Non Veg Items and Karmic Reactions
Since, it is Adhik Mass and Shravan Mass where the these 2 months are extremely auspicious for every hindu sanatanis, few people says, we are following vrat( fasting) of not eating non- veg food item in Shravan month.
They consider as a big sacrifice for 1- 2 month, eating for next 11 months also affect their karmic cycle, so thought of writing on Meat Eating, non veg items and karmic reactions on humans.
What do the Hindu Holy books says about eating Meat and Karma?
In Sanskrit, the word for flesh is māṁsa.
Now if we break this word down into its constituent parts, it actually consists of two syllables, Māṁ= Me, and Sa= He.
So, māṁsa, essentially means what I do to him today, will be done to me tomorrow. It’s called Karma!
Māṁsa is a covenant between you and the personality you’re killing and eating.
Animals are jivas or living entities trapped inside the bodies of animals, just like we’re jivas trapped inside the bodies of human beings.
So, if one jiva kills and eats another jiva, there will be reactions. Same with plants, there is a Karmic footprint for killing and eating plants as well. It is ecological “murder” after all.
However, since the bodies of plants are less developed, the Karmic reaction is of a lesser degree and intensity, but it is there nonetheless!
So, yes māṁsa. Me- He.
Every word, nay every letter in Sanskrit has deeply resonating concepts packaged into it.
Which food is better for a human, vegetarian or non veg items?
Another question also connected to this is that: Whether human beings can consume meat and Is meat a food for human beings?
By nature human beings are vegetarian or non vegetarian. Nature has created two living beings, one vegetarian and another non vegetarian.
We will analyze these two living beings and judge where human beings falls. This should be easy research.
We will take vegetarian animals, for example horse, donkey, elephant, deer and cattle. For non vegetarian we will take a lion, dog, tiger and fox.
Analogy behind the Vegetarian Food
Now we will analyse this both.
1. The tooth settings of this animals
The vegetarian animals will have flat teeth.
Non vegetarian animals will have sharp teeth.
Human beings have flat teeth and not sharp teeth.
2. How they consume water
All vegetarian animals suck the water and drink.
All non vegetarian animals lick the water and drink.
Human beings suck the water and drink and they cannot lick and drink.
3. Blind at the time of birth
Vegetarian animals immediately after their birth can open their eyes and see the world. They are not blind at the time of birth.
Non vegetarian animals are blind at the time of birth. They cannot open their eyes for the first few days.
Human beings can open their eyes and see the world immediately after their birth.
4. Finger nails
The nails of vegetarian animals are flat and it will not be sharp.
The nails of the non vegetarian animals are lengthy and sharp.
Human beings ‘nails are flat and not sharp.
5. Digestive system
In vegetarian animals the digestive system will be very long. For example the food will go through a 15 feet pipe in the stomach to get digested.
Reason being the toxic content in the vegetarian food is very less and it has got more good vitamins and proteins. So the digestive system can hold this food items more number of hours in the body.
For non vegetarian animals the food pipe length is very short compared to a vegetarian animals.
Since the food has got more toxic content the system is made in such a way that it will send out the food at the earliest. So toxic content is not stored in the digestive system for longer hours.
Human beings have long digestive system and the food particles can stay more hour in the digestive system. Hence we have to consume non toxic food.
6. Equal body heat
For vegetarian animals in order to maintain the body heat equally they can consume water and send out the extra heat by way of sweating. So the body heat throughout the body is maintained in equal proportion.
For non vegetarian animals this facility is not there. They have to hang their tongue and cool their body.
Human beings make their body cool by consuming water and send out the extra heat by sweating.
7. Faeces or excrement
Vegetarian animals will not have much difficulty in sending out their faeces or excrement from their body. The smell will be less foul.
Non vegetarian animals faces difficulty in sending out their faeces or excrement from the body.
Compared to vegetarian animals non vegetarian animals faeces or excrement will have more foul smell.
Human beings will not have any difficulty in sending out the faeces or excrement from their body. Compared to non vegetarian animals the foul smell will be very less.
8. Living Style or living way
Vegetarian animals live in groups. They will not live alone.
Non vegetarian animals live alone and they create their own territory and will not allow others animals belonging to their race to enter into their territory.
Human being lives in group. They allow their races to join them and live with them in their territory. For example in India Parsi and Jews and they never had dispute with them.
9. By nature or tendency or normal way
Vegetarian animals are normally very soft in nature and always peaceful.
Non vegetarian animals are ferocious and they are not peaceful.
Human beings are soft and wants to live peacefully.
10. Constructive work
Vegetarian animals does constructive work like helping farmers, carrying human beings, pulling weight and vehicles etc.
Non vegetarian animals will not do any constructive work except killing other living beings. They are not be helpful to human beings except dog which helps in guarding the properties.
Human beings by nature does constructive work. They help each other and also other living beings.
11. Epinephrine, also known as adrenalin or adrenaline
Epinephrine, also known as adrenalin or adrenaline, is a hormone, neurotransmitter and medication.
This hormone is produced by the body in extraordinary circumstances.
For example when a dog chases us or when we are fighting with someone this hormone gets produced in our body. It goes to the entire body and it happens only in abnormal circumstances.
When we are in danger we act faster than the normal circumstances.
This is due to the production of these hormones in our body.
Harmfulness in the meat and affecting our body and mind.
When any living being is killed for meat these hormones get produced in the body and it stays in the entire body at the time of death.
When we consume the meat of these animals, these hormones also get consumed by us.
12. Strength in food
It is generally said that being non vegetarian gives more strength and power.
Elephants has more power by consuming only vegetarian food. An ox works in the farm all day by consuming only vegetarian food.
Non vegetarian animals after consuming food they sleep and they will not be active or working.
Soya beans have more proteins than meat. For power and strength instead of meat this can be consumed.
Now please judge yourself whether we are vegetarian or non vegetarian.
Is meat eating a sin according to vedas? What are the permissable meat that can be consumed by man? Do we have any punishments mentioned about it in garuda purana?
There are end numbers of reference we can get in Hindu Santan Shastra about eating non veg items is absolutely non- permissible and here are few quotes from Manu Samhita.
“One who takes part of human flesh, the flesh of a horse or of another animal, and deprives others of milk by slaughtering cows, O King, if such a fiend does not desist by other means, then you should not hesitate to cut off his head”.— Rig- veda( 10.87.16)
“Meat can never be obtained without injury to living creatures, and injury to sentient beings is detrimental to the attainment of heavenly bliss, let him therefore shun the use of meat/non veg items.
As many hairs as the slain beast has, so often indeed will he who killed it without a( lawful) reason suffer a violent death in future births “.( Manu- Samhita 5.37- 38)
“He who injures harmless creatures from a wish to give himself pleasure, never finds happiness in this life or the next”( Manu- samhita 5.45)
“By subsisting on pure fruits and roots, and by eating food fit for ascetics in the forest, one does not gain so great a reward as by entirely avoiding the use of flesh.
“He who does not seek to cause the sufferings of bonds and death to living creatures, ( but ) desires the good of all( beings), obtains endless bliss.
He who does not injure any ( creature ) attains without an effort what he thinks of, what he undertakes, and what he fixes his mind on “( Manu- samhita 5.46- 47 )
“By not killing any living being, one becomes fit for salvation”( Manu- Samhita 6.60)
Mahabharata and Meat Eating/Non Veg Items
Now let’s dive into the great Mahabharata and what it says on non veg items?
“He who desires to augment his own flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures, lives in misery in whatever species he may take his next birth”.( Mahabharata, Anu. 115.47)
“The purchaser of flesh performs violence by his wealth, he who eats flesh does so by enjoying its taste, the killer does violence by actually tying and killing the animal. Thus, there are three forms of killing.
He who brings flesh or sends for it, he who cuts off the limbs of an animal, and he who purchases, sells, or cooks flesh and eats it– all these are to be considered meat eaters “( Mahabharata, Anu. 115.40)
“That learned person who gives to all living creatures the gift of complete assurance is forsooth regarded as the giver of lifebreaths in this world. ( Mahabharata, Anu. 115.18)
“Men gifted with intelligence and purified souls should always treat others as they themselves wish to be treated. It is seen that even those men who are endued with learning and who seek to acquire the greatest good in the shape of liberation, are not free of the fear of death.( Mahabharata, Anu. 115.20)
“What necessity be said of those innocent and healthy creatures gifted with love of life, when they are sought to be killed by sinful wretches living by slaughter?
Therefore, O King, know that the discarding of meat is the highest refuge of religion, of the celestial region, and of happiness.
Abstention of injury to others is the highest religion. It is, again, the highest penance. It is also the highest truth from which all duty emanates. ( Mahabharata, Anu. 115.21- 23)
“Flesh cannot be had from grass or wood or stone. Unless a living creature is killed it cannot be procured. Hence is the fault of eating flesh.
The celestials who live upon Svaha, Svadha, and nectar, are given to truth and sincerity.
Those persons, however, who are for satisfying the sensation of taste, should be known as Rakshasas flesh- eating demons] pervaded by the quality of Darkness.( Mahabharata, Anu. 115.24- 25)
“If there were nobody who ate flesh, then there would be nobody to slay living creatures. The man who slays living creatures kills them for the sake of the person who eats flesh.
If flesh were not considered as food, there would then be no destruction of living creatures. It is for the sake of the eater that the destruction of living entities is carried on in the world.
Since, O you of great splendor, the period of life is shortened by persons who kill living creatures or cause them to be killed, it is clear that the person who seeks his own good should give up meat altogether.
Those dreadful persons who are engaged in the destruction of living beings never find protectors when they are in need.
Such persons should always be molested and punished even as beast of prey.( Mahabharata, Anu. 115.29- 32)
“That man who seeks to multiply his own flesh by( eating) the flesh of others has to live in this world in great anxiety, and after death has to take birth in indifferent races and families.
High Rishis given to the observance of vows and self- control have said that abstention from meat is worthy of praise, productive of fame and Heaven, and a great satisfaction itself.
He who practices severe austerities for a century, and he who abstains from meat, are both equally meritorious. This is my opinion.( Mahabharata, Anu. 115.52- 53)
“Yudhisthira said in Mahabharata: Alas, those cruel men who, not caring for various other sorts of food, want only flesh, are really like great Rakshasas meat- eating demons.( Mahabharata, Anu. 116.1)
Even Great Warrior “Bhishma said on Cruelty and eating non veg food items
That man who wishes to increase his own flesh by the meat of another living creature is such that there is none meaner and more cruel than he. In this world there is nothing that is dearer to a creature than his life.
Hence, one should show mercy to the lives of others as he does to his own life.
Forsooth, O son, flesh has its origin in the vital seed. There is great sin attached to its eating, as, indeed, there is merit in abstaining from it.( Mahabharata, Anu. 116.11- 13)
“There is nothing, O delighter of the Kurus, that is equal in point of merit, either in this world or in the next, to the practice of mercy to all living creatures. ( Mahabharata, Anu. 116.19)
Abstention from cruelty is the highest penance ( Non Veg items )
Abstention from cruelty is the highest sacrifice. Abstention from cruelty is the highest power. Abstention from cruelty is the greatest friend. Abstention from cruelty is the greatest happiness.( Mahabharata, Anu. 116.38- 39)
“Gifts made in all sacrifices] rituals], ablutions performed in all sacred water, and the merit which one acquires from making all kinds of gifts mentioned in the scriptures, all these do not equal in merit abstention from cruelty”. (Mahabharata, Anu. 116.40)
Hope this blog on Non- Veg Items can give deeper insight as what and why one should only Vegetarian food, in next blog, i shall provide reference from Shrimad Bhagvat Gita from Lord Krishna
Love and Light,
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