Visvamitra Muni ate dog flesh

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Re: Alternate to eating rabbits

 

"COM: Gunamani (dd) ARD (Arhus - DK)" wrote:

 

> [Text 2382447 from COM]

>

> Dear Carol

> Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

> I believe there are references too for Srila Prabhupada recommending eating

> meat when faced with no other alternatives but again, that is also some kind

> of karma...

 

> Your servant Gunamani d.d.

 

****************************

 

Hare Krsna dasi

 

Below are some quotes where Srila Prabhupada talks about Visvamitra Muni eating

dog flesh in an emergency situation. These quotes may be hot stuff in about a

year, when some devotees find they are unable to provide vegetarian foodstuffs

for themselves, due to the breakdown in international trade and the consequent

breakdown of petroleum-fueled agriculture. Vismamitra Muni is one of the 7

great sages and is mentioned in the 8th canto and other places. I think one

account says that he was present in Lord Ramacandra's pastimes (arranged His

wedding to Sita-devi) and Krsna's and also Lord Caitanya's (under a different

name?).

 

Following those quotes is the quote from the 4th canto which describes Prthu

Maharaja threatening to kill the Earth when she had assumed the form of a cow.

Prabhupada notes that in an emergency, the government can arrange for the

eating

of the flesh of dried up cows -- if there is no other food.

 

In an unforseen calamity, this kind of situation may arise. Interestingly,

insurance agencies are announcing that they will not pay for claims from

companies whose computers break down because of Y2K. Their argument: This is

not an unforseen calamity. You knew about this danger for years, but you did

nothing to prepare for it. We will not accept your claim that this is an

emergency.

 

One wonders, will Krsna's standards for us be as strict as the insurance

companies?

 

The point is: Meat eating is permitted if one is in a life and death

situation. But, beyond that, ISKCON gets in a life and death situation because

of Y2K, it will be because we have criminally neglected one of the two pillars

of spiritual progress: cow protection.

 

So when your temple president says, "It's okay to eat meat -- Visvamitra Muni

did it in an emergency" just keep that thought in mind. If we had actually

done our duty and protected the cows, we wouldn't have any emergency.

 

This is why Krsna is giving the GBC a special chance to set things right with

cow protection. Just the fact that they need to visit all the farms within the

next month and send in reports to the Minister of Cow Protection and

Agriculture

could prove to be the beginning of their salvation (and ours) from the threats

of Y2K.

 

Otherwise, a year from now, many of our temples may not have any milk to offer

Krsna -- even from slaughtered cows.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi

 

**************************************

 

The supreme duty of the ruling king is to give all protection to law-abiding

persons and to chastise those who stray from the ordinances of the scriptures

in

ordinary times, when there is no emergency.

PURPORT

In the scriptures there is mention of apad-dharma, or occupational duty at

times

of extraordinary happenings. It is said that sometimes the great sage

Visvamitra

had to live on the flesh of dogs in some extraordinary dangerous position. In

cases of emergency, one may be allowed to live on the flesh of animals of all

description, but that does not mean that there should be regular

slaughterhouses

to feed the animal-eaters and that this system should he encouraged by the

state. No one should try to live on flesh in ordinary times simply for the sake

of the palate. If anyone does so, the king or the executive head should punish

him for gross enjoyment.

 

============ REF. SB 1.17.16

 

 

Yogesvara: What's the name of that yogi who meditated for sixty thousand years?

Nitai: Saubhari? Visvamitra.

Prabhupada: Valmiki.

Yogesvara: No.

Nitai: Visvamitra?

Prabhupada: Visvamitra.

Yogesvara: He also had to eat dog, I think.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Yogesvara: There's a story about that.

Prabhupada: Yes, Visvamitra.

 

============ REF. Room Conversation -- June 5, 1974, Geneva

 

 

 

Ganesa: So is that according to time, place and circumstance we must

discriminate in our eating?

Prabhupada: What?

Ganesa: According to time, place and circumstance we must discriminate whether

to eat meat, whether to eat the vegetables?

Prabhupada: Yes, you must eat. But when good things are available, why should

you eat bad things? You must be pacified.

Amogha: Was there a story? The Hindus always tell this story about I think

Visvamitra Rsi eating a dog or something?

Prabhupada: Sometimes. There was no food.

 

============ REF. Morning Walk -- May 7, 1975, Perth

 

 

 

TRANSLATION

You have so lost your intelligence that, despite my orders, you do not deliver

the seeds of herbs and grains formerly created by Brahma and now hidden within

yourself.

PURPORT

While creating all the planets in the universe, Lord Brahma also created the

seeds of various grains, herbs, plants and trees. When sufficient water falls

from the clouds, the seeds fructify and produce fruits, grains, vegetables,

etc.

By his example, Prthu Maharaja indicates that whenever there is a scarcity in

food production, the head of the government should take steps to see why

production is being held up and what should be done to rectify the situation.

SB 4.17.25

TEXT 25

TEXT

amusam ksut-paritanam

artanam paridevitam

samayisyami mad-banair

bhinnayas tava medasa

SYNONYMS

amusam—of all of them; ksut-paritanam—suffering from hunger; artanam—of the

distressed; paridevitam—the lamentation; samayisyami—I shall pacify;

mat-banaih—by my arrows; bhinnayah—being cut to pieces; tava—of you; medasa—by

the flesh.

TRANSLATION

Now, with the help of my arrows, I shall cut you to pieces and with your flesh

satisfy the hunger-stricken citizens, who are now crying for want of grains.

Thus I shall satisfy the crying citizens of my kingdom.

 

PURPORT

Here we find some indication of how the government can arrange for the eating

of cow flesh. It is here indicated that in a rare circumstance when there is no

supply of grains, the government may sanction the eating of meat. However, when

there is sufficient food, the government should not allow the eating of cow's

flesh just to satisfy the fastidious tongue. In other words, in rare

circumstances, when people are suffering for want of grains, meat-eating or

flesh-eating can be allowed, but not otherwise. The maintenance of

slaughterhouses for the satisfaction of the tongue and the killing of animals

unnecessarily should never be sanctioned by a government.

 

As described in a previous verse, cows and other animals should be given

sufficient grass to eat. If despite a sufficient supply of grass a cow does not

supply milk, and if there is an acute shortage of food, the dried-up cow may be

utilized to feed the hungry masses of people. According to the law of

necessity,

first of all human society must try to produce food grains and vegetables, but

if they fail in this, they can indulge in flesh-eating. Otherwise not. As human

society is presently structured, there is sufficient production of grains all

over the world. Therefore the opening of slaughterhouses cannot be supported.

In

some nations there is so much surplus grain that sometimes extra grain is

thrown

into the sea, and sometimes the government forbids further production of grain.

 

The conclusion is that the earth produces sufficient grain to feed the entire

population, but the distribution of this grain is restricted due to trade

regulations and a desire for profit. Consequently in some places there is

scarcity of grain and in others profuse production. If there were one

government

on the surface of the earth to handle the distribution of grain, there would be

no question of scarcity, no necessity to open slaughterhouses, and no need to

present false theories about over-population.

 

============ REF. SB 4.17.24