Fwd: [ITMS-Hyderabad] Question: why animal products are used in our rituals?

May 5, 2008

Namaskara,

Very nice question asked by Sri Ramesh. Find the forwarded message.

I request the learned to answer the same.

!!! Haraye Namaha !!!-- Kale BalkrishnaMobile : +91-9849042501visit my blog : http://kalebala.wordpress.com/

---------- Forwarded message ----------ramesh <ramesh.ajgaonkar

Mon, May 5, 2008 at 3:24 PM[iTMS-Hyderabad] Question: why animal products are used in our rituals?it_madhva_sangha

hare srinivasanamaskarams to allexcuse me if this question has been posted in this list b4.I have this doubt for a long time on using animal products in our daily ritual and sampradaya.

for example, we use deer skin (krshnanjana) to cover highly madi items like saligrama silam and vigraham, we use honey to do abhishekam also we use silk and say its madi even without washing. my relative said this is acceptable since it all belong to hari and some items like these are acceptable as per the sutras as all these living things are doing their seva by offering their skins (deer & tiger), food they prepare (in case of honey) and life (in case of silk worms)

my question is why some animals are acceptalbe and some are not? why god abets such things and considers them superioer? should we not avoid such things and become pure-veggies (like we dont use leather anywhere, deer skin is also a type of leather only)? do we have pramanas to tell us that these things should be used?

I have seen a famous swamiji (in photo, i am sorry i do not remembr the name) who is sitting in on lion/tiger skin. I feel jains who even fear to eat root vegetables like carror, aloo, sweet pototo, are better in such off at time, since they at least dont hurt animals or drive them away (like in honey)

i am sorry if i have asked a wrong question or hurt anybody. pls advise and let me know.hare srinivasaramesh-- Ramesh Ajgaonkar