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Re: why can't Hindus eat beef?
Dear friends,
>
Dhruba wrote:
> Madhuparka is indicated to be a ritual that included cow slaughter.
>
This is a completely erroneous statement. According to the Vedas, Cow
is "aghnya","not to be killed".
""May this inviolable cow yield milk for both the Asvinis and may she prosper
for our good fortune".-Rig Veda 1.164.27
"The cow is illustrious and inviolable. Do not kill her" -Yaj. Veda 13.42
"The cow is inviolable and she yields ghee for the people. Do not kill the
cow". -Yaj. Veda 13.49
"May I be dear to all the animals"- Atherva Veda 17.1.4
Killing of the cow is prohibited in the Vedas as seen by these quotes.
Madhuparka is a Vedic welcoming ceremony. How can it include cow slaughter?
The word Madhuparka itself does not appear in the Rig, Yaj. or Sama vedas. It
appears in the Atharva Veda:
"..May I be blessed by the glory that dwells in the draught of soma and in
madhuparka" . Atharva Veda 10.3.21
The word madhupeya occurs in Rigveda, it could be taken as an equivalent
".....svadU raso madhupeyo varAya" "sweet drink madhupeya" Rig. Veda 6.44.21
The ingredients of madhuparka have been given in many places. It is a mixture
of curd, honey, ghee, milk and candy-sugar. Some times only three or four of
these are mentioned. Nowhere is cow slaughter mentioned.
The sloka referred to by Dhruva in Manusmriti:
"Madhuparkecha yajnecha pitr^daivatakarmaNi
atraiva pashavo hiMsyA nAnyatretyabravInmanuH"
The last section of this sloka " iti abravIt ManuH" means "so said manu".
This is a clear indication that this sloka is an interpolation,for all the
injunctions in manusmriti are given by manu. There is no necessity to specify
again that it is said by manu. Only if manus injunctions are quoted in some
other work, then it is proper to say manu said so. There are many
interpolations in Ramayana and Mahabharata which appear to support meat eating
and cow slaughter. However, if one examines the context in which they appear,
it will be clear that these are interpolations.
It is my sincere request that we do not propagate erroneous information.
Sincerely yours- B. N. Narahari Achar
