How did Hindus Become Vegetarians?

Re: # 111
[...I don't think, anybody wants India to be a Hindu country..]

Except for Kaal... :)

#105 nkg

Theek hai, you admit you are no scholar of the Ramayana. But do not make up stories of your own, either!

Sita did NOT want that deer alive - I am sorry if that messes up whatever you read in the "Bengali version", (I can almost imagine some gentle Bengali dada going through the Ramayan and "sanitizing" it to make it more palatable to those delicate Bengali sensibilities - before publication! :))

Here is an excerpt the Tulsi Ramayan version which leaves little doubt about whether Sita wanted that deer alive or dead! I am not going to bother to translate it because it is fairly easy to understand.

...Seeta param ruchir mrig dekha
Ang, ang sumanohar besha
Sunahu deb Raghubir kripala
Ehi mrig kar ati sundar chhala
Satyasandh prabhu badhi kari ehi
Aanahu charam - kahat baidehi…

Re: # 109
Rural people had less access to synthetic food. So, their custom largely represents previous generations. Scientifically cow milk (in composition of fat, protein, galactose, vitamin) is closest to human milk. That is why it is popular.
Early vedic people used to sacrifice animals and eat. But with time it has changed. There are conflicting claims about the cow slaughter. I know, even some people treated "Aswamedha" as killing of horse, though it is something different ( Aswamedha was the means to expand king's territory. The royal horse will be accompanied by the king's army. Whereever the horse will go, if the horse can travel unopposed, the king will be ruler of that land. Those who oppose the movement of the horse have to fight with the army. If the opponent is able to defeat army and kill the horse, it will be end of that Ashwamedha).

Re: # 112
Actually the term in Indian context is "Musalman"- people from the country of Mushal.

Re: # 114
I seriously doubt about killing of the deer.
If Ram wanted to kill that animal, he could have got that deer killed using his bow/arrow from his cottege only. Why he needs to chase the deer deep inside the jungle and far away from his cottage. Ram had killed that animal, when he had sensed that it is not actual deer and somebody is trying to cheat him.

Re: # 114
Look, which Ramayana is authentic, we don't know. Keeping Valmiki Ramayana as base, people have written their won Ramayana. May be Tulasidas, to please his Mughal ruler written in that way. I know, some brahmins in UP had written something like Allahopanishad!!!!!
I can remember, even R N Tagore has written in such a way that, it is more to get the animal than kill it.

Mohar, as the resident rightwinger I gotta do my job. :)

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Thanks, nkg. I hadn't heard that before.

#117 nkg

Yaar, aisa kar! Write your own version of the Ramayana and publish it. I am sure this site will be very happy to put up your stuff - along with all the other stuff it puts up here! :)

Of course, Eklavya might get even more despondent.

Oh well! One can never please some people!

Nkg,

(Apart from occations, indians, by and large were mostly vegetarian and follow the tradition.)

Nope only (some) Brahmins and (most) Banias.

(Favourable climatic condition and developed agriculture is mainly responsible for this. )

That indeed may be the real reason why vegggiesm took deep roots. It was not necessary to eat meat and the weather made meat eating very tough on the stomach.

Regards

Re: # 80
Sati basically evolved as to protect the honor of Hindu widows from moslems. It was basically mideaval practise arrived with invastion of moslems. With moslems out of power, Sati was abolished by Ram Mohan Roy and Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, with help of William Bentinc.
Caste system was based on profession. Those professions changed, so is caste system. How you know it is evil? Are you moslem?

Re: # 120
I have provided the reason also. Are you from UP/Bihar/MP ( Bhaiya)? You don't know 700/800 years of moslem slavery had damaged so much to you.
I am pretty sure, R N Tagore can be trusted more than your Mughal period author...

Re: # 121
Nope only (some) Brahmins and (most) Banias.
Non-Shakta Barhmins, Banias and large section of backward castes (sivaites and vaisnvaites).

ha ha, nkg, beejay is the supreme leader of all of us UP/MP/Bihar Bhaiyyas. A guy who can pull out a ramcharitmanas quote like that has to be something! :)

Goodnight, friends.

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Sorry Baig bro, in case you ever happen to read any of this. You wrote a political piece and received only political responses. Nothing personal. Peace, and out.

Re: # 119
What? Allah-upanishad? Oh, that scoundrel Akbar even made the UP poets write chalisa kind of stuff depicting him as avatar of Krishna (the way they do it for Mullyaam Singh Yadav, Laloo Prasad Yadav, Sonia Gandhi etc... now during election).

Nkg,

Kashmiri Brahmins are Saivites and they are hardcore carnivores. Many Lingayats I know (Saivite backwards) eat meat.

Regards

Personally I think, Indian Muslims should forego their demand for eating beef in the spirit of being good neighbors to the Hindus. That is what our Holy prophet (pbuh) has taught us. In Qura'n Allah has condemned those who do not lend things of daily use, like utensils, spices, cots, or beddings to their neighbors. According to the companions of Holy Prophet, He used to profess the rights of the neighbors to such an extent that they thought that he would declare declare it as a law to include neighbors into inheritence. Hence in the neighborly spirit, Muslims in India should not insist on cow slaughter. If you are not kind to your neighbors, you are not good Muslims; it is as simple as that.

Having said that I think Hindus must also encourage Muslims to eat goats instead. As a matter of fact, a substantial subsidy on goat meat may encourage the trend for goat herding business as well. Countries like Austrailia and Newsealand do nothing but herd goats, and their GDP is 10 times that of India; so I am not kidding.

I am writing all this in complete ignorance. I have no clue if goats are holy to hindus as well or not. Who are holy Shambunath and holy nadni; are they cows or goats? I'd like to be educated here.