Idea of Ahimsa and Asceticism in Ancient Indian Tradition

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

Page 69

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THE IDEA OF AHIMSA ....
and it instructs to serve beef to the guests, viz. the brahmins, the rajanyas or the warriors, or any other invited. The Skh.GS advises to entertain a guest by serving him beef, or meat of any other animal, or a simple food (meal), but further remarks that the host should serve invariably the meat in hospitality:
go-pasum ajam annam ... namamsoʻrghah syat /(Skh.GS.2.15.1).
Since it was obligatory to entertain a guest by serving him invariably the beef, the epithet like "goghna" ("cow-killer") e.g.
daśa-goghnau sampradane / (Paņini's Așta dhyayi: 3.4.73) came into being as a synonym for guests in vedic times (cf. Wezler-1 p.82, fn.244). In SB (3.1.2.21), Yajnavalkya expresses his special taste for the beef, provided it is tender ! Offer of a cow was ordained for the argha, the second asta ka, and the metrimonial rites (cf. AGS. 3.9). The Manusmrti (3.268-271) explains how much a brahmin would be satisfied in receiving meat of which particular animal in the Sraddha rites for the manes (pitrs, the dead). The verse 271 informs that the beef, if served in the Sraddha rites satisfies the pitrs for one full year ! In the context, the word: "gavaya" in this verse has to be interpreted as "beef" (gava ya = go-mamsa) on an analogy of a similar injuction in the ADS:
samvatsaram gavayena pritiḥ bhd yamsam ato mahişeņa .../ ĀDS.2.16.26-28; cf. Alsdorf-1 pp.57-58).
Vasistha's DS. informs about an offering of the meat of milchcow and oxen in the vajasaneyaka:
... dhenv-anaduhau medhyau vajasaneyake vijna yate | (VDS. 14.45 fol.; cf. ADS. 1.17.30. fol.).
(b) Edicts of Asoka and other sources :
Even the emperor Asoka (ca. 3rd cent. BC) has not mentioned any prohibition of cow-slaughter in different edicts and inscriptions which abound in his propagation of the ahimsa or analambha (non-injury, non-killing) and show his benevolent and compassionate attitude based on the pious dharma of the time. In his fifth pillar edict, he promulgated prohibition against