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Written by Sri Swami Chandrashekarendra
Saraswati |
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We must not fail to perform sacrifices to the celestials, offer
libations to
our fathers and perform sraddha. In the past, apart from these, our
ancestors did puja to the gods, fed guests and performed vaisvadeva
which rite is meant for all creatures. You must have some idea of these
rites even if you do not perform them. I will speak to you about
vaisvadeva.
To sustain ourselves, we cause hurt to so many creatures, don't we? We
take pride in keeping our house clean but we forget that every household
is a butchery. According to dharmasastras it is not one butchery but
five
butcheries together. What are these five?
Pancasuna grhasthasya vartante harahah sada
Khandani pesani culli jalkumbha upaskarah
Khandani is used to cut vegetables- it stands for one type of butchery.
Vegetables also do have life. The second butchery is represented by the
grinding our pounding stone. We mercilessly grind corn, pulses, etc, in
it.
Here an answer must be given to objections raised by meat-eaters about
vegetarian food. They tell us:"Like the goats, cows and fowl that we
eat,
vegetables and cereals also have life." True. Though there is no
difference
in kind between them, there is a difference in the degree of violence
done to vegetables and animals. Plants have life and feelings like
humans
but they do not have the sensation of pain to the same degree as animals
and birds have. This has been scientifically established. Also, but for
certain leafy vegetables which we uproot to be prepared as food, most
other vegetables are obtained from plants without killing them: it is
like
removing our nails or hair. The plant suffers only a little pain. Pain
even to
this degree will not be caused if we eat the fruits of these plants
after
they drop ripe. As for the cereals they are harvested only after the
crop is
ripe and dry.
There is one more argument in favour of vegetarianism. Now only certain
types of meat like beef are eaten. Horsemeat is not usually eaten.
During
World War I or II, when the question arose as to whether the soldiers
could be fed horsemeat, the non-vegetarians themselves opposed the
idea. People who think it civilized to eat birds and animals condemn
tribes in some remote land who eat human flesh as barbarous and call
them cannibals. We must tell meat-eaters who remind us that vegetables
also have life. "Yes, but when it comes to violence, are all creatures
the
same? Why do you make a difference between animal flesh and human
flesh? Similarly, we make a distinction between plants and animals.
Vegetarianism also promotes sattvic qualities. "Unavoidably, for the
sake
of existence, we have to keep at home instruments of butchery like the
khandani, pesani, etc.
The third butchery is represented by the culli or the kitchen fire. Many
insects perish in the cooking fire. An ant crawls about the oven or
fireplace and is burnt. Sometimes when we keep a pot on the floor or the
shelf an insect or two get crushed. In the summer insects come seeking
wet places, places for example where vessels are kept. The water-pot is
also included among the objects of butchery. Then there is the upaskara,
the broomstick. Aren't many tiny insects killed as we sweep the floor?
Thus there are five instruments or objects of butchery in our home.
We must not cause harm even to those creatures that hurt us. But what
do we do? We cause pain to, or kill, even harmless creatures. It is sad
to
think that to live, to sustain ourselves, we have to keep hurting so
many
living things. But it all seems unavoidable. We do not kill
deliberately.
There is an expiation for the sin committed unwittingly. It is the
prayascitta of the "vaisvadeva". We perform this function to ask the
Lord
to forgive us our sin of having caused the destruction of various
creatures
and to pray for their happiness in afterlife. Vaisvadeva is meant for
the
excommunicated and for all creatures of earth like dogs, crows, insects,
all. This rite absolves us of many a sin.
The pancha-mahayajnas were conducted for eons by the sages, by the
children of Brahma. All performed them from the hoary past until the
time of our grandfathers. The five great sacrifices are to be performed
uninterruptedly until the deluge. But we have had the "good fortune" of
having broken this tradition. Worse, we have deprived future generations
of the benefits to be derived from them.
I have dealt with a variety of rites. Perform at least those you can
without
prejudice to your office or professional work. If you fail to do so you
must
be regretful and make amends for the same. |
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