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136
A GULTRAL STUDY OF THE NISITHA QURNI
The leafy vegetables were called by a generic term saka or säga. 1 Certain vegetables were held in contempt by the Jainas because of their very species (jatidugunchita). Onion (palaṁdu) and garlic (laşuna) have been specially cited as examples 2 and their use was severely condemned by the Jaina monks. The avoidance or contempt against the use of onion and garlic may be traced from the earliest times. Both the contemporary Chinese travellers, Yuan Chwange and I-Tsings , noted that the people generally avoided the use of onion and garlic.
Meat Diet-Besides the vegetarian diet the non-vegetarian food was also consumed. Meat-diet was prominent amongst the lower castes, but even the higher castes like the Brāhmaṇas? seem to have had no objections to meat-eating. The animals were sacrificed in the sacrifices (yaj ña );& evidently, the meat of the animal thus sacrificed was partaken by the sacrificers. People usually abstained from meat-eating during the month of Kārtika at the end of which feasts ( samkhadi) were observed in which meat-preparations were first offered to the Brahmaņas and were later partaken by the other members. During the exceptional circumstances the Brāhmaṇas were permitted to take even impure meat like that of dogs. 10 It was 1. NG. 1, p. 51; NO. 2, p. 65. 2. जातिदुगुंछितं जहा लसुणमादी, आदिग्गहणेणं पलंडुण्हेसुरुंडगफलं तालफलं च-NC.
3, p. 489; cf. Brh. V:. 2, p. 277. 3. Sec--Mahābhārata, Anušāsana parva, 91. 38-39; Manusmrti, 10. 126
Fa-Hien also informs us that onion and garlic were taken only by
Candālas-Legge, A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms, p. 43. 4. Watters, op. cit., II, p. 178. 5. Takakusu, op. cit., pp. 45, 138. 6. NC. 3, pp. 518, 521. 7. NC. 2, p. 223: NC. 3, pp. 429, 527. 8. fūt aguon to ao fa rifaha NC. 3, p. 429. 9. कत्तियमासादि अमंसभक्खणवते गहिते तम्मि पुण्णे मंसादिपगरणं काउं धिज्जातियाण
art Tool FIATA-NC. 3, p. 223. 10. The Brāhmanas can be seen killing their own dogs in order to take their
mcat to save their life while being lost in a desert ( NC. 3, p. 527; cf. Brh. Bhā. 1, 1013-16). The Vedic authorities also allow mcat-oating
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