----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2006 12:25
AM
Subject: Re: [Assam] beef-eating in
india: History is from Hindu texts?
Pl comment on the following:
Pl. see what Ambedkar quotes
from Hindu texts. Given that he was educated in the West - Columbia Univ,
London Sch. of Economics etc , Germany etc -we can believe that his quotes are
not fabricated (any questions about tis assumption?) .
His quotes from Rig Ved show that cow is Aghnya -NOT to be killed.
Smaller texts (counterparts of Christian Gospel of Judas --or followed by
some strange , anti-social Tantrik sects perhaps , like those who spoke in
favor of human sacrifice etc also - I have never heard of these texts )
mention some cow/oxen sacrifice.
Moral of the story --- mainstream Hindus discouraged and opposed cow
killing (just like mainstream Western civilization opposes polygamy and
dog/rat/snake-eating) --however, certain sects (like Christian sects of Mormon
deviant -Christ Church of Latter Day Saints of Warren Jeff promote
polygamy even now -50,000 practicing in US) had certain deviant practices of
cow sacriices etc.
Why not allow polygamy or dog eating in US ?
Any comments?
Umesh
What is the evidence in support
of the construction that the Hindus never ate beef and were opposed to the
killing of the cow?
There are two series of
references in the Rig Veda on which reliance is placed. In one of these, the
cow is spoken of as Aghnya. They are Rig Veda 1.164, 27; IV.1.6; V 82-8;
V11.69. 71; X.87. Aghnya means one who does not deserve to be killed. From
this, it is argued that this was a prohibition against the killing of the cow
and that since the Vedas are the final authority in the matter of religion, it
is concluded that the Aryans could not have killed the cows, much less could
they have eaten beef. In another series of references the cow is spoken of as
sacred. They are Rig Veda V1.28.1.8. and VIII, 101. 15. In these verses the
cow is addressed as Mother of Rudras, the Daughter of Vasus, the Sister of the
Adityas and the Centre of Nectar. Another reference on the subject is in Rig
Veda VIII. 101. 16 where the cow is called Devi (Goddess).
Reliance is also placed on
certain passages in the Brahmanas and Sutras.
There are two passages in the
Satapatha Brahmana which relate to animal sacrifice and beef-eating. One is at
111.1.2.21 and reads as follows:
He (the Adhvaryu) then makes
him enter the hall. Let him not eat (the flesh) of either the cow or the ox,
for the cow and the ox doubtless support everything here on earth. The gods
spake, verily, the cow and the ox support everything here; come, let us
bestow on the cow and the ox whatever vigour belonged to other species (of
animals); and therefore the cow and the ox eat most Hence were one to eat (the
flesh) of an ox or a cow, there would be, as it were, an eating of everything,
or, as it were, a going to the end (or, to destruction)... Let him therefore
not eat (the flesh) of the cow and the ox.
The other passage is at 1, 2,
3, 6. It speaks against animal sacrifice and on ethical grounds.
A similar statement is
contained in the Apastambha Dharma Sutra at 1, 5, 17, 29. Apastambha lays a
general embargo on the eating of cow's flesh.
Such is the evidence in support
of the contention that the Hindus never ate beef. What conclusion can be drawn
from this evidence?
So far as the evidence from the
Rig Veda is concerned the conclusion is based on a misreading and
misunderstanding of the texts. The adjective Aghnya applied to the cow in the
Rig Veda means a cow that was yielding milk and therefore not fit for being
killed. That the cow is venerated in the Rig Veda is of course true. But this
regard and veneration of the cow are only to be expected from an agricultural
community like the Indo-Aryans. This application of the utility of the cow did
not prevent the Aryan from killing the cow for purposes of food. Indeed the
cow was killed because the cow was regarded as sacred. As observed by Mr. P.V.
Kane: It was not that the cow was not sacred in Vedic times, it was because
of her sacredness that it is ordained in the Vajasaneyi Samhita that beef
should be eaten.
That the Aryans of the Rig Veda
did kill cows for purposes of food and ate beef is abundantly clear from the
Rig Veda itself. In Rig Veda (X. 86.14) Indra says: They cook for one 15 plus
twenty oxen. The Rig Veda (X.91.14) says that for Agni were sacrificed
horses, bulls, oxen, barren cows and rams. From the Rig Veda (X.72.6) it
appears that the cow was killed with a sword or axe.
As to the testimony of the
Satapatha Bramhana, can it be said to be conclusive? Obviously, it cannot be.
For there are passages in the other Bramhanas which give a different opinion.
To give only one instance.
Among the Kamyashtis set forth in the Taittiriya Bramhana, not only the
sacrifice of oxen and cows are laid down, but we are even told what kind and
description of oxen and cows are to be offered to what deities. Thus, a dwarf
ox is to be chosen for sacrifice to Vishnu; a drooping horned bull with a
blaze on the forehead to Indra as the destroyer of Vritra; a black cow to
Pushan; a red cow to Rudra; and so on. The Taittiriya Bramhana notes another
sacrifice called Panchasaradiya-seva, the most important element of which was
the immolation of seventeen five-year old humpless, dwraf-bulls, and as many
dwarf heifers under three year-old.
.
The killing of cow for the
guest had grown to such an extent that the guest came to be called Go-ghna
which means the killer of the cow. To avoid this slaughter of the cows the
Ashvateyana Grahya Sutra (1.24.25) suggests that the cow should be let loose
when the guest comes so as to escape the rule of etiquette
.
Umesh
xourov pathok <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
---
umesh sharma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:
> Pl comment on the
Ambedkar's quotes of cow killing
> -in my other post.
>
i could not find ambedkar's quotes in your other
mails, but i
presume you mean the comments made
here:
http://www.countercurrents.org/dalit-ambekarbeef050703.htm
do
you want me to comment on this?
That the Aryans of the Rig
Veda did kill cows for
purposes of food and ate beef is abundantly clear
from
the Rig Veda itself. In Rig Veda (X. 86.14) Indra
says: âThey
cook for one 15 plus twenty oxenâ. The
Rig Veda (X.91.14) says that for
Agni were sacrificed
horses, bulls, oxen, barren cows and rams. From
the
Rig Veda (X.72.6) it appears that the cow was killed
with a sword
or axe.
i would say he does not contradict jha and
achaya.
__________________________________________________
Do
You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection
around
http://mail.yahoo.com
_______________________________________________
assam mailing
list
[email protected]
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
Umesh
Sharma
5121 Lackawanna ST
College Park, MD 20740
1-202-215-4328
[Cell Phone]
Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate
School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
weblog:
http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
To help you stay safe and secure online, we've
developed the all new Yahoo!
Security Centre.
_______________________________________________
assam mailing
list
[email protected]
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
