Why do Hindus eat chicken/ fish but not other meat?

[ronki23]

I was under the assumption that Hindus do not eat beef because

a) Cows ploughed fields
b) Cows provided milk that all animals can drink
c) Krishna was Govinda
d) Cow gestation periods are 9 months, like humans

But I was under the assumption we do not eat: snake because of Shiva, elephant because of Ganesha, monkey because of Hanuman,lion/tiger because of Durga, and crocodile because of Makara.

But chicken is eaten by everyone in India, Hindus too

And in Nepal they eat Buffalo/ in the seven sisters they sacrifice goats even though I read vedic scriptures prohibit animal sacrifice. You say it's 'easier' to sacrifice rice and grains and less costly but nowadays everyone can afford these things (in the Western world and by over 100 million Indians)

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

I think this comes back to not applying a one size fits all ideal to all Hindus. Avoiding meats (both what kind and how often) is completely up to the individual/region/tradition. Things like vrats and avoiding foods are designed to keep the dvotee mindul .It's a tool. And like other tools, if it's not useful to you, there's no reason to force yourself to try to use it.

I have also heard of Hindus to strictly avoid alcohol yet I have met many who enjoy wine.

It may also come down to pure psychology. Cows - with their big doey eyes and gentle demeanor - are easier to sympathize with than chickens. That's just a guess on my part though.

 

[Valjean]

Hinduism's not a homogenous religion. It doesn't have any official credo, doctrine, dogma or commandments. There are no hard and fast rules. It's more like a loose alliance of widely varying beliefs and cultural traditions.
Degrees of vegetarianism and ahimsa vary.

 

[SomeRandom]

Choice?
My mother avoids beef, her friends avoid lamb or pork. I eat any edible meat I can easily obtain. I've even chowed down on a kangaroo more than once. Never knew it was like a rule in Hinduism to avoid eating anything, really.

 

[ronki23]

Hinduism's not a homogenous religion. It doesn't have any official credo, doctrine, dogma or commandments. There are no hard and fast rules. It's more like a loose alliance of widely varying beliefs and cultural traditions.
Degrees of vegetarianism and ahimsa vary.

Don't fully agree with that. Simply because Sikhism says 'God is neither Hindu nor Muslim' and Sikhs say they are not Hindus; if Hinduism has no doctrine then why do Jains and Buddhists also deny they are Hindu?

Same as Shirdi Sai Baba who I believe was actually a Muslim; how can there be no 'official' Hinduism if Shirdi Sai Baba preached to both Hindus and Muslims

And India was created so that the Hindus rule a Hindu country; if there was no official definition of Hindu then why did Pakistan separate from India?

As far as I know Hindus are either Sanatan Dharma or Arya Samaj and Vishnuvaites and Shaiivaites are branches of Sanathan Dharma.

There also must be a reason many Hindu temples do not allow egg in their offerings / strict Hindus do not eat root vegetables yet animal sacrifices including buffalos were made

 

[Treks]

...Simply because Sikhism says 'God is neither Hindu nor Muslim'...

Really? Where?

 

[Valjean]

"A Hindu is anyone who does not object to being called a Hindu."

 

[तत्त्वप्रह्व]

I was under the assumption that Hindus do not eat beef because

a) Cows ploughed fields
b) Cows provided milk that all animals can drink
c) Krishna was Govinda
d) Cow gestation periods are 9 months, like humans

But I was under the assumption we do not eat: snake because of Shiva, elephant because of Ganesha, monkey because of Hanuman,lion/tiger because of Durga, and crocodile because of Makara.

But chicken is eaten by everyone in India, Hindus too

And in Nepal they eat Buffalo/ in the seven sisters they sacrifice goats even though I read vedic scriptures prohibit animal sacrifice. You say it's 'easier' to sacrifice rice and grains and less costly but nowadays everyone can afford these things (in the Western world and by over 100 million Indians)

In the ancient Vaidika period, yajñās were conducted for various reasons, and a literal reading tends to give an impression that there was a sanction for sacrificing animals mostly goats and even bulls and horses in some cases. However, the ancient wisdom, in practice was totally different. The later periods saw the rise of literalists where kṣatriyas (more often) and vaiśyas could sacrifice animals and were allowed to consume as yajñaśiṣṭa, though the brāhmaṇas were allowed acceptance as prasāda only by smell. This ritualistic, literalist tradition was quite popular for sometime before it faced strong opposition from both within the vaidika tradition as well as others like jaina and bauddha. Over the years, once again the literalist tradition gradually disappeared coinciding with great amount of socio-political turmoil in India, yet even as late as the 13 century there were efforts to de-emphasize animal sacrifices. But there emerged a general consensus amongst the vaidika paṇḍitas about there being no mandate on the necessity of animal sacrifices. The debate in current times is owing largely to Indian mindset corrupted by western Indologists' translations of the vedas and brāhmaṇas that portray the vaidika rituals as predominantly animal sacrifice oriented. Both non-vegetarianism and consumption of alcohol was forbidden only for the brāhmaṇas, however. And as was the general practice, it was common to offer to yajña or iṣṭa devata whatever one consumed, which is what led to the popularity of the ritualistic, literalist tradition. In any case, slaughter/ill-treatment/consumption of cow was forbidden for all. From a purely social perspective, cows during the time, were central to the functioning of the entire civilization. Association of animals as vāhanas of various deities had nothing to do with abstaining from consuming its flesh, for you will (going by literal translations) find instances where consumption of bull (Nandi of Śiva) is indicated, nay cherished.

But it is really pointless to enforce vegetarianism, even if only on Hindus, for popular hinduism is a melting pot of several ideas and concepts and has come to be something where every hindu has her/his own conception about it.

श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु ।

 

[ronki23]

Really? Where?

I see you're not into Sikhism anymore. Anyway, here is the quote

One day Nanak went to bathe in a river, accompanied by a friend. Nanak mysteriously disappeared, and his frantic friend, after several attempts to rescue him, returned to Sultanpur with the dreadful news and the clothes Nanak had left on the bank. Three days later, however, Nanak reappeared. He emerged from the water and his first words were: “There is neither Hindu nor Muslim.” He went on to articulate that God was neither Hindu nor Muslim and so he, Nanak, would choose to follow God’s path.

 

[ronki23]

In the ancient Vaidika period, yajñās were conducted for various reasons, and a literal reading tends to give an impression that there was a sanction for sacrificing animals mostly goats and even bulls and horses in some cases. However, the ancient wisdom, in practice was totally different. The later periods saw the rise of literalists where kṣatriyas (more often) and vaiśyas could sacrifice animals and were allowed to consume as yajñaśiṣṭa, though the brāhmaṇas were allowed acceptance as prasāda only by smell. This ritualistic, literalist tradition was quite popular for sometime before it faced strong opposition from both within the vaidika tradition as well as others like jaina and bauddha. Over the years, once again the literalist tradition gradually disappeared coinciding with great amount of socio-political turmoil in India, yet even as late as the 13 century there were efforts to de-emphasize animal sacrifices. But there emerged a general consensus amongst the vaidika paṇḍitas about there being no mandate on the necessity of animal sacrifices. The debate in current times is owing largely to Indian mindset corrupted by western Indologists' translations of the vedas and brāhmaṇas that portray the vaidika rituals as predominantly animal sacrifice oriented. Both non-vegetarianism and consumption of alcohol was forbidden only for the brāhmaṇas, however. And as was the general practice, it was common to offer to yajña or iṣṭa devata whatever one consumed, which is what led to the popularity of the ritualistic, literalist tradition. In any case, slaughter/ill-treatment/consumption of cow was forbidden for all. From a purely social perspective, cows during the time, were central to the functioning of the entire civilization. Association of animals as vāhanas of various deities had nothing to do with abstaining from consuming its flesh, for you will (going by literal translations) find instances where consumption of bull (Nandi of Śiva) is indicated, nay cherished.

But it is really pointless to enforce vegetarianism, even if only on Hindus, for popular hinduism is a melting pot of several ideas and concepts and has come to be something where every hindu has her/his own conception about it.

श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु ।

Here is a excerpt from wikipedia

The Yajurveda is considered the Veda of sacrifices and rituals,[22][23] and consists of a number of animal sacrifices, such as mantras and procedures for the sacrifices of a white goat to Vayu,[24] a calf to Sarasvati, a speckled ox to Savitr, a bull to Indra, a castrated ox to Varuna and so on.[25] In some cases the sacrifice of a goat to Agni and Soma was replaced by Nirudha Pashu-Bandha. This form of sacrifice is described in the Aitareya Brahmana and the Rig-Vedic Brahmanas. The rite was performed by a man yearly or half-yearly before he ate meat. The goat was sacrificed to either Indra, Agni, Varuna or Prajapati while a Maitravaruna priest gave directions to a Hotṛ priest to recite the verses. The sacrificial goat had to be completely healthy and free of any disabilities.[26] The animal sacrifices often required a large number of sacrifices and high costs, which virtually ensured they could only be performed by the royal families and the nobility.[27] These rituals didn't focus on the killing of the animal but as a symbol to the powers it was sacrificed.[28] In the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna tells people not to perform animal sacrifices although he says he will still accept the sacrifice since he resides in the soul of the sacrificial animal. Animal sacrifices are forbidden by the Bhagavata Purana in the Kaliyuga, the present age.[29] The Brahma Vaivarta Purana describes animal sacrifices as kali-varjya or prohibited in the Kaliyuga.[30] The Adi Purana, Brihan-naradiya Purana and Aditya Purana also forbid animal sacrifice in Kaliyuga.[31]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_sacrifice_in_Hinduism#cite_note-31

It says many Hindus to this day still do it. But Hinduism is defined by following the Vedas so it is appropriate to say the only those which follow the Vedas are Hindus (whether they be Sanatan Dharma or Arya Samaj)

Hindu philosophy is traditionally divided into six āstika (Sanskrit: आस्तिक "orthodox") schools of thought,[22] or darśanam (दर्शनम्, "view"), which accept the Vedas as the supreme revealed scriptures. The schools are:

1. Samkhya, an atheistic and strongly dualist theoretical exposition of consciousness and matter.
2. Yoga, a school emphasizing meditation, contemplation and liberation.
3. Nyaya or logic, explores sources of knowledge. Nyāya Sūtras.
4. Vaisheshika, an empiricist school of atomism
5. Mimāṃsā, an anti-ascetic and anti-mysticist school of orthopraxy
6. Vedanta, the last segment of knowledge in the Vedas, or the 'Jnan' (knowledge) 'Kanda' (section).

The nāstika schools are (in chronological order):

1. Cārvāka
2. Jainism
3. Ājīvika
4. Buddhism
5. Sikhism

 

[kalyan]

Vegetarianism is the essence of vaidika dharma............Sri Krushna clearly says in Bhagawadgita that one should eat only 'annam' ..The food that comes from the earth is only valid food......animals does not get born from earth and hence meat is strictly prohibited......the ones supporting the consumption of meat as part of sanatana dharma are confused lot!

A lot of emphasis is put on food in our upanishads and BG, Refer chandogya upanishad on how the food intake affects the manas(mind) ,everything starts from food, tamasic foods like meat and rajasic foods like onions and garlic are prohibited and only sattwika foods are allowed / rather suggested for a person who wants to get rellieved from cycles of birth and death.

 

[Treks]

I see you're not into Sikhism anymore. Anyway, here is the quote

I am not into the religion, but the philosophy still interests me greatly.

I am familiar with that sakhi, but I've never seen the tail end re. God being neither Hindu or Muslim. It stops at "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim." That is the important bit.

Anyway.. *quietly bows out of the Hindu DIR* ... if you want to continue discussions, you know where to find me.

 

[SomeRandom]

Here is a excerpt from wikipedia


It says many Hindus to this day still do it. But Hinduism is defined by following the Vedas so it is appropriate to say the only those which follow the Vedas are Hindus (whether they be Sanatan Dharma or Arya Samaj)

Speaking as a born Hindu, Hinduism is defined by the central concept of Dharma. And even that is a rather loosely defined word. There is no conversion (maybe in a few particular disciplines) there is no real apostasy. If you call yourself Hindu/Santana Dharma, then you are Hindu. If you don't, then you're not. That's pretty much it.

 

[ratikala]

namaskaram Ronki ji

I was under the assumption that Hindus do not eat beef because

a) Cows ploughed fields
b) Cows provided milk that all animals can drink
c) Krishna was Govinda
d) Cow gestation periods are 9 months, like humans

please excuse me for seeming pedantic , ...but Krsna IS Govinda , ......''Never was there a time when
I did not exist , nor you , nor all these kings ; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be .'' BG v ..2 ch ..12

1, .....how could we displease him by killing Gomata ?

2, ....all gods reside in Gomata so she is considered the most worshipfull Deity
3, .... Sanatana Dharma is supported by four pillars these are likened to the legs of the Dharma Bull

in Srimad Bhagavatam (Arjuna's grandson) Maharaja Pariksit said , .......

'' In the age of Satya your four legs were established by the four principles of austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness. But it appears that three of your legs are broken due to rampant irreligion in the form of pride, lust for women, and intoxication. You are now standing on one leg only, which is your truthfulness, and you are somehow or other hobbling along. But ... [Kali], flourishing by deceit, is also trying to destroy that leg.''

''Mahārāja Parīkṣit, thus being petitioned by the personality of Kali, gave him permission to reside in places where gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter were performed. The personality of Kali asked for something more, and because of his begging, the King gave him permission to live where there is gold because wherever there is gold there is also falsity, intoxication, lust, envy and enmity. Thus the personality of Kali, by the directions of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the son of Uttarā, was allowed to live in those five places. Therefore, whoever desires progressive well-being, especially kings, religionists, public leaders, brāhmaṇas and sannyāsīs, should never come in contact with the four above-mentioned irreligious principles. Thereafter the King reestablished the lost legs of the personality of religion [the bull], and by encouraging activities he sufficiently improved the condition of the earth.''

please note here it is plainly said , ....

''Therefore, whoever desires progressive well-being, especially kings, religionists, public leaders, brāhmaṇas and sannyāsīs, should never come in contact with the four above-mentioned irreligious principles. ...........gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter .

But I was under the assumption we do not eat: snake because of Shiva, elephant because of Ganesha, monkey because of Hanuman,lion/tiger because of Durga, and crocodile because of Makara.

But chicken is eaten by everyone in India, Hindus too

to my mind we do not eat any animal for simple reason all animals paramatma residing within ,

4, ....lord resides in the heart of all animals , ..

"I am seated in everyone's heart , and from Me come remembrance , knowledge and forgetfulness . By all the Vedas , I am to be known . Indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta , and I am the knower of the Vedas ."
BG v ..15 ch ..15

And in Nepal they eat Buffalo/ in the seven sisters they sacrifice goats even though I read vedic scriptures prohibit animal sacrifice. You say it's 'easier' to sacrifice rice and grains and less costly but nowadays everyone can afford these things (in the Western world and by over 100 million Indians)

this is the efects of Kali yuga , .....all that remains is satyam , truth , ......but only a small percentage even of Hindus now recognise this truth , ....refering back to the words of Maharaja Pariksit , ......
''......Therefore, whoever desires progressive well-being, especially kings, religionists, public leaders, brāhmaṇas and sannyāsīs, should never come in contact with the four above-mentioned irreligious principles. Thereafter the King reestablished the lost legs of the personality of religion [the bull], and by encouraging activities he sufficiently improved the condition of the earth.''
therefore those who wish to call them selves Sanatana Dharmi or Vaisnava , ...should become aware of the true principles of Sanatana Dharma which means keeping all principles of ...and in their hearts the dharma bull still stands on four legs , austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness....These devotees do not live in Kali yuga .

therefore to me it is not about the financial cost of sacrifices or any such thing it is that

austerity , means forgoing attatchment to taste , even to tradition , it means non attatchment to sence gratification , ...and non attatchment to ritual sacrifice , ...
cleanliness , in this instance means not embibing unclean substances like the flesh of a dead animal , ....
mercy , means having respect for all life , treating all animal life as sacred , ....
truthfulness , in this instance means being true to the principles , recognising and respecting the words of Sri Bhagavan , ...''I am seated in everyone's heart'' .....this means not just in the heart of the Cow , but in the heart of the Chicken , the Goat the Snake or the Fish , ....

so to me if one thinks to Identify with Sanatana Dharma one must follow all these principles not just select what suits ones Cultural lifestyle , ....

 

[ratikala]

nanaskaram ji

Speaking as a born Hindu, Hinduism is defined by the central concept of Dharma. And even that is a rather loosely defined word. There is no conversion (maybe in a few particular disciplines) there is no real apostasy. If you call yourself Hindu/Santana Dharma, then you are Hindu. If you don't, then you're not. That's pretty much it.

I think it is fair to say one can be Culturaly Hindu , which in many cases means following some principles which are not in line with Sanatana Dharma , ...so in this instance the two identifying titles are not interchangable , ....a Cultural Hindu doeas not become Sanatana Dharmi unless he follows the principles of Sanatana Dharma , these are the eternal religious principles which support Dharma , ...in this age of Kali these principles have been forgoten and the poor Dharma bull stands unsteadily on one leg , ....that means truth is stll existant but the three other principles that support Dharma are sadly lacking , true Sanatana Dharmi Must keep all four principles , ....

the principle of mercy must mean that true Sanatana Dharmi must dedicate himself fully to the seva of Sri Bhagavan and try by all means to foster this respect in all Hindus , ...

So I am begging you and any meat eating Hindu , please regardless of your family tradition , regardless of which branch of Hinduism you belong to by birth ar by choice , ...please give up this habit of meat eating , ...please give up this attatchment to taste or to tradition , ....please give up Kaliyuga mentality , ....
the mistake often made is to think that this plea is condecending and that the Vaisnava sounds pompous and aloof , ...this is most furthest from the truth , the true Vaisnava does this only out of love for Visnu , ...
it is not self rightiousness on our part that calls another ''Unclean'', ....it is just our beleiving it to be an aparAdha , an offence against Visnu who resides in the heart of al beings , .....

 

[ratikala]

nanaskaram ji

Speaking as a born Hindu, Hinduism is defined by the central concept of Dharma. And even that is a rather loosely defined word. There is no conversion (maybe in a few particular disciplines) there is no real apostasy. If you call yourself Hindu/Santana Dharma, then you are Hindu. If you don't, then you're not. That's pretty much it.

I think it is fair to say one can be Culturaly Hindu , which in many cases means following some principles which are not in line with Sanatana Dharma , ...so in this instance the two identifying titles are not interchangable , ....a Cultural Hindu doeas not become Sanatana Dharmi unless he follows the principles of Sanatana Dharma , these are the eternal religious principles which support Dharma , ...in this age of Kali these principles have been forgoten and the poor Dharma bull stands unsteadily on one leg , ....that means truth is stll existant but the three other principles that support Dharma are sadly lacking , true Sanatana Dharmi Must keep all four principles , ....

the principle of mercy must mean that true Sanatana Dharmi must dedicate himself fully to the seva of Sri Bhagavan and try by all means to foster this respect in all Hindus , ...

So I am begging you and any meat eating Hindu , please regardless of your family tradition , regardless of which branch of Hinduism you belong to by birth ar by choice , ...please give up this habit of meat eating , ...please give up this attatchment to taste or to tradition , ....please give up Kaliyuga mentality , ....
the mistake often made is to think that this plea is condecending and that the Vaisnava sounds pompous and aloof , ...this is most furthest from the truth , the true Vaisnava does this only out of love for Visnu , ...
it is not self rightiousness on our part that calls another ''Unclean'', ....it is just our beleiving it to be an aparAdha , an offence against Visnu who resides in the heart of all beings , .....

 

[SomeRandom]

nanaskaram ji

I think it is fair to say one can be Culturaly Hindu , which in many cases means following some principles which are not in line with Sanatana Dharma , ...so in this instance the two identifying titles are not interchangable , ....a Cultural Hindu doeas not become Sanatana Dharmi unless he follows the principles of Sanatana Dharma , these are the eternal religious principles which support Dharma , ...in this age of Kali these principles have been forgoten and the poor Dharma bull stands unsteadily on one leg , ....that means truth is stll existant but the three other principles that support Dharma are sadly lacking , true Sanatana Dharmi Must keep all four principles , ....

the principle of mercy must mean that true Sanatana Dharmi must dedicate himself fully to the seva of Sri Bhagavan and try by all means to foster this respect in all Hindus , ...

So I am begging you and any meat eating Hindu , please regardless of your family tradition , regardless of which branch of Hinduism you belong to by birth ar by choice , ...please give up this habit of meat eating , ...please give up this attatchment to taste or to tradition , ....please give up Kaliyuga mentality , ....
the mistake often made is to think that this plea is condecending and that the Vaisnava sounds pompous and aloof , ...this is most furthest from the truth , the true Vaisnava does this only out of love for Visnu , ...
it is not self rightiousness on our part that calls another ''Unclean'', ....it is just our beleiving it to be an aparAdha , an offence against Visnu who resides in the heart of all beings , .....

Oh I am indeed more culturally Hindu than I am actually a practicing Hindu, but by choice. I know I cannot possibly know what is the Truth, only what is the truth for me and my circumstances. So I continue to seek.
However, along with this rather flippant regard for religious/Holy practice, I will continue to eat meat. Because God in his/her infinite wisdom made me an omnivore and gave me incisor teeth for meat eating. Just as you will refrain from meat, as is your right and perhaps a more enlightened approach than mine, I will continue to use the parts given to me by God.
So I thank you kindly, brother or sister, for the advice. But alas, my rebellious youthful ways win out for now.

 

[ratikala]

namaskaram Fire side ji

I have also heard of Hindus to strictly avoid alcohol yet I have met many who enjoy wine.

this is true I know many Culturaly born Hindus who drink and who just give up eating meat one day before visiting the temple , for instance they want to celibrate Sri Krsna Janmasthami , because it is a cultural event and they want some blessings of receiving Darshan , ....so here lay the difference between a Cultural Hindu and a Comitted Hindu

It may also come down to pure psychology. That's just a guess on my part though.

now this is where I become realy angry , .....not nececarily at you but at any one who dosent bother to read up or ask their elders to explain the true reasons , .....
''Cows - with their big doey eyes and gentle demeanor - are easier to sympathize with than chickens.'' ...
so dose that mean we can eat living beings as long as they are uggly ???...
even Uggly beings have mothers , ......and a right to life !!!

 

[ratikala]

namaskaram SR ji

Oh I am indeed more culturally Hindu than I am actually a practicing Hindu, but by choice. I know I cannot possibly know what is the Truth, only what is the truth for me and my circumstances. So I continue to seek.

''So I continue to seek.'' ......Good Good , ..then you will find , ....

However, along with this rather flippant regard for religious/Holy practice, I will continue to eat meat. Because God in his/her infinite wisdom made me an omnivore and gave me incisor teeth for meat eating. Just as you will refrain from meat, as is your right and perhaps a more enlightened approach than mine, I will continue to use the parts given to me by God.
So I thank you kindly, brother or sister, for the advice. But alas, my rebellious youthful ways win out for now.

God also gave you free will and the propencity for Ignorance , ....so it is up to you , ....it is not even that you do not realise what is being said , ...and of course it is the trait of youth to think that it can flaunt responcibility , ....

but as for ..............''But alas, my rebellious youthful ways win out for now. ''

sadly you will reach an age when you will look back at this remark and feel ..what and you thought that was winning ?...Oh dear
then you will think , .....so much of my life I have wasted

 

[SomeRandom]

''So I continue to seek.'' ......Good Good , ..then you will find , ....

Perhaps. Perhaps I will only truly find it in the next life. Who knows, really?

God also gave you free will and the propencity for Ignorance , ....so it is up to you , ....it is not even that you do not realise what is being said , ...and of course it is the trait of youth to think that it can flaunt responcibility , ....

Yes, however life is too short to give up the carnal desires too early, even if one believes in Samsara. I'm by no means like a libertine, but my approach to life and indeed God is perhaps a tad............"relaxed." Too relaxed some might say. But I am not some.

Indeed shirking responsibility is what we youthful rapscallions are known for.

sadly you will reach an age when you will look back at this remark and feel ..what and you thought that was winning ?...Oh dear
then you will think , .....so much of my life I have wasted

This isn't a competition, it's just a figure of speech.

The lamenting of a life wasted only comes when one has regrets. I have many already, but enjoying what I enjoy is not one of them. Perhaps this is just the hubris one has at a young age talking, but I'm happy with my life and choices.