02-04-2005, 03:41 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Also, the story of vAtApi trying to kill Agastya where Illvala becomes a sheep and the meat from this sheep is fed to Agastya. Does this mean that in ancient times, brahmanas were meat eaters?
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Ilvala performed a srAddha ceremony and used this as a pretext to invite brAhmanAs and kill them.
Meat was served primarily during somayajnas and during srAddha.
BrAhmanas used to eat meat only during these two ceremonies as prasadam.
Their primary diet was fruits, roots, milk and grains, not meat.
Consult Manusmrti, chapter 5 for more details on when a brAhmana may eat meat or not :-
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu/manu05.htm
I have included some of the key quotes here :-
<i>
56. There is no sin in eating meat, in (drinking) spirituous liquor, and in carnal intercourse, for that is the natural way of created beings, but abstention brings great rewards.
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So according to Manu, there is no sin if a brAhmana eats meat. But he recommends giving it up for spiritual progress :-
<i>
48. 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.
49. Having well considered the (disgusting) origin of flesh and the (cruelty of) fettering and slaying corporeal beings, let him entirely abstain from eating flesh.
50. He who, disregarding the rule (given above), does not eat meat like a Pisaka, becomes dear to men, and will not be tormented by diseases.
54. By subsisting on pure fruit 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.
</i>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ilvala performed a srAddha ceremony and used this as a pretext to invite brAhmanAs and kill them.
Meat was served primarily during somayajnas and during srAddha.
BrAhmanas used to eat meat only during these two ceremonies as prasadam.
Their primary diet was fruits, roots, milk and grains, not meat.
Consult Manusmrti, chapter 5 for more details on when a brAhmana may eat meat or not :-
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu/manu05.htm
I have included some of the key quotes here :-
<i>
56. There is no sin in eating meat, in (drinking) spirituous liquor, and in carnal intercourse, for that is the natural way of created beings, but abstention brings great rewards.
</i>
So according to Manu, there is no sin if a brAhmana eats meat. But he recommends giving it up for spiritual progress :-
<i>
48. 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.
49. Having well considered the (disgusting) origin of flesh and the (cruelty of) fettering and slaying corporeal beings, let him entirely abstain from eating flesh.
50. He who, disregarding the rule (given above), does not eat meat like a Pisaka, becomes dear to men, and will not be tormented by diseases.
54. By subsisting on pure fruit 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.
</i>