Madhuvidya

Author(s): S D Laddu, T N Dharmadhikari, Madhvi Kolhatkar, Pratibha Pingle
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 559

420
M. A. MEHENDALE
ahimsäd, it was enough if one avoided killing the animal oneself or took care to see that the meat eaten as food was not specially prepared for him. If these conditions were satisfied, meat-eating could not be looked upon as himså. In the stage that followed, however, certain animals were totally prohibited from being used as food, whether one observed the above conditions or not; and even the permitted animals could not be eaten during certain parts of the year or of the month. The third stage in the spread of vegetarianism was marked by permitting meat-eating only in sacrifices, śrāddha ceremonies, and hospitality to guests. Outside these ceremonial occasions, no meat-eating of any sort was permitted. The fact that the ritual meat-eating continued until the third stage is a clear proof of the great influence exercised by the Vedic injunctions on the minds of people. The final stage in this long history was marked by a total and absolute ban on meat-eating, whether done as a part of a ritual or otherwise, and whether the animal was killed by or for oneself or not. This must have been, for those times, a very bold decision indeed.
The fifth chapter of the Manusmriti is an important source for the history of vegetarianism in India. It is curious to find the different historical stages reflected in the 'same' text. In this chapter Manu is shown as giving a discourse on the causes for the God of Death having an upper hand in relation to men versed in the Vedic texts. This happens, says Manu, due to the neglect of Vedic studies and other rules of conduct, due to laziness, and due to faults of food. This gives him an occasion for prescribing what may be eaten and what should be avoided. He starts ruling out as food even some vegetables like garlic, leek, and onion and then goes on to enumerate certain animals and birds which were to be regarded as improper for food. Fish of any sort has been condemned outright because one who eats fish is an eater of every kind of meat. Such a detailed enumeration gives the impression that those animals and birds which are not excluded by the law-giver may serve as articles of food.
The growing influence of the doctrine of ahimsa and its practical effect seen in the spread of vegetarianism had its impact on the performance of Vedic sacrifices. These latter, in order to be successful, had to be performed according to Vedic injunctions which prescribed, among many other things, killing
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