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Is it permissible in Hinduism to donate blood? I have no idea whether Hinduism ever talk about blood donation! Are there any slokas regarding this?

The Destroyer
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Santanu Debnath
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    I have heard of Hinduism prohibiting organ donation while alive (it's fine to take from a dead body though), but I'm not sure about blood donation. – Keshav Srinivasan May 31 '17 at 14:42
  • I think allowed. See Sushruta Samhita – The Destroyer May 31 '17 at 16:26
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    @TheDestroyer Sushruta Samhita is not a Hindu text. It is just written by a Hindu. They are not considered religious texts. – Sarvabhouma Jun 25 '17 at 09:27
  • @KeshavSrinivasan blood donation is allowed but organ donation is not allowed at any time. After death the body has to be burned as it is. Without removing any organ from body. – Praveen Gaikwad Jun 26 '17 at 11:24
  • @PraveenGaikwad What is your source for this claim ? – happybuddha Jul 04 '18 at 04:28
  • @happybuddha You wont find any source in case of donation after death. TO understand about my claim you have to understand "Why do we burn body after death?". for the answer you can refer this. I hope this might help. You can donate as long as you are alive. But once dead it has to be burned as it is. Sorry for being late. If you have any problem let me know. – Praveen Gaikwad Aug 19 '18 at 04:30
  • Any action done for social good as a duty, without attachment to the fruits of the action is always superior. – User 29449 Dec 09 '23 at 14:08

1 Answers1

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Why Hindu Dharma will stop someone from saving a life? Hindu Dharma promotes donation instead. To save a life, whatever sacrifices you have to make, that will be real dharma. And your those sacrifices will make you a pure soul or dharmatma. To save a life whatever one has to do that will be Dharma.

Now let's see some examples by which you will come to know that sacrifices are a necessary part of Dharma. Dharma can't be completed without sacrifice.

  • An ancestor of Shree Ram named as Maharaja Shibi sacrificed his whole body to save life of a bird.

  • Another ancestor of Shree Ram named as Raja Harish Chandra, who sold his own wife and children in open market just to save his promise (रघुकुल रीत सदा चली आयी, प्राण जाये पर वचन न जाये ).

  • In Mahabharata, Karna did donate his life saving armour to Indra.
  • It is stated in last lines of Satya Narayan katha that A vaishya named as Sadhu gets moksha by cut down (आरे से चीयर कर) his own Son with chainsaw.
  • Bhagwaan Parshuram also chopped head of his own mother just to fulfill his promise given to his father.

Now what will you ask by seeing those examples? may be something like this, Is selling own family in market allowed in Hinduism or chopping head of own Mother is allowed in Hiduism? There are many more examples can be found in history...

Now think again what you are asking, You are asking Blood Donation is allowed on hinduism... Just see those examples and you will come to know blood donation is a very very small thing in front of those sacrifices which are being done by great Dharmatma by getting inspiration from Hindu Dharma.

You are worrying about blood donation but people have sacrificed their body, own wife and children and even mother just to save their Dharma.

Let me clear my points. As per Bhagavat Geeta, Dharma is totally depended upon situation. Hence Dharma changes every second. One karma(deeds) which is Dharma right now that same Karma can be a sin also in different time or situation.

For example: Telling lie is sin, but if that lie is being told to save someone then that sin is greater than truth said by Shree Krishna in Bhagwat Geeta.

Hence our karma itself can't be bad or good but instead our intention behind that karma makes our karma bad or good. If your intention is pure than no sin can be done with your hand. Whatever Karma (whether blood donation or anything else) you will do that karma can be sin(paap) or Saintly(punya) depends on situation. There is no such karma exist in this world who can always be Saintly or always be sin.

Hence those sacrifices which I have shown above must seem so cruel on first sight but those sacrifices are totally correct in point of view of Hindu Dharma. As I said, all karma depends on situation. Sometimes a situation comes in life when two dharma conflict with each other. For example.. In one of above example, one conflict was between saving a promise or saving a family. Then in that tricky situation (Dharma Sankat). One has to decide which Dharma is greater and he/she has to follow that Dharma by giving up on other. In above example saving a promise is more important than saving own family as per Hindu Dharma.

Vishvam
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  • What is the story of Satyanarayana katha where sadhu kills his own son? Parashu rama killed his mother because of his father's orders. It is more of an order than promise. – Sarvabhouma Jun 26 '17 at 05:10
  • @SreeCharan Parshurama did coz of his promise, not coz of his father's order. He did promise to his father that whatever command/order you will give me, I will obey that order without asking question. So his father told to kill his mother. – Vishvam Jun 26 '17 at 07:17
  • That is Pitruvaakyaparipalana. Just like Sri Rama. It counts as fulfilling orders of the father. It's not a promise. When we obey elders' words, it doesn't count as promise. It is a responsibility. – Sarvabhouma Jun 26 '17 at 08:43
  • @sreecharan Are you saying father's order is more valuable than the life of mother? As per hinduism mother takes far more superior place than Father in someones life. Mother's command is more important than father's. – Vishvam Jun 26 '17 at 08:57
  • Yes,He just followed his father's words.We should not disobey father's words.His brothers refused to kill their mother an das a result, Jamadagni ordered to kill them too. Parashurama did not object his father's words. After completing his task, Jamadagni offered a boon. In that boon,Parashu rama asked for revival of his mother and brothers. So, this proves that he did have compassion for his mother and brothers. We should not take the purana statement literally that guru>mother>father. Father and mother are equal. We should not see difference in them. For further comments, use chat. – Sarvabhouma Jun 26 '17 at 09:03
  • @sreeCharan You are totally wrong on your point. Parshurama has given promise to his father and that is the fact. Please read story again from trusted source. If father and mother are equal then why He found father's order more valuable than Mother's life since they both are equal? – Vishvam Jun 26 '17 at 09:08
  • Comments are not for discussion. Use a chat room instead. What I read was not wrong. It doesn't count as a promise when done to father. It is "pitruvakya paripalana.- obeying father's words". – Sarvabhouma Jun 26 '17 at 09:11
  • @SreeCharan When Maharishi Jamdagney gave order to their children then they refused to kill their mother. Then Maharishi got very sad and and sat down quitly. When Parshurama came from kailash mountain after trained by Lord Shiv then he saw his father in a very sad mood and meet him and asked reason of his sadness. Then Maharishi replied that my sons are not obeying my order. That's why I am so unhappy. He has doubt that if he ask Parshurama to kill his mother then he will also refuse like his other son. When Parshurama said I will obey your command....[continue..] – Vishvam Jun 26 '17 at 09:24
  • @SreeCharan Then his father ask him to make promise that you won't deny my order (coz he had doubt that he will also refuse like his other sons). Then Parshurama said I promise that I will obey your command without asking a single question. Then he ordered to kill his mother. – Vishvam Jun 26 '17 at 09:27
  • @Rishabh Be respectful to other users. – The Destroyer Jun 26 '17 at 14:15
  • Why do you think that I flagged your answer? I have priorities than flagging your answer. Keep your words straight in comments. Use a proper language while commenting. Don't make false assumptions without knowing completely. – Sarvabhouma Jun 26 '17 at 14:16
  • @SreeCharan I recieved msg to add reference just after having conversation with you. What else I could think on this? – Vishvam Jun 27 '17 at 04:34
  • So, this is the excuse? You foul mouth someone and not even a sorry for that!!? There are hundreds of users with flagging privilege and more than 9k visits for the site. Any one could do that. Assuming by yourself without confirming is very bad and not a wise thing to do. I hope you won't do it again. Don't extends discussion here. Please use chat. I will be there if you want to discuss anything. – Sarvabhouma Jun 27 '17 at 15:12
  • @SreeCharan My apologies, I quickly jump on conclusion so early. – Vishvam Jun 27 '17 at 17:58