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42/MANAV DHARMA
The green roots and vegetables and unboiled products like green ginger turmeric, radish, carrot, sweet potato, butter, cauliflower are such products which are less beneficial to the body; which contain minutest germs and more harmful than profitable for the human body and hence the followers of Ahimsa Vrata must abstain themselves from their use. Their use may stupify the pure thoughts of a man; may hurt his piousness and may cause Himsa as most of them are the breeding grounds of various living organisms. These have been proved both by experience and by Ayurvedic shastras or medical science.
यदनिष्टं तदव्रतयेद्यच्चानुप - सेव्यमे तदपिजह्यात् । अभिसन्धिकृता विरतिर्विषयाद्योग्याद्व्रतं भवति ॥ ८६ ॥
Explanation :
That which is undesirable is to be given up, also that which does not become (the exalted), because deliberate refraining from the use of suitable (useful or sanctioned) objects is a Vow (Vrata).
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Note: As no one ever takes what is undesirable, asceticism only consists in refraining from the use of that which is desirable.
Description :
Such food stuffs or such other food products need the abstinence which are bound to cause harm or loss to our body. Can there be a man who will take the poison deliberately and will then lose his life? similarly such food or other products may not be so harmful to the body comparatively, but which are not fit for adaptation in daily life, then, look who will dare to accept them? Will a father like to take the meals at her daughter's place? The meaning to explain is that to refrain from such things can not be called renunciation because the reality of renunciation vests in those articles, objects and products, which are useful for us; which can be brought in use by us. To give up such objects with an indifferent attitude is called Renunciation.
To illustrate it more clearly, suppose all the teeth of a man have broken or he has lost all the teeth and it is very difficult for him even to eat the bread easily. Now if such man abandons himself from eating the grams or from sucking the sugar cane or eating such hard objects, then this abandonment will not be taken as Renunciation. Or take another example. An old man, who is helpless, lying on the bed, unable to make free movements and even he needs assistance of others for making urine or Latrine and if that man says that he has refrained himself from copulation with another woman. Is he going to be appreciated? This is nothing but reminding us about the fox and the grapes. When a fox, inspite of her best of
