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A question has been bugging my mind for a few days-Is eating meat and fish explicitly forbidden in Vedas?I want to know the truth with vedic reference.

Rickross
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  • Meat and fish eating is not forbidden in vedas, as far as I know. –  Apr 08 '19 at 16:14
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    Vedic reference pls –  Apr 08 '19 at 16:23
  • @OpiChowdhury https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/34218/18023 read it. –  Apr 08 '19 at 17:40
  • As per Veda, there is no restrictions. On the contrary there used to be yajna in which animal sacrifice and its meat offering was part of the process. – TheLittleNaruto Apr 08 '19 at 18:49
  • Yes, meat and fish eating is forbidden except during sacrifices, from the Chhandogya Upanishad:

    He who has learnt the Veda from a family of teachers, according to the sacred rule, in the leisure time left from the duties to be performed for the Guru, who, after receiving his discharge, has settled in his own house, keeping up the memory of what he has learnt by repeating it regularly in some sacred spot, who has begotten virtuous sons, and concentrated all his senses on the Self, never giving pain to any creature, except at the tîrthas (sacrifices, &c.),

     – Ikshvaku Apr 09 '19 at 12:00

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No, meat and fish eating is not explicitly forbidden in the Vedas. Complete avoidance of fish and meat is only an option.

He who thus knows this Yajnayajniya Saman, woven in the limbs of the body, is endowed with all the limbs of the body, and is not crippled in any limb; he reaches the full length of life, lives gloriously, becomes great with offspring and cattle and great also with fame. His holy vow is that he should not eat fish and meat for a year, or rather, he should not eat fish and meat at all.

Chandogya Upanishad 2.19.2

Pradip Gangopadhyay
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  • so it is said that meat should be avoided but not explicitly forbidden?and can I have vedic reference –  Apr 08 '19 at 16:22
  • Chandogya Upanishad is part of the Vedas. I do not know if there is anything in the Vedic Samhitas. – Pradip Gangopadhyay Apr 08 '19 at 16:24
  • In Geeta Sattvic,Rajasic and tamasic food has been mentioned but it is not mentioned whether meat is sattvic or not –  Apr 08 '19 at 16:27
  • Upanishads contain the highest truth of the Vedas.It is there in the Upanishad and so full proof evidence. –  Apr 08 '19 at 16:28
  • @OpiChowdhury, yes gita does not explicitly talk about meat. Read my answer to the question: https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/34096/did-vivekananda-do-prayaschitta-to-atone-for-his-sin-of-eating-meat-as-a-sannyas – Pradip Gangopadhyay Apr 08 '19 at 16:31
  • @OpiChowdhury yes if u see the characteristics of the tamasik food minutely, fish and meat ARE tamasik even though not mentioned explicitly. –  Apr 08 '19 at 16:46
  • @OpiChowdhury please read the meanings of 'puti' and 'amedhya' –  Apr 08 '19 at 16:48
  • You should probably add a reference to the previous verse too and this commentary: "We get much nourishment from animals to sustain our bodies. That is why, in the previous section, the Sāma has been worshipped in the animals, and now it is being worshipped in the various parts of the body." Also, in 2.19.2, the word majjña is apparently plural form of meat though there is no direct reference to fish. – Say No To Censorship Apr 08 '19 at 16:54
  • @sv. fish is also included in meat in broder sense, isnt it? –  Apr 08 '19 at 17:01
  • @Pratimaputra By that logic, you can also include beef, pork and other types of meat? – Say No To Censorship Apr 08 '19 at 17:02
  • @sv. whatever can be offered in a yajna is included. –  Apr 08 '19 at 17:05
  • @Pratimaputra Do you have an example of fish being offered? I know for sure beef was offered. BTW, according to this post 299 different species were sacrificed. – Say No To Censorship Apr 08 '19 at 17:10
  • @sv. in tantrik pujas fish is offered. –  Apr 08 '19 at 17:11
  • @sv. and in Bengal in sraddha also of the widows –  Apr 08 '19 at 17:11
  • @OpiChowdhury https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/34218/18023 read it. –  Apr 08 '19 at 17:39
  • @sv. In Tantra ritual, meat and madira are offered to Goddess. :-) – TheLittleNaruto Apr 08 '19 at 18:45
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rig veda 1.187 eulogizes nourishment offered by food to humans and this food only comprises of plant and milk i.e vegetarian:

8 Whatever morsel we consume from waters or from plants of earth, O Soma, wax thou fat thereby. 9 What Soma, we enjoy from thee in milky food or barley-brew, Vātāpi, grow thou fat thereby. 10 O Vegetable, Cake of meal, he wholesome, firm, and strengthening: Vātāpi, grow thou fat thereby.

From this we can infer that vedas only prescribe vegetarian food for humans.

Other vedic verses which talk of meat, animals etc. are not in context of human food and hence cannot be taken on face value.

ekAntika
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Yes, meat and fish eating is forbidden except during sacrifices, from the Chhandogya Upanishad:

He who has learnt the Veda from a family of teachers, according to the sacred rule, in the leisure time left from the duties to be performed for the Guru, who, after receiving his discharge, has settled in his own house, keeping up the memory of what he has learnt by repeating it regularly in some sacred spot, who has begotten virtuous sons, and concentrated all his senses on the Self, never giving pain to any creature, except at the tîrthas (sacrifices, &c.), he who behaves thus all his life, reaches the world of Brahman, and does not return, yea, he does not return.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe01/sbe01175.htm

Ikshvaku
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