Thilak: Namaste Swamiji. I came across one debate between Non-Vegetarians and Vegetarians in a TV channel where Vegetarians couldn’t answer to the questions posed by Non-Vegetarians. I am highlighting the points below requesting you to clarify Point1: 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. c. 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 God d. 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 With sesame seeds and rice and barely and Masha and water and roots and fruits, if given at Shraddhas, the pitris, 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… and it goes.
Point2: RAMA and Krishna are non Vegetarians
Point3: If killing a cow is cruelty then what about the pain felt by cow while milking and what poor farmers has to do by feeding cows which is non-productive and costs nearly 18,000/- per year to feed them
Point4: RAMA was born to Dasarada after doing aswamedha yaga which included sacrificing the horse
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. Several holy granths have been added with false shlokas. In this connection, I paste my following articles which will clarify your doubts about Manusmriti:-
Caste system in Manusmriti
Some shlokas have been added in the Manusmriti which are false. PLEASE READ VISHUDH Manusmriti by Acharya Rajveer Shashtri published by Arsh Sahitya Prachar Trust Delhi. So please read Vishudh Manusmriti and then sure send your comments. YOU WILL never be against this smriti. Manusmriti has been written according to Vedas and thus has important role in our life.
Manu bhagwan was philosopher of Vedas. He could not think against the Vedas. It has been a conclusion of learned that such shlokas have been added afterwards. The following shlok have been added afterwards, from 279 to 285, 412 to 418 (chapter 8), from shlok 11/1 to 43, 11/126 to 138, have been added afterwards. So the shlokas are false. As regards shlok 9/151, please study from shlok 138 to 151 then please send your question. All above are false and have been added afterwards.
. How do we know that only 10,000 verses of the Mahabharata are the real?
There is a statement by King Bhoj in his book “Sanjeevini” about which Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati too states:
“Vyasji wrote 4400 shlokas of mahabharat to which another 5,600 authentic shlokas were added by the disciples of Vyasji. During the reign of Maharaja Vikramaditya another 20,000 shlokas were added. Further Maharaja Bhoj says that during the reign of his father 25,000 and during half of his life time 30,000 more shlokas have been added to the Mahabharat book. If this process of addition of shlokas continues then the time is not far when Mahabharat book would have to be compared to the burden loaded on a camel.”
There have been false additions to Mahabharat epic from time to time. Regarding this Kashinath Rajvade writes:
“The present Mahabharat is a corrupt and enlarged edition of the ancient Mahabharat. This ancient work has been diluted from time to time with all sorts of additions and has grown in proportion on that account.”
However, it is a deep research of the learned persons, which is logically also true, that Vyas Muni only wrote ten thousand shlokas of Mahabharat. Now Mahabharat contains more than one lakh twenty thousand shlokas i.e., one lakh ten thousand shlokas have been added afterwards by some foolish.
I also paste my article on Non-vegetarianism.
Vegetarians
Vegetarians and non-vegetarians are two categories. Accordingly the construction of body i.e., teeth, small intestine and large intestine, and digestive system has been made by God.
Human beings come in vegetarian category. Our teeth and digestive system always differ from cat, dog, lion etc. Some animals like cow, buffalo, goat, elephant etc., also come in Vegetarian category. We take water by sipping but the animals who are non-vegetarian i.e., meat eater they do not sip but lick. Whatever we eat, that food develops our mind and body and creates natural behaviour. For example if we take a cub who is newly born and nurse him by giving milk and thereafter vegetarian food only and on the other hand to another cub we provide him meat, then when they will be younger their habit will differ. The cub taking vegetarian food will be as violent as the cub who took meat.
Now medical science also says that the energy in vegetarian food is more than that in non-vegetarian food. Vegetarian food gives long and ill free life. Vegetarian elephant is stronger than non-vegetarian lion.
Nobody can take meat until one gives violence to animals or birds etc., which is a sin. Our stomach becomes a graveyard where we gather meat by eating. As regards life in vegetarians it does not harm to them while plucking from plants etc. because every vegetarian plant has short life and is meant to give food to the human life. But to us meat is not entitled. Science has recently told that non-vegetarians are more susceptible to cancer disease and teeth degeneration as compared to vegetarians.
Non-vegetarian food is prohibited as per Vedas, shastras, Upnishads and all the ancient holy books. In vegetarian food an ocean of calories and vitamins is available by the mercy of God. Please check from a dietician about the same. Because it is lengthy one and I cannot explain here. For example dal, is full of proteins, soybean has more protein than any non-vegetarian food, which has ability to inhibit cancer also where as non-vegetarian doesnot. Green vegetables like palak, methi, etc., are the richest source of iron and vitamin A. So is the case of milk, curd, rice, fruit, etc., -etc.
Therefore, whatever the shlokas have been quoted by you of Manusmriti are all false. I mean to say the said shlokas have not been written by Manu Bhagwan in his Manusmriti. Manu was a philosopher of Vedas and when Vedas prohibit non-vegetarian food , then how could Manu write in favour of consumption of non-vegetarian food.
Because Vedas do not state about performing of shraadh then shraadh is not authentic task being against Vedas, then how could Bheeshma Pitamah suggest the same to Yudhisthir. Shloka of Mahabhrat quoted by you is thus false one as briefed above. I am trying to write songs on non-vegetarian food and would sing it. It would take further two months to prepare CD. Simultaneously, I am trying to write a book regarding non-consumption of non-vegetarian food. It may take further four months. You may demand CD and book accordingly, if you desire.
(ii.) No doubt, Sri Ram and Sri Krishna Maharaj both were Yogeshwars, thus formless, Almighty God manifested in their bodies. Both dignitaries were equivalent to God but not God. They both attained Samadhi. Had they been non-vegetarians, the said invaluable title could not be given by God to them.
(iii.) What is your opinion about the human mother when she feeds her milk to newly born baby. I mean to say whether she feels pain or satisfaction/pleasure. So, is with every living being’s mother. As regards milking, the milkman is authorized by God Himself in Vedas to take out milk from Cow. That is why; he nurses cows also, as per Vedas teachings. Otherwise, what would be the charm of nursing the cow and in such process of milking the cow, cow never feels pain otherwise she would never allow herself to be milched. On the contrary, Cow feels satisfied. If the Cow is not milched timely, she starts making loud noises indicating milch her. You may say that she cries for her calf but several incidents are seen where calf is dead at the time of delivery yet the cow ask to be milched. Secondly, when calf grows into bull and does not takes milk from cow, yet cow makes loud noise and asks the milkman to milch her at proper time. Humanity never demands violence. You see, if there is a lady who is barren then whether she also should be driven away from, the house or killed. Answer is never, never and never. In Vedas, cow has been awarded with the title of “Vishwasya matra” i.e., mother of entire world. So, such Cow should be nursed properly till her natural death which is called a pious deed in Vedas.
(iv.) In this connection, I paste my article below. After studying the article, you may still send query again, if any.
Ashwamedh Yajyen
The meaning of Ashwamedh Yaj is, “to perform the Yaj for the benefit of the nation”. Here the literal meaning of Ashwa in Vedas is nation and not horse. Rigveda mantra 5/27/5 states that the person who wishes to obtain chakravarti rajya (to be monarch), he organizes Ashwamedh Yaj. In the Yaj he listens the Vedic mantra and does the Yajyen by controlling his senses, organs and mind. Rigveda mantra 5/27/6 states that king and his public must organize Ashwamedh Yaj i.e., to build a long living, strong kingdom. In this way king must depute learned acharya of Vedas to spread the knowledge of Vedas all over the nation, so that the people must be learned to be away from illusion and sins and must obey the rules and regulations etc., etc.
Ideally, the king must himself organize number of Yaj wherein he must sit to listen the Vedas, especially the subject, “how to rule”, so that a strong, happy, rich and long living nation is built. So Ashwamedh means nation. Ashwamedh Yaj is performed by a strong king. The main benefit of the Yajyen is that it gives long life to the entire nation. A horse also is prepared as a part of Yajyen (if done by the king) and is set to roam free. It shows the power of the king who has to protect the Ashwa, the horse. To challenge rule of a king one has to hold the horse.
In the Ashwamedh Yaj special Ved mantras are chanted in the Yaj and aahutis are offered. In the Ved mantras the prayer is done from the core of heart, that in the nation Brahmin, Kshatriye, Vaishya and Shudra are born to protect the nation well. Cows, bullocks, horses and strong charactered ladies, girls are born. Pious desires are fulfilled, timely rains occur, the public enjoy long happy life. So the Ashwamedh Yaj is specially organised by a strong king for the benefit of the public. Mantras offered in Ashwamedh Yajyen will bring peace to the nation. So horse is never slaughtered in Yajyen. In fact violence of any kind of violence is prohibited in Yajyen.
There are several names of Yajyen in which one name is “Adhwaraha” meaning thereof Yajyen which is performed totally based on non-violence . For example Atharvaveda mantra 5/27/9 states “NAHA ADHWARAM URDHAWAM” . In this mantra there is a prayer to God that Oh! God make our lives to perform violence-free Yajyen. So neither the slaughter of horse nor any living being is permitted in Yajyen or in Vedic culture.
