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Why should non-vegetarian foods be avoided?
It contains significantly more protein than the human body requires. Non-vegetarian food contains more protein, which makes digestion more challenging. Consuming non-vegetarian foods can induce acidity and constipation, which can lead to additional digestive issues.
According to astrology, what should we eat?
Some of the most effective astrological treatments can be found in the kitchen! Isn’t that fascinating? So, which foods offer good fortune, good health, and a long and prosperous life? Which foods should we consume in order to enhance a specific planet in our Vedic chart? Take note of the following:
- You can eat your food in the presence of sunshine to help the Sun. Donate wheat if you have a difficulty with the Sun, especially if it is in the second, seventh, or eighth house. On Sunday, offer some water with wheat and give some wheat to the poor or to the place of worship.
- After sunset, it is recommended to eat cold frozen meals to strengthen the Moon. Rice is essential for the proper functioning of your planet Moon. Giving a piece of silver to your mother can help to enhance your Moon. Even in the case of milk, it is recommended to avoid eating stale food.
- You should always incorporate jaggery in all of your meals to strengthen Mars. That means you can complete your dinner with a small piece of jaggery. On Tuesday, you can also give Masoor Dal.
- Turmeric is the finest medication for Jupiter’s strengthening. Take a pinch of turmeric and combine it with a glass of milk every night. Jupiter is a planet that represents knowledge, wisdom, children, marriage, family life, education, riches, and other aspects of a woman’s life.
- Having a lot of green veggies will help you enhance Mercury, which is a weak planet.
- Venus can be strengthened by eating something sweet every day in the morning. This treatment is for women who have previously been unable to conceive. It can also be used by guys who are experiencing a chemical imbalance. Before using this cure, diabetic people should see their doctor. You will reach bliss and be able to appreciate your life more if you follow these solutions.
- On Saturday, donate Urad Dal to enhance your planet Saturn.
- To strengthen Rahu and Ketu, one should always provide medicines to the poor and needy, as well as ingest two Tulsi leaves after a bath.
- If you believe your home has a tantric influence or some unpleasant negative energy, you should cultivate an Amla plant at home and take good care of it.
What if we consume non-vegetarian food on Amavasya?
Every date and event in the Hindu calendar is associated with something religiously significant. In the same way, Hindu scriptures describe Amavasya, Poornima, Dwadashi, Ekadashi, and Trayodashi, all of which are various phases of the moon. Amavasya is a day dedicated to our ‘Pitra’ and is governed by its own set of rules. To avoid any unlucky events during Amavasya, here are some goods you should avoid purchasing.
Broom
Amavasya is regarded as a day dedicated to ‘pitra.’ On this day, they specifically worship ‘Shani Dev.’ Broom is said to be associated with Goddess Lakshmi in Hindu mythology. Buying a broom on the day of Amavaysa is thought to enrage Lakshmi devi, who then halt the flow of money. This also emits a negative vibe in the home, which may result in higher health-care costs. It’s best to avoid buying a broom on Amavasya if you want to keep a steady flow of money into your home and impress Goddess Lakshmi.
Alcohol
Amavasya (new moon night) and Poornima (full moon night) are both excellent times to do ‘Pitru and Dev’ work. During this period, the scriptures advise you to avoid buying and ingesting alcohol. Because Amavasya is associated with Shani Dev, any type of alcohol is thought to produce negative energy that might last for a long time.
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Meat
Buying and eating meat during Amavasya is considered unlucky, just as drinking alcohol. It is said that eating any non-vegetarian dish during Amavasya has a negative influence on your kundli. Eating non-vegetarian foods on this day, according to the Lal Kitab, worsens Saturn’s woes.
Atta
Wheat grains and flour should also be avoided throughout this period. You should avoid buying wheat, especially during the month of Bhdra’s Amavasya. It is stated that if you eat wheat purchased on this day, it will go straight to your ancestors, which is considered unlucky.
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No Oil Champi
During Amavasya, no oil should be applied to the head. Oil application is also not regarded auspicious during Sankranti. Donating oil, on the other hand, can be advantageous to you. It has a Shani connection and aids in the removal of ‘Shani Dosh’ from your kundli. Because Amavasya is a day for paying homage to the ‘pitra,’ any form of decoration must be eschewed. You must avoid your oil champi on this day if you want to preserve a favorable energy flow.
Pooja Related Items
Amavasya is an excellent time for ‘pitru karma.’ As a result, it’s best to avoid purchasing pooja-related things on this day. You must not purchase anything of this type, including agarbatti, flowers, pooja thali, or even garments for the idols.
Is it permissible to eat non-vegetarian food in Hinduism?
Although vegetarianism is not required in Hinduism, some Hindus forego eating meat to prevent harming other living things. As of 2021, 44 percent of Hindus in India reported eating a vegetarian diet in some kind. In some Hindu literature, vegetarianism is considered satvic, or a way of living that purifies the body and mind.
One of ISKCON’s four pillars is lacto-vegetarianism and vegetarianism. Faith-based organizations and Hindutva organisations have made it their mission to force vegetarianism on their adherents.
Meat and eggs are considered contaminated by Indians who maintain a vegetarian diet due to their religious beliefs. They don’t eat in places where others have different dietary patterns, and they don’t share their meals with them. Lacto-vegetarian religious groups such as Brahmins, Lingayats, and Jains claim that eating eggs damages their feelings.
Some Hindu groups advocate a vegetarian or lacto-vegetarian diet, as well as food production practices that are in tune with nature, compassionate, and considerate of other living things as well as nature.
Some Hindus prefer lacto-vegetarianism, which includes milk-based meals as well as all other non-animal produced foods but excludes meat and eggs. There are three main reasons for this: the ideal of nonviolence (ahimsa) when it comes to animals, the desire to present only vegetarian food to their favorite deity and then receive it as prasad, and the belief that non-vegetarian food is harmful to the mind and spiritual development. Many Hindus advocate a vegetarian diet based on biblical foundations, such as the Mahabharata’s adage that “Nonviolence is the noblest duty and the highest teaching.” Many Hindus in India, in contrast to the western world, do not regard ovo-lacto-vegetarian diets to be “pure vegetarian” diets since they do not believe eggs to be truly vegetarian. As a result, many Hindu vegetarians coined the term “eggetarian” to describe normally vegetarian diets containing eggs.
A typical modern urban Hindu lacto-vegetarian lunch includes grains like rice and wheat, legumes, green vegetables, and dairy products. Millet-based flatbreads may be a staple, depending on the geographical region. Fat from slain animals is not consumed.
During Chaturmas, many Hindus, particularly those who follow the Vaishnav faith, abstain from eating onions and garlic (roughly July – November of Gregorian calendar). A handful of Hindu families in Maharashtra also refrain from eating any egg plant (Brinjal / Aubergine) recipes during this time.
ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Hare Krishna) devotees abstain from eating meat, fish, and poultry. Certain vegetables, such as onion, mushrooms, and garlic, are also avoided by followers of the related Pushtimargi sect, who believe they contain tamas (harmful). Members of the Swaminarayan movement follow a strict vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, and seafood.
During the festivals, some Hindu groups, such as the Marathi-speaking people of Tamil Nadu, fast and eat only specified foods. Milk and other dairy goods like dahi, fruit, and starchy Western foods like sago, potatoes, purple-red sweet potatoes, and amaranth seeds are examples.
Is Shiva a meat eater?
A Shiva worshipper named Kembavi Bhogayya was allegedly visited by the god himself, disguised as a stranger carrying a dead calf. The stranger asked Bhogayya to cook the calf’s meat, and he agreed. Bhogayya prepared numerous delectable dishes from it and offered them to the stranger.
Bhogayya’s village Brahmins, on the other hand, assembled and denounced him for preparing meat. They threw sticks at his house and told him he had to leave the village right away. Hearing the uproar, the stranger vanished, and Bhogayya stormed out of the village.
The story (which has many parallels with the recent series of mob lynchings in India) is from Palkuriki Somanatha’s Basava Purana, written in the 13th century CE. The Lingayats, who worship Shiva in the form of a linga, use the epic as their major literature (phallus).
This narrative had a pleasant ending, unlike the horrific turn to recent cases of mob violence in India. Bhogayya’s departure from the village was swiftly followed by the departure of all the lingas, ushering in death and poverty. The Brahmins apologized to Bhogayya after realizing their error. The return of the lingas and prosperity to the hamlet followed his return.
Meat matters
Another feature of Bhogayya’s story contrasts with the current situation in India.
Several outlets stated last week that the Uttar Pradesh government had banned the selling of meat and eggs in Dadri. This was done to facilitate the Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage to Haridwar’s Ganges, during which devotees collect water from the holy river and offer it to Shiva in pots. The pilgrimage takes place in the month of Shravan (July-August), which is devoted to Shiva.
Given Shiva’s predilection for meat (as the preceding anecdote demonstrates), the ban is paradoxical, and it underscores how Hindutva’s imposed vegetarianism contradicts the beliefs and practices of various Indic groups.
In the Rig Veda, Shiva, a Puranic god, began as Rudra (meaning savage or wild). Rudra is a minor god who has only two and a half hymns dedicated to him. He has a tawny complexion and matted hair. He hunts and consumes his prey as a forest inhabitant and ace archer. Rudra is given various names, including Shiva, and many evil characteristics in the Yajur Veda (especially the Krishna Yajur Veda, one of the two portions into which the scripture is divided). Rudra is united with a non-Aryan mountain deity, similar to how Krishna was converted from a tribal deity to a supreme god in the Puranic religion.
As a result, he transforms from a well-built strong god to an old and destitute dwarf with untidy hair. Intriguingly, he begins to exhibit conflicting attributes such as being a cattle defender (pashupati) as well as a cattle slaughterer (pashughna), features that reflect and represent the world’s duality in Shiva.
The horrible connotations multiply throughout the Atharva Veda. Rudra is reported to enjoy the sacrifice of various body parts, like as sacrificial victims’ livers. He is also known as the Lord of Demons and the God of Thieves and Cheaters.
In Puranic literature, his position as a destroyer becomes more important. Rudra-Shiva, the supreme god of ferocious anger, now wields a trident, wears tiger hide, and sits next to Shakti, his formidable consort (known variously as Parvati and Uma). In the Mahabharata, his macabre characteristics are emphasized, with references to him as “Quarrel maker…hungry for foetus-flesh like a jackal…extremely aggressive in temper, fully armed…hungry for cooked meat and rice…quarrel creator… Bhishma outlines Shiva’s role as one who will bring the world to an end in another episode “consuming the work of art When Jarasandha, a Shiva follower, holds kings imprisoned solely to slay them and sacrifice their flesh to Shiva, it emphasizes Shiva’s appetite for meat.
Shiva’s meat-eating habits are well-documented in both the Vedas and the Puranas, although his link with wine appears to be a later addition. Despite the fact that Shiva lives on Mount Mujavat, which is also home to the intoxicating Soma plant, the Puranic literature does not mention Shiva drinking the Soma drink.
Shiva, according to post-Puranic literature, not only drinks intoxicating beverages but also smokes marijuana. In addition, Shiva’s spouse, Shakti, satisfies Shiva’s appetite for meat by devouring the flesh of both humans and animals.
Taming of the deity
The changing eating preferences of the gods mirror the change of the northern part of the subcontinent from a pastoral (12th century BCE) to an agricultural (6th century BCE) economy. Unlike the pastoral Vedic gods, who required meat as a gift, the sedentary Puranic gods were mostly vegetarians. It’s worth noting that Shiva’s personality hasn’t changed as a result of this. In the early Puranic literature, Shiva’s meat-eating habits became increasingly established. As a result, it’s unclear when Brahmins and other upper castes adopted vegetarianism and thereby tamed Shiva.
The transformation was complete by the time the Puranas (8th century CE) were written. Shiva became a vegetarian god as a result of the Brahmins’ exalted heritage. According to the Skanda Purana, groups that feed flesh to Shiva as a worship rite, such as the Kaula Kapalikas and the Kalamukhas, were proclaimed heretics. The Kapalikas not only drank wine and ate flesh from human skulls, but they also engaged in sexual acts that were forbidden by Brahmanism. Similarly, Kashmir Shaivism, founded by philosopher Abhinavagupta, demanded the ingestion of wine and meat in order to do Kula yoga and satisfy Shiva. For this reason, Bhogayya and his Virashaivism tradition were also considered heretical.
Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, who has imposed restrictions on food booths along the Kanwar Yatra path, belongs to a community that has a history of eating meat and drinking wine as part of Shiva’s ritual worship.
Shiva’s affinity with meat has remained despite his forced vegetarianism. Adityanath, a Shiva follower, could learn a lot from Tamil poet and saint Appar, one of three prominent Nayanars (Shaivites) who wrote in the sixth century:
Do gods consume non-vegetarian food?
Brahmins in South India are vegetarians. They went early to metropolitan centers across India as accountants, journalists, and officials. They were well educated and well-versed in mathematics. The traditional “Madrasi” stereotype in Bollywood films, who consumes entirely vegetarian food, was formed as a result of their exposure. South India’s vast non-vegetarian traditions are overshadowed by this.
The Jain and Vaishav communities of Gujarat and Rajasthan have produced some of India’s most successful businesspeople. They follow a rigorous vegetarian diet. Many Western businesspeople assume that all Indians are staunch vegetarians since they do business with them. Jains are not Hindus (they do not worship Shiva, Vishnu, or Brahma), yet they do belong to the same rebirth traditions as Hindus (sanatan dharma). This Marwari and Bania culture also overshadows north India’s enormous non-vegetarian traditions.
Vishnu is a strict vegetarian god according to the Hindu Puranas, although Shiva eats anything he is given, and the Goddess adores blood. This isn’t a hard and fast rule. Because when Vishnu takes the form of Ram, he hunts deer for nourishment (an idea that many vegetarian Hindus reject rather violently). Krishna is depicted in Jain scriptures as being present at Nemi-wedding nath’s supper, where animals are slain. Vishnu also drinks blood in Narasimha, the man-lion form. Shiva, being a hermit, takes whatever is provided to him. Fruits and milk are offered to him in his Gora-Bhairav compassionate form. He is offered blood and drink in his Kala-Bhairav ferocious form. The Goddess is linked to nature’s most primal acts, like as sex and violence. Blood is presented to her. She eats fish in Odisha’s Varahi shrines. Nonetheless, she is vegetarian at several Goddess temples where she is strongly identified with Vishnu, such as the Kolhapur Amba-bai temple in Maharasthra or the Goddess on the Punjab and Jammu Hills. So, even for the gods, there are no hard and fast rules.
Ahimsa, or nonviolence, is often associated with vegetarianism. The notion of ahimsa is central to both Jainism and yoga. Ahimsa, on the other hand, is a highly complicated concept. It entails not harming any living being, either physically (tann) or mentally (mann). This, however, does not apply to the act of eating. For all intents and purposes, the pursuit of food entails violence. Farming is a brutal occupation that necessitates the slaughter of numerous animals, not least vermin. Also tied to ahimsa are anekantavada, or plurality, and aparigraha, or not clinging to anything or thinking, as well as syada-vada, or welcoming ambiguity. A large number of soldiers are vegetarians. Many unscrupulous politicians and crony capitalists who use their enterprises to harm the environment or exploit employees in their factories are vegetarians. That hardly qualifies as nonviolence!