raama's food habits 8

October 17, 2007

Post 8

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

First of all, I have to say 'Sorry' for I am meandering to some extent - thru the mahaa bhaaratham instead of raamaayaNam – and not confining myself to raama's food habits – that is what I said in first post, I will go from raama's childhood etc – instead I am roaming elsewhere. I am convinced that certain beautiful poins have come out when reacting to the comments received. This is really the group learning. Again let me wander some more and then return to main course a little later –

One more quote from anusaasana parvam chapter 115 on this 'deer meat', [which raama offered as 'bali' in ayodhyaa kaaNdam 56

th sargam based on which Sri Deepak raised the question, the 'base' and 'spark' for this series] --

Quote – bheeshma says -

Desirous of benefiting all men, the high-souled Agastya, by the aid of his penances, dedicated

once for all,

all wild animals of the deer species

to the deities. Hence, there is no longer any necessity of sanctifying those animals for offering them to the deities and the Pitris. Served with flesh according to the ordinance, the Pitris become gratified.

Unquote --

Points on this quote:

I have to add or remind all that whatever bheeshma says in anusaasana parvam is all krishNa's words - dictates - rulings and he has made bheeshma his 'output device' but the real voice is krishNa's as per chapter 55 and 56 of saanthi parvam.

Of course now somebody may come up with a question when did agasthya do this dedication – earlier to raama or during or after the period of raama – that is a very difficult question to answer, for there is no record of 'time aspect' available on this.

Sage agasthya says in aaraNya kaaNdam, 'I have been longing to meet raama and waiting for 'long time'. And in that 'vaathapi ilvalan' episode in raamaayaNam, there is a mention this took place 'long time back'. That means sage agasthya was there for a long time and waited for raama's arrival at his door. So no time aspect can be arrived at or given.

Actually agasthya lived somewhere in north only

than 'panchavati' in banks of godaavari as we could read from raamaayaNam as per vaalmeeki. [11th sargam] During siva's wedding agasthya was stationed at the south hill of 'podhigai' to bring the balance to bhoomi as per that episode [podhigai is supposed to be somewhere in present day karnaataka. May be talaik kaavEri from where river kaaveri starts – again another episode relating agasthya with river.

So when this dedication of deer meat, when this marriage took place, when sage agasthya moved to south, is all questions beyond my capacity. But one thing is certain – this rishi is 'beyond time scale' – he lives in earlier to raamayaNa period, during that and later to that also - that much only can be said.

To link raamaayaNam and thyaagaraajaa's krithis - that 'waiting agasthya', [thyaagaraaja] says 'nannu paalimpa natachi vachchithivo' – you came walking to nourish me - krithi in raagam mohanam – that again is a separate article later.

Perhaps after reading these explanations, the deer meat may become scarce in the market for it is sanctified.

Of course, we, BraahmaNaas, anyhow are not touching that item, since we are not going to conduct any yaagams and pithru karmaas with deer meat even though sanctified by agasthya. Further, we, as aspirants of moksham thru prapaththi and bhakthi, are not going to touch meat.

Another point – it is this deer meet, what raama offered in chapter 56 of ayodhyaa kaaNdam - which is already sanctified by agasthya – it is 'krishNa mrugam' as per slokam. On eating that meat by raama - at this place – in this 56th sargam -- vaalmeeki has not said that 'raama ate'

anywhere in that sargam in ayodhyaa kaaNdam.

What vaalmeeki has said is raama offered deer meat and 'not ate' – Raama offered to vaisva dhEva as bali, rudhra bali, vishNu bali, etc all as per ordinances in the vedhaas as part of the housewarming in that sargam 56 – that is clearly specified by vaalmeeki – lakshmaNa says you are an expert in conducting these rites as per saasthram which we have seen in the lakshmaNa series.

So let us NOT confuse ourselves during this period raama ate meat, in particular - at this place and in this context. Even if raama ate the meat, then also there is nothing wrong since it is already sanctified and offered to deities as per rites.

With that let me return to the starting part of raamaayaNam where I left it.

While describing the city of ayOdhyaa slokam 1-6-12 says: "There is none who is without sacrificial fires, and none without performing sacrificial rituals, and none is low in living; neither an immoral, nor a bastard nor even a thief, can be found in Ayodhya. [1-6-12]

Again see another slokam – "

None can be found anywhere in Ayodhya without the knowledge of the six ancillaries of Veda-s like astrology, prosody, grammar etc., none a non-performer of the prescribed rituals, and none a non-donor in thousands, thus none with a saddened heart, turmoil in mind or agonised in will is there. [1-6-15]

If this is the case with common people of that country, then you can imagine and conclude, how their king will be and what kind of religious rites as per vEdhaas and saasthrams he will be commanding to be done. So when these rites are done, then the prasaadhams are offered to the king and if he eats that – let it be meat or other items – they are fully sanctified as per vEdhaas and saasthrams. So nothing wrong in eating even if it is 'meat' or other 'vegetarian' or 'non' items.

Since this situation is not present now in this kali age, we must have restrictions on food etc. Let uscontinue in next post.

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g.-- Vasudevan MG