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It so happens that while taking food at night, we may eat food contaminated by sputum of poisonous insects and we succumb to death. Reports of such deaths are often found in newpapers. Markandeya Muni says in the Markandeya Puran as under :
अस्तं गते दिवानाथे आपो रुधिरमुच्यते । अन्नं मांससमं प्रोक्तं मार्कण्डेयमहर्षिणा ॥
"To drink water at night is equal to drinking blood, eating at night is equal to eating meat. He who eats at night is reborn as an owl, a crow, a cat, a vulture, a pig, a snake, a sleuth, a stage or a scorpion. We should not eat food two ghadies (48 minutes) prior to the sunset and also after sunrise. We should abstain from food and drink at night. Eating at night leads us to hell. Birds and beasts generally abstain from eating at night. We should eat only after the sunrise.
An Italian poet says:
To rise at 5 a.m., to eat at 6 a.m., to take supper at 5 p.m. and to sleep at 9 p.m., makes our life long enough to last for 99 years.
Food contaminated with a louse causes ascitis dropsy (Jalandar). If a fly is swallowed with food, we get vomitting. A spider will cause leucoderma. A scorpion, if eaten, will pierce our palal. A lizard in food results into death. A mosquioto in food would bring fever and a snake's poison would kill us. Any poison, if taken with food accidently, will cause stools and vomitting. A hair in food will disturb our voice-box. Scholars, Indian as well as non-Indian forbid eating at night.
The following scholars forbid eating at night :
1. Mr. T. Hartley, A.R.D.A. in his book, 'Healing by Water'
2. Prof. Albert J. Bollege. M.D. in his book, 'Philosophy of eating'.
3. Dr. Liu Col. in his work, 'Tuberculosis and the suntreatment'.
4, S. Parett, M.D. in his work, 'A Healthy Life'.
5. Dr. Ramesh Mishra and many others also forbid eating at night. The Illustration of Laxman And Vanmala:
It is said in the Jain Ramayan that during exile in the forest Laxman married Vanmala and asked leave of her promising her to return at the end of twelve years. Vanmala would not allow him to leave her, Laxman hen vowes that if he would not keep his promise, he would commit a sin of murdering a woman, a child or a cow, but she was not convinced. Thereupon, Laxman pleadged
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