Idea of Ahimsa and Asceticism in Ancient Indian Tradition

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

Page 74

7. THE VEGETARIANISM.
(a) Brahmanism:
Vegetarianism advocates strickly a vegetable diet, excluding meat, fish, eggs, and sometimes also animal products, such as milk, butter, etc. In vegetables, can be included plants, seeds and the like which demand here a special discussion to give an idea how they were treated in the early Indian tradition and how the practice of vegetarianism developed and was connected with the ahimsa in course of time.
Almost all Indian religions teach animism in almost all spheres. Earlier, Vedic ritualists believed the world full of animism. Tait. Sam. says:
"O Earth, the worshipper of gods, may I not injure root of thy
plant, “'
prthvi deva-yajany oșadhyas te malam ma hiņșişam / (1.1.9.1)
And, it is further stated that :
"Pure are the intentions, peace to the waters, to plants, to earth, to days and nights, o Plant, protect him. O Sword, do not hurt him."
suddhas caritraḥ sam adbhyaḥ sam osadhibhyaḥ sam prthivyai sam ahobhyam, oșadhe, trayasvainam svadhite mainam himsih / (Tait. Sam. 1.3.9. 1-2)
The brahmins avoided agriculture as a means of earning for their livelihood, according to the Manusmrti, e.g.
... krsim yatnena vårayet ... ! (MS 10.83)
He should avoid it strenuously, since it involves himsa. An act of ploughing the fields and digging in the ground injures the earth and insects etc. living in it. The Manusmrti declares :
1. For animism in literature, religion, etc. see Paul Thieme : "Beseelung
in Sprache, Dichtung and Religion" (Kl. Sch. 1971. pp.313-324) ; also ; Wezler-1. p. 87, fn.252 ; Schmit hausen-1. pp.3 fol.