Pulkit: Whether vedas sanction animal sacrifice and flesh eating or not? if not then why are such instances found in mahabharat and manusmriti.
Swami Ram Swarup: No, please. Vedas never promote non-vegetarian etc. In this connection, I paste one of my answers:-
Vegetarians
We have to obey the preach of Vedas which emanates direct from God at the beginning of the earth. For carnivorous animals like lion, tiger, wolves, cat, dog etc., God allows to take non-vegetarian food. So the said act to take non-vegetarian food is not their sin. Similarly in Vedas for human beings, God states to take vegetarian food which is not a sin. Secondly, for human beings, Vedas strictly prohibit non-vegetarian food. That is why, we must take vegetables, food-grains etc., when they are fully ripe.
Vegetarians and non-vegetarians are two categories. Accordingly the construction of body i.e., teeth, small intestine and large intestine, and digestive system has been made by God.
Human beings come in vegetarian category. Our teeth and digestive system always differ from cat, dog, lion etc. Some animals like cow, buffalo, goat, elephant etc., also come in Vegetarian category. We take water by sipping but the animals who are non-vegetarian i.e., meat eater they do not sip but lick. Whatever we eat, that food develops our mind and body and creates natural behaviour. For example if we take a cub who is newly born and nurse him by giving milk and thereafter vegetarian food only and on the other hand to another cub we provide him meat, then when they will be younger their habit will differ. The cub taking vegetarian food will be as violent as the cub who took meat.
Now medical science also says that the energy in vegetarian food is more than that in non-vegetarian food. Vegetarian food gives long and ill free life. Vegetarian elephant is stronger than non-vegetarian lion.
Nobody can take meat until one gives violence to animals or birds etc., which is a sin. Our stomach becomes a graveyard where we gather meat by eating. As regards life in vegetarians it does not harm to them while plucking from plants etc. because every vegetarian plant has short life and is meant to give food to the human life. But to us meat is not entitled. Science has recently told that non-vegetarians are more susceptible to cancer disease and teeth degeneration as compared to vegetarians.
Non-vegetarian food is prohibited as per Vedas, shastras, Upnishads and all the ancient holy books. In vegetarian food an ocean of calories and vitamins is available by the mercy of God. Please check from a dietician about the same. Because it is lengthy one and I cannot explain here. For example dal, is full of proteins, soybean has more protein than any non-vegetarian food, which has ability to inhibit cancer also where as non-vegetarian does not. Green vegetables like palak, methi, etc., are the richest source of iron and vitamin A. So is the case of milk, curd, rice, fruit, etc.
The knowledge of Vedas emanates direct from God at the time of beginning of earth. So in this creation, the Vedas are the oldest knowledge originated about one arab 97 crore years ago. In all four Vedas, God has prohibited non-vegetarian, please.
Atharvaveda mantra 6/140/1 also states that Oh God! May my teeth, like the teeth of wolf not take non-vegetarian. Non-vegetarian has only some limited energy and vitamins whereas cow-milk is a complete food. Dry fruits, vegetables, curd, fruits etc., i.e., all other vegetable food has been made by God for us which are more beneficial than non-vegetarian food. Manusmriti shloka 2/177 strictly prohibits to take non-vegetarian food and any type of addiction. The nature of the animals or human beings who take non-vegetarian food is more violent than those who take vegetarian food. In this connection, you may consider lion, tiger, wolves, jackals etc. As regards power of vegetarian you may think about elephant who is the most powerful than other human/living beings and is vegetarian.
Onion and garlic are included as vegetarian food and full of vitamins, they protect from heat stroke, make stomach strong and make strong eye sight etc., but both are of Tamogunni nature and therefore only Brahmachari must not take the same.
Atharvaveda Mantra 6/140/1 states-
“YAU VYAGHRAVAVROODHAU JIGHATSATAHA PITRAM MATRAM CHA.
TAU DANTAU BRAHAMANNASPATE SHIVAU KRINNU JAATVEDAHA.”
(Atharvaveda Mantra 6/140/1)
The Devta of this mantra is “Brihaspati, Danta”.
Meaning:- (YAU) The teeth (VYAGHRAU) like the teeth of wolf (AVROODHAU) have been generated (PITRAM MATRAM CHA JIGHATSATAHA) wants to kill mother and father i.e., wants to take flesh. So Oh! (JAATVEDAHA) omnipresent God (BRAHAMANNASPATE) lord of knowledge of Vedas may (TAU DANTAU) those teeth (SHIVAU KRINNU) be beneficial for us so that we may not be non-vegetarian.
The meaning of Shivau is auspicious, friendly, beneficial. Deep consideration of the mantra would reveal that our teeth will only be beneficial /friendly to others when we will not be even think about inflicting violence to others. That is why, Mantras states that teeth should not consume flesh, it being sin. Manusmriti also states that without inflicting violence on others, meat can not be taken. So one must always avoid non-vegetarian food.
Manusmriti Shloka 2/177states (VARJET MADHU MAANSAM PRANNINAAM HINSANUM) i.e., non-vegetarian food, addictions, intoxications and the violence to all living beings is strictly prohibited.
Oh! God my teeth which are like the teeth of wolf should not take non-vegetarian food. The idea of the mantra is this that our teeth of upper jaw and lower jaw should never take non-vegetarian food like a wolf. It reveals that God has made difference between human-beings and animals.
In mahabharat and Manusmriti, originally written by Vyasmuniji and Manu Bhagwan respectively; there is no mention of violence about flesh eating etc. However, some false shlokas have been added in both pious holy books.
