Can One Be A Devout Hindu And A Meat Eater At The Same Time???

Question

Meat is important for muscular growth, testosterone devlopment and physical growth. In the adolescent years, protein is vital for ensuring healthy growth. Meat is the best source of protein.

According to Vedic philosophy, we humans have no moral right to kill animals for the purposes of food , because animals have souls and are thus part of god in the same respect that we are.

So with this logic, is it feasible to then use animals for the purposes of food after they have naturally died themselves???

Answer 1

Yes, why not? Hinduism is seldom dogmatic about anything. Some interpretations do create such an impression but they are in the nature of aberration and are not the be-all and end-all of Hinduism. As things stand, there can co-exist differences within Hinduism with a great elbow-room. Actually, let's not forget that Hinduism doesn't go by the outward form. It goes by the inward reality. So a great many things are fine enough in Hinduism so long as your inner religious space stays good and the core of your humanity is not questionable.

Answer 2

Why not ?? In fact meat eating was very much prevailling during the Vedic periods.


Paraskar grahasutra says......" samanso madhupark ityaminyaya bahumanya mana shrotriyabhyagtaya vatsari mahokshan mahajan da nirvapanti grehmeghin , tahin dharmasutrakara samamnanti ."
.....meaning thereby that 'Madhupark' should be served with meat.

As per 'Apastamb'..." Samwatsaran GAVYEN preeti, bhuyansmato mahishen, eten gramyaranyana PASHUNA MANS medhyavyakhyatam. khadgopastarane khadagmansenanantya kalam tatha shatbalemartsayasya mansen vadhrinasasya cha.."[ AA.DHA. sutra 2/7, 16/25 & 2/7/17/3]

Meaning thereby that by serving 'COW MEAT' during 'SHRADH' the 'pitras' get satisfied for one year.

'Manu' has stated........." Niyuktastu yathanyaya yo mans nati manava sa pretya pashunta yaati. sambhavanekvishantim.."

i.e. one who doesnt eat the meat served during madhupark and shradh, remains an animal for 21 births.

There are plenty of evidences which suggest that animal meat was very popular during vedic period.

Plz read Vishnudharmotterpuran, Kurmapuran, Mhabharata, Meghdoot of Kalidasa ,branardiya etc etc.... for reference.

AND What's wrong with meat eating ???


Scientifically both plants and animals are having one basic unit common i.e. cell.

It contents are remarkably common except few like chlorophyl, centrosome, plastids, vacuoles etc.These cell constitute the whole body of an animal or a plant.

Now basic difference being its unability to create sound [ cry ] when broken /eaten /plucked, a plant or vegitable, can not make it eatable ethically and logically.

People eat vegitables just becoz they dont scream or cry. People drink milk which was actually meant for the calf and not for any other purpose. Where is their ethics ?


There may be a reason that blood of the killed animal makes them to have a guilty feeling, which is red and like ours becoz of hoemoglobin. But then the blood of plants, incidently not red, is as important as red blood.

We love to kill kockroaches just becoz they dont have red blood.

The canines are the teeth which are not found in Herbivorous
animals. The fact that canines are present in humen beings make it clear that humen are Omnivorous as the God meant us to be.

However for health point of view one should prefer vegitables
though there are some protiens which can only be found in meat.


SOOOooooo..............you can be a devout Hindu and a meat eater at the same time.

Answer 3

So far as your last question is concerned all meat and poultry sold in India has a certificate stamped by the health authorities,as fit for human consumption.And naturally dying animals are excluded from it.

Professor R.S.Sharma ,the one time Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research situated at 35 Ferozeshah road,New Delhi, and an authority on Indian Ancient History has written in one of his reference book,that Brahmin's have been hunting and eating meat in the Vedic period.

Over the period of time and as preached by the Lord Mahavira and Mahatma Buddha,and other religious Guru's the consciousness to eat the meat was an avocation preferred only by the lowly rung strata of the society.The purists had it abandoned.

Now it is even considered, as,dead bodies are brought to the Shamshan(place of final disposal of the dead human beings)one should not make the stomach such a place.

Answer 4

Vedic philosophy says so many things forget being a veg. in life.
Nowdays it is better not to eat meat since animals are having viruses in their bodies which humans defence systems cannot fight . It is often hard to follow right life . If one cannot leave non veg, no problem . At least do the best of your work , realise the duties of being a son/daughter,husband/wife,father/mother, devotee and this is enough in today's world.
God in Hinduism is so kind that he is easily satisfied if even one does their work sincerely .

Answer 5

Yes by all means. Hinduism is not a religion .It is a way of life. All religious groups in India ,other than those religions came from outside , contributed to the development of today's Hinduism.
In different sects of Hinduism, killing of birds and animals before the alter of god and offering is customary. In yahams animals are put inside kundam as offering even during Vedic period.
Hindu priests are from Brahmin community.In general they do not take meat in any form. But, in Bengal I heard fish is accepted as Veg by them. Modern brahmins accept egg as veg.

Answer 6

Not only Hinduism, even Christianity and Islam and all the world religions it's pure form does not recommend meat eating.

While the religious scriptures sanction eating of meat, it is only for those in the lower modes of nature (tamo guna) and there are many restrictions as to how they eat meat etc...

While restring the eating of meat on some particular time and place, it is expected that those in the lower modes of nature would elevate themselves to higher modes (passion and goodness) and completely stop eating meat.

Answer 7

Hindus are vegetarians and cannot eat the meat, egg or the fish. Hinduism does not allow Non-Veg food. Non-Veg food is against the Hindu philosophy, custom, culture and tradition. All Hindu intellectuals, saints and priests were purely Veg only. No Hindu temple or shrine allows Non-Veg food in its premises specially. Hindus never eat Non-Veg food at home yet some consume it outside in hotels.

Answer 8

Yes

Answer 9

Hindus eat meat as prasadam. Devi Bhakts do. In many devi temples, buffaloes and goats are sacrificed on festivals. e.g. Dussera. Shila devi in amer, Jaipur , is offered goat everyday. In Assam.Kamakhya devi is offered lambs.
To be a Hindu , one need not be a vegetarian. except cow's meat is not allowed.

Answer 10

You can eat all the meat you want, except cow. The cow is sacred having given its life to save the people, the people now keep a promise never to eat cow again.