hinduism has attached itself to vegetarianism for thousands of years. Meat eating is strictly prohibited in jainism, whereas it is conditionally allowed in hinduism and buddhism. Book excerpt read what ambedkar wrote on why brahmins started worshipping the cow and gave up eating beef it was a strategy, wrote the father of indian constitution, to vanquish buddhism. There is no cow slaughter or beef eating in vedas or any classical hindu scriptures. Jul 12, 2002 the myth of the holy cow by dn jha 183pp, verso. However, animal sacrifice is practiced in hinduism. Does the vedic literature directly recommend vegetarianism. Rigveda, manusmiriti sanction beefeating, the milli gazette. May 27, 2012 for first time on youtube, the video that shocked all beeflovers into silence. Since it is a very sensitive subject, i would like to be factual. Shortly before he died, at the age of 101, the anglobengali scholar and polemicist nirad chaudhuri received the leader of the hindu. This article was originally published in hindu voice uk in september 2006. It does not have an unquestionable holy book, a prophet or a founder.
First let us understand from where this concept of hindus being vegetarians came from and then ill discuss the holy books references. Gandhi in his hindu dharma writes about a sentence in our sanskrit text book to the effect that brahmins. A comparative study, however, says that the cow used to be slaughtered by the ancient hindus for beef as well as sacrifice. Nov 29, 20 go and study ur holy book u converted cheaters. A by mid2014 i had formed aa conclusivea view on this matter, summarised in the following statements. Buddhist texts also lay down rules for meat eating by the monks. I started this website in 2011 to compile and assessa the evidence for or against beef eating in ancient india. Mahabharata is a veritable compendium of of traditional dharma. Those from the hindu right who oppose beefeating ignore.
While many hindus do not eat beef and prefer to view the cow as highly regarded, hindus do not worship the cow as a holy entity. In all three religions, the rules regarding meat eating are established according to their beliefs regarding karma and virtue such as nonviolence and compassion. This is not just a story of beef eating in india, but also that of the changing nature of a culture. It then follows that it comes down to being a meat eater or not. It is interesting that there has been a cultural shift from matsyendranaths time and now on how some hindus think beef eating is not allowed. Dec 11, 20 as a person born in a hindu family i have been raised since childhood with the teaching that eating beef is not allowed in hinduism.
The myth of beefeating hindu in kerala and northeastern parts of india is such an illinformed, cunning promotion that can only help the subversive global powers. Heres the unpalatable truth about beef and hinduism. Why maths teacher call for a thief 420 420 give reason. Dear concerned, whether hindus are permitted to eat meat or not is an age old question. The mail detailed quotes from the mahabharata and the upanishads that people, even rishis wee eating beef ding the sanatana dhama period. Dec 25, 20 the practice of eating or not eating beef among hindus may have more to do with the established culture of the region. Famously, gandhi attempted to make vegetarianism, particularly the taboo against eating beef, a central tenet of hinduism. Many hindus follow a vegetarian or lactovegetarian diet that are in sync with nature, compassionate, respectful of other life forms diet of nonvegetarian. Ambedkars 1948 work on the connections between untouchability and beefeating. David frawleys many books are perhaps the best literature explaining hindu dharma and its various branches of wisdom in the english language. Hunting was a royal pastime, in which both men and women participated.
What do the hindu holy books say about eating meat. Today, trying to enforce a ban, legal or otherwise to limit food. Why hindus stopped eating beef and began to worship cows the aggressive projection of hindu identity has significantly influenced politics in india during the 20th century. The aryans gave hinduism its priestly language, sanskrit. A gryhasutra recommends that beef be eaten by the mourners after a funeral ceremony as a ritual rite of passage. Hindu law books prescribe rules for meat eating for the four castes and specify which type of meat is allowed for human consumption and under what circumstances. When a man who is properly engaged in a ritual does not eat meat, after his death he will become a. Beef eating is not as alien to the hindu tradition as is imagined. The veda is a rather unusual collection of literature. The do not eat beef dictate of hinduism is impractical. Manusmriti chapter 5 verse 30 says, it is not sinful to eat meat of eatable animals, for brahma has created both the eaters and the eatables. Jul 21, 2011 why beef eating is prohibited in hinduism.
The book has been exposed as being based off extremely faulty translations from the sanskrit. Not just beef, eating any kind of meat is by default prohibited in hinduism. In contrast, according to marvin harris, the vedic literature is contradictory, with some suggesting ritual slaughter and meat consumption, while others suggesting a taboo on meat eating. By the 19th century, the cowprotection movement had arisen. My view is that it looks that people were eating meat during the vedic period. So why is that hindus today are not allowed to eat beef. Diet in hinduism varies with its diverse traditions.
Ambedkar marshals evidence to argue that in the vedic period, for the brahmin every day was a beefsteak day. Why are hindus not allowed to eat beef when scriptures seem to indicate otherwise. Answerfirst question, are there references to eating meat in the vedic literature. Poignant scriptural citations counsel against eating meat. What do hindu scriptures actually say about beef consumption. One of the implicit objects of this movement was the oppression of muslims. Read what ambedkar wrote on why brahmins started worshipping. Heres what vedas say on killing cows the problem lies with the inability to interpret the ancient texts in the correct sense. Premarital sex is not allowed for both males and females. The cow has long been considered a symbol of the religion of hinduism, and therefore of holiness, in india. One may also question that as yajnas were rituals, one cant say that the consumption of the flesh of cow and other milch animals was a common practice among the people in vedic india. Killing a cow is also not allowed as it is considered as one of the biggest sins. Be an expert in less than 20 minutes a short research film by agniveer breaking the myth of vedas endorsing.
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