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It many cause evil activities and with it a downfall in our life. Good and pure food consisting of corn fruit, milk, vegetables etc. help to bring about purity and pleasantness of mind. Consequently, the soul is uplifted. So as a first step, a tamshic and rajashic diet should be abandoned. Hence, the importance of abstaining from the 22 non-eatables (abhaksyas). 'Abhaksyas' means forbiden articles of food. We may not eat them and yet we may incur a sin, if we have not taken a vow.
A vow must be taken to give up such forbidden diet, so that we may be saved from many a sin.
Twnenty-two Abhaksyas (Prohibited Articles of Food):
(1) Honey (2) Butter (3) Meat (4) Liquor (5) Ice (6) Hail stones (7) Poison (8) Clay (9) Berry pickles (10) Night eating (11) Dvidal (12) Chalit-rasa (13) Many-seeded vegetables (14) Brinjals (15) Triflefruits (16) Unknow fruits (17) Pods of Banyan trees (18) Pods of Umbara (19) Pods of black umbara (20) Pods of plux (21) Pods of Paras Pipal (22) Anantakaya.
The time for using Confectionery, Khakhara and Ata (corn powder) is stated below. They should be eaten if they are within certain duration. But they become non-eatable if the time limit is crossed. Sometimes many of these things go bad even during the period mentioned, then they should not be eaten.
1. From Ashad Sudi Punam to Kartik Sudi Punam-15 days.
2. Kartak Sudi Punam to Fagan Sudi Punam-30 days.
3. Fagan Sudi Punam to Ashad Sudi Punam-20 days.
Mangoes and Rayan-fruits become non-eatable after the Sun enters Adra Constellation (June 21). Dates, dry dates (khaek), dry fruits and all types of Bhajis (tandal, methi, kothmir, patarvelia etc. are non-eatable for eight months from Fagan Sudi Chaudash to Kartik Sudi Punam.
We do not eat many things due to our family tradition, tradition of our country or general custom. But as we have not taken a vow. We still incur a sin. We must take a vow. It is not enough that we abstain from eating forbidden things. Out of twenty-two non-eatables, there are four Maha Vigais viz. liquor, meat, honey and butter. Even scriptures of non-Jains say that aforesaid four articles breed colonies of microgerms at every moment and these perish the same way. If we even eat a drop of honey, we incur a sin equal to or greater than that of burning of seven villages.
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