Idea of Ahimsa and Asceticism in Ancient Indian Tradition

Author(s): Bansidhar Bhatt
Publisher: B J Institute

Page 68

6. HOLY-COW IN INDIAN TRADITION (a) Vedic religion :
We have yet to examine the belief in holy-cow and problems connected with it. We have earlier stated that the belief in cow's sanctity in Hinduism has such a powerful impact on almost all Indians that even a non-vegetarian among them will abstain from beef eating but will enjoy other meat-preparations in his diet. The belief has resulted in prohibition of cowslaughter in India, especially in and around the thickly populated Hindu-colonies (including Sikhs, Jainas, etc.). Cow in Hinduism of to-day is regarded as sacred and consecreted to a status of a deity. It is holy almost for all Hindus. But by examining the existing literature early from the Vedas upto the tenth century of our era, passa ges about the holy-cow taboo are almost wanting. On the contrary, we find many references to beef eating and cow-slaughter. In the Vedic rituals, the officiating priest is obliged to consume first, the meat, and the sacrificer followed him afterwords. A priest refusing to eat meat in the sacrifice is met with dire consequences. It is needless to add that even cow was not an exception from animals to be offered in sacrifices. The brahmanical texts teach the house holders to respect their guest and the ascetics, and to feed them unto their satisfaction. If they are maltreated, the house holders get as a result, their evil karmas. The guests including the ascetics must not go away unfed by the host (cf. MS 3.100 fol. and ibid. 5.35; also cf. Wezler-1 p.115). A priest is treated to be a guest of the sacrificer. He takes initiative in, and the burden of, killing an animal in sacrifice. Hence the sacrificer - the host - is prepared to partake of the meat.
In Vedic literature beef has been given preference in entertaining a brahmin guest at home. It was customary. The Satapatha-B. instructs the host to cook and serve the goat for entertaining a royal or a brahmin guest:
... atithir va eşa etasya gacchati ... tasma ... yatha rajne va brahmana ya va mahokşam va mahajam va pacet /(SB.3.4.1.2).
The Ait.B. (3.4.6) also refers to the beef-preparation f feasting a guest. What the SB has to say about entertaining a guest is repeated in the VDS:
athåpi brahmanaya va rajanyaya vabhya gata ya mahokşánam va mahajam paced ... atithyam kurvanti / (VDS 4.8)