Vegetarianism is an integral part of most schools of Hinduism although there are a wide variety of practices and beliefs that have changed over time. Although some estimates put 80 to 90% of all Hindus as vegetarians, most of the surveys including one by the Office of Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India shows that 60 to 70%, or even more, of Indians as non vegetarians. Since Hindus constitute almost 80% of Indian population, considering the above surveys, including the one from an official government source, it is mathematically improbable that 80 to 90% of the Hindus are vegetarians. Most sects of Hindus do not observe vegetarianism. Dietary habits and dietary customs were factors that have played roles in the formation, evolution and development of Indian caste system.
Video History of Brahmin diet
Dietary habits in Hindu scriptures
Vedas
The earliest Hindu scriptures belong or refer to the Vedic period which lasted till about 500 BCE according to the chronological division by modern historians. In the historical Vedic religion of Hinduism, following references exist for meat consumption.
The Rig Veda (10.87.16-19) speaks about the flesh of the cattle and the horses: In therapeutic section of Charak Samhita (pages 86-87) the flesh of cow is prescribed as a medicine for various diseases. It is also prescribed for making soup. It is emphatically advised as a cure for irregular fever, consumption, and emaciation. The fat of the cow is recommended for debility and rheumatism.
Most consider this as a disapproval of the cow slaughter and meat eating in general. Others put it in the context of demons and evil spirits (Y?tudh?na) stealing the cattle and the milk. Though alternative translations by Swami Dayananda Saraswati reject such claims and give the 'correct' interpretations and translations in the light of the Brahmanas and Vedangas. According to Dayananda and Yaska, the author of Nirukta (Vedic Philology), Y?tudh?na means Cattle -eaters (Y?tu - Cattle / flesh of Cattle + Udh?na - eaters/ consumers).
The Atharva Veda bans only the eating of the raw flesh, human flesh and fertilized eggs:
The Yajurveda mentions Ashvamedha or the horse sacrifice, and even Purushamedha or the Human sacrifice(Yajurveda (VS 30-31)). The Purushamedha or Human sacrifice was purely ritualistic, and there is no proof of a human ever being sacrificed.
Later texts
Several highly authoritative scriptures also bar violence against domestic animals except in the case of ritual sacrifice. This view is clearly expressed in the Mahabharata (3.199.11-12; 13.115; 13.116.26; 13.148.17), the Bhagavata Purana (11.5.13-14), and the Chandogya Upanishad (8.15.1). For instance, many Hindus point to the Mahabharata's maxim that "Nonviolence is the highest duty and the highest teaching," as advocating a vegetarian diet. It is also reflected in the Manu Smriti (5.27-44), a particularly renowned traditional Hindu law book (Dharma??stra). These texts strongly condemn the slaughter of animals and meat eating.
Sutras
Baudhayana says (Baudhayana Dharmasutra), carnivorous animals, tamed birds, pigs, cocks should not be eaten. Five toed animals, animals with cloven hoofs, birds that feed scratching with their feet, etc. may be eaten. Apastamba (Apastamba Dharmasutra) gives another list of animals not to be eaten. He also mentioned that during Shraddha meat should be offered to the ancestors.
Maps History of Brahmin diet
Early Brahmins of South India
Some of the south Indian Brahmins during the sutra period, like those of North India were meat eaters. Kapilar(Pu?an????u, poems 113,119), a poet in ancient Tamil Country, says:
Buddhism and Jainism
Starting from the last few centuries B.C., Buddhism and Jainism contributed much to the belief that nonviolence is supremely valued which stimulated growing hostility to the slaughter of live animals.
Practitioners' views on Brahmin vegetarianism
The non-influence
As opposed to the popular views propagated by non-practicing Western and Indian sociologists and Indologists, the notion of Brahmin vegetarianism is not directly due to the influence of Buddhism or Jainism. Buddhism could not itself influence its followers to adhere to the idea of total ahimsa as most Buddhists from the times of the Buddha till today are meat eaters. Theravada Buddhist tradition interprets the last meal of Buddha offered by Cunda to be pork, to which they attach no stigma or see no violation of the ahimsa principle. Buddhist vegetarianism is a rare concept even in Buddhist countries like Myanmar and Thailand. Even Buddhism's most famous patron, Emperor Ashoka, did not ban killing of animals and birds in entirety. Rather, Ashoka's animal welfare policies only restricted the species of animals that can be killed for food in addition to banning ritual sacrifices of animals on the premise that it is wasteful. Vegetarianism never was a principle to be strictly adhered to in Buddhism and no social stigma was attached to Buddhists who eat meat even in India, the land of its origin. This is reasonably clear from the fact that the austerities of Jainism which includes strictest form of vegetarianism long pre-dated Buddha's birth and did not apparently influence Buddha's eating habits after his enlightenment. Buddha and Buddhists continued to eat meat so long they were assured that the animal was not killed specifically for the feeding the bhikshus.
The alternative hypothesis that Jainism influenced Brahmin vegetarianism does not stand ground too as the Brahmins continued their ritual sacrifices and practices right through Mahavira, Buddha and the Charvakas' time and thereafter, even as the latter severely ridiculed such practices. Neither Jainism, Buddhism nor the Charvaka sect could make significant impact on Brahmninistic dietary practices as yajnas and ritual sacrifices continued unbridled till the late middle ages and thereafter. The 13th century Telugu poet Tikkana earned the title Somayaji after performing the grand Somayaga involving animal sacrifice; anything sacrificed at the Yajna being sacrosanct to Brahmins. Also, Ashvamedha yaga involving ritual sacrifice of horses continued at least from the time of Pusyamitra Sunga (2nd century A.D.) till Jaipur's Raja Jai Singh II of 18th century negating the view that Buddhism or Jainism could have influenced Brahministic vegetarianism. The 17th century Telugu philosopher poet Yogi Vemana chides the Brahmin Somayaji Template:Misleading. Nowhere it was mentioned that Somayaji was a brahmin. for forcefully killing a sacrificial goat in the following padyam, clearly indicating the clear absence of Buddhist / Jain influences as late as 17th century.
???? ???????? ???? ????????????? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ?????????????????????? ?????????? peru somajayi penu simhabaludaaye
mekapotu batti medanu viruva
kani kratuvu valana kaluguna mokshambu
viswadabhirama vinuravema
(His name is Somajaji, mighty is his strength
as he twists the neck of the sacrificial goat
Will he attain moksa with this useless sacrifice?
Beloved of Viswada, listen to Vema)
It is a popular misconception that all Brahmins are vegetarians. Vegetarianism is generally true for the pancha-dravida brahmins like Iyers, Iyengars, Namboothiris, Telugu Brahmins of all sub-sects, Kannada Brahmins, Maharashtra, Gujarati and Rajasthani Brahmins. It is not as generally true for the pancha-gauda brahmins of North and East India. It is well known that the Bengali and Oriya Brahmins are meat eaters. While the Brahmins of the Ganga, Yamuna belt west of Bengal are generally vegetarians, we do see exceptions. Kashmiri Brahmins are said to be meat eaters.
The greatest influence
The greatest influence on Brahmin diet has, by far, been the yoga sutras of Patanjali, which expounded the theory and practice of Raja Yoga. While there have been other schools of yoga, Raja yoga gained greatest prominence as it is suitable for a practitioner to remain a householder and yet transcend the eight stages of yoga (ashthanga yoga). Although ahimsa, among others, is mentioned as a part of yama, the first step of ashthanga yoga paddhati, it is generally viewed as an abstinence of mental animosity towards any living creature as one of the means to achieve stillness of mind. The concept of ahimsa has never been taken as an end in itself and certainly not to the level of the moral strictures of the Jains. Killing pests, dangerous animals and enemies of the nation are seen as virtuous acts as opposed to the hands-off philosophy of the Jains. General masses adopt the philosophies of Buddhism, Jainism and Vedanta interchangeably in a culture that integrated the Jain religion and deified Buddha in to the Hindu pantheon.
Food having gunas (qualities)
The proliferation of Raja yoga also brought with it the notions of spiritual purity of various kinds of food and their importance in practitioners' life. Various foods are categorized along the lines of the gunas that impact the spiritual progress of the practitioner. Accordingly, food is classified as Sattva, Rajas and Tamas based on the observed impact they have on spiritual progress. Sattvic diet is a diet based on foods in Ayurveda and Yoga literature that contain sattva quality (guna). In this system of dietary classification, foods that harm the mind or body are considered Tamasic, while those that are neither positive or negative are considered Rajasic. Sattvic diet is meant to include food and eating habit that is "pure, essential, natural, vital, energy-containing, clean, conscious, true, honest, wise". Sattvic diet is a regimen that places emphasis on seasonal foods, fruits, dairy products, nuts, seeds, oils, ripe vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and non-meat based proteins. Some Sattvic diet suggestions, such as its relative emphasis on dairy products, is controversial. Sattvic diet is sometimes referred to as yogic diet in modern literature. In ancient and medieval era Yoga literature, the concept discussed is Mitahara, which literally means "moderation in eating".
Since the Brahmins are ordained to follow a lifestyle that ensures the spiritual progress of themselves and that of the society, they have adopted Sattvic diet. Kshatriyas and others who need to be physically and mentally engaged in the worldly affairs are allowed non-Sattvic diet, although they can choose to be vegetarians. For example, Vishwamitra, a meat eating Kshatriya, took to austerities as he aspired to become a Brahmarshi, whereas Parasurama, a brahmana, remained actively engaged in his war against the Kshatriyas. There have been Brahmin clans that have originated from Kshatriya lineages, like Haritasa, Aghamarshana, Satamarshana gotras that have renunciated Rajasic diet for a Sattvic diet based on their individual spiritual goals. Therefore, Brahmin diet is primarily based on the path (i.e., Raja yoga etc.,) and the spiritual aspiration of the individual / clan.
Recent research indicating pre-?rama?a origins
While the yogasutras of Patanjali are dated somewhere between 500 B.C. to 400 C.E., Patanjali was not the founder of the yogic school of philosophy. Rather, Patanjali drew upon the vedantic literature Like the Upanishads and Samkhya philosophy both of which have Vedic roots. The influence of Samkhya on yogasutras is so great that some scholars preferred not to distinguish yoga as separate from Samkhya, rather presented it as another form of Samkhya. More recent scholarship establishes the origins of Samkhya in the vicinity of 1500 B.C. noting its influence on Buddhist and Yoga schools of Indian philosophy.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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