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Ramakrishna Paramahamsa known as a very well Shakta mystic and yogi. Most of his followers consider him as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. However, Lord Vishnu is known to be a vegetarian. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is said to have taken fish. So why would he take fish if he was Vishnu avatara?

  • Lord Rama who was a Vishnu avatara ate meat. So? – Rickross Jun 15 '17 at 16:33
  • @Rickross there isn't complete evidence of that –  Jun 15 '17 at 16:35
  • https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/2002/was-lord-rama-a-non-vegetarian – Rakesh Joshi Jun 15 '17 at 17:09
  • I heard Bengali's used to eat Fish and treat as a Vegetarian and no need of discussing about eat Meat. More info Check this: https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/15135/did-swami-vivekananda-eat-fish-and-meat-before-he-turned-a-sannyasi-did-he-cont – CR241 Jun 15 '17 at 20:07
  • Bengali's don't treat fish as vegetarian. That's a wrong info u have got. @CR241 – Rickross Jun 16 '17 at 05:17
  • @Rickross I am a Bengali myself and I know that but I am still curious –  Jun 16 '17 at 05:18
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    @SuryaKantaBoseChowdhury Ok but i was replying to another user there and not you. – Rickross Jun 16 '17 at 05:43
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    Ramakrishna was a Vishnu avatara? Only the followers of Vivekananda believe it. This belief is only limited to few number of people. Many view him as a great yogi. – Sarvabhouma Jun 16 '17 at 06:04
  • He was no avatar. Moreover Lord Vishnu is self satisfied he is not "vegeterian" or "non vegeterian" also there is no explict mention of consuming of animal meat in ramayana. – Anubhav Jha Mar 16 '18 at 13:59
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    Ramakrishna is reputed to have done vamachara practices. Matsya (fish) is one of the 5 M's in vamachara. –  Mar 16 '18 at 14:48
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    @moonstar ....if I may. I have read Ramakrishna's life and that too around 4 or 5 renditions. In English as well as Bengali. Despite being a devoted seeker of spiritualism, Ramakrishna did not follow the two activities (wine and sexual intercourse) described in "Vamachara" practice. Although Ramakrishna considered "Vamachara" as a way of achieving spiritual nirvana, he did not advocate to anybody. He thought it as an arduous means and can often cause downfall of the aspirant. 5 M's literally represent Madya (wine), Mansa (meat), Matsya (fish), Mudra (money) and Maithuna (sexual intercourse). –  May 06 '18 at 07:02
  • Ramakrishna attained siddhi by merely having a mention of the practices. And similarly the fish eating is not related to his practice of Vamachari 5M's. He used to eat fish like a typical Bengali man. –  May 06 '18 at 07:04

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Avatarahood has nothing to with eating habits or vegetarianism.

There are various rituals which involve partaking small quantities of meat. We can find description of these in rituals related to yajnas as well as in the grhya and shrauta sutras. So meat eating is not something alien to hinduisn.

One of the famous avatar was Sri Rama. There are plenty of references in the Ramayana about his meat consumption.

suraaghaTasahasreNa maamsabhuutodanena cha | yakshye tvaam prayataa devi puriim punarupaagataa || 2-52-89

devii= “Oh, goddess! Upaagata= After reaching; puriim= the city (Ayodhya); punaH= again; yakshhye= I shall worship (you); suraaghata sahasreNa= with thousand pots of spirituous liquor; maamsa bhuutodanena cha = and jellied meat with cooked rice; prayataa= well-prepared for the solemn rite.”

“Oh, goddess! After reaching back the city of Ayodhya, I shall worship you with thousand pots of spirituous liquor and jellied meat with cooked rice well prepared for the solemn rite.”

samaashvasa muhuurtam tu shakyam vastum iha tvayaa || 3-47-22 aagamiSyati me bhartaa vanyam aadaaya puSkalam | ruruun godhaan varaahaan ca hatvaa aadaaya amiSaan bahu || 3-47-23

22b, 23. muhuurtam samaashvasa= for a moment, be comfortable; tvayaa iha vastum shakyam= by you, here, to take rest, possible; me bhartaa= my, husband; ruruun= stag with black stripes; godhaan= mongooses like [civet-like mammals of the family Viverridae, esp. of the genus Herpestes, Marathi manguus]; varaahaan ca= wild-boars, also; hatvaa= on killing; bahu amiSaan aadaaya= aplenty, meat, on taking; puSkalam vanyam aadaaya= plentiful, forest produce, on taking; aagamiSyati= will be coming [soon.]

“Be comfortable for a moment, here it is possible for you to make a sojourn, and soon my husband will be coming on taking plentiful forest produce, and on killing stags, mongooses, wild boars he fetches meat, aplenty. [3-47-22b, 23]

तां तदा दर्शयित्वा तु मैथिली गिरिनिम्नगाम् ।निषसाद गिरिप्रस्थे सीतां मांसेन छन्दयन् ।। इदं मध्यमिदं स्वादु निष्टप्तमिद मग्निना ।एवमास्ते स धर्मात्मा सीतया सह राघवः ।। (वाल्मीकि रामायण, अयोध्या काण्ड, 96, 1 व 2)

Having shown to Sita the mountain-river Mandakini and gratifying her with meat, Rama sat on the mountain slope. Righteous Rama was seated in Sita's company and remarked saying "This meat is sacred. This is savoury roasted in fire". (Valmiki Ramayan, Ayodha Kand 96:1-2)

Hence, there are no rules that an avatar should not eat meat or should have a particular diet. Avatar is beyond all these aspects.

Rakesh Joshi
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  • Exactly. Moreover, Sri Ramakrishna took birth in bengal where eating fish is very very common. –  Jan 20 '19 at 12:10
  • These days the so called avatars have started eating fishes. They can consume wine also and still people will believe them as spiritual practitioners. – Sridhar Jammalamadaka Dec 28 '19 at 02:12
  • @SridharJammalamadaka which path you follow? – Rakesh Joshi Dec 28 '19 at 03:24
  • I follow Sanatana Dharma. Sanatana means eternal. Dharma means religion or duty. The constitutional position of a soul is to serve God with loving devotional service, before liberation and after liberation too. – Sridhar Jammalamadaka Dec 28 '19 at 04:32
  • @SridharJammalamadaka there is provision of animal sacrifice in many traditions. Better not raise questions based on eating – Rakesh Joshi Dec 29 '19 at 02:37
  • Exceptional provisions may be there, but if a person can't control his tongue for avoiding animal killing how can he become a spiritual master or a spiritual practitioner? Whatever a leader does, the followers imitate in general. Therefore It's a bad precedent set by a spiritual master to encourage meat eating. – Sridhar Jammalamadaka Dec 29 '19 at 02:47