10/24/2015

DidHindusNeverEatBeef?ByBRAmbedkar

Home

Like

Share

12k

PrinterFriendlyVersion

AmbedkarOnBeefEatingAndHinduism
Follow@Countercurrents

Countercurrents.org

FollowonTumblr
Follow

367

05March,2015

Crowdfunding
Countercurrents
SubmissionPolicy
PopulariseCC
JoinNewsLetter
DefendIndianConstitution
CounterSolutions
CounterImages
CounterVideos
CCYoutubeChannel
Editor'sPicks
PressReleases
ActionAlert
FeedBurner
ReadCCInYour
OwnLanguage

TheclaimoftheHindutvagangthatDrBRAmbedkarendorsedtheHindutvaprojectandopposedbeefeatingascowwassacred
toHinduismisaterribletravestyoffacts.DrAmbedkar,agreatresearcher,producedabrilliantessayonthesubjecttitledDid
TheHindusNeverEatBeef?AllthosewhoarereallyinterestedinunderstandingtheIndianpastandwishtochallengethe

BradleyManning

supremacistmythmakingforcleansingandmarginalizingminoritiesmustreadtheabovementionedworkwhichisbeing

IndiaBurning

reproducedbelow:

MumbaiTerror
FinancialCrisis
Iraq

DidHindusNeverEatBeef?
ByBRAmbedkar

AfPakWar
PeakOil
Globalisation
Localism
AlternativeEnergy

TothequestionwhethertheHinduseveratebeef,everyTouchableHindu,whetherheisaBrahminoranonBrahmin,willsayno,
never.Inacertainsense,heisright.FromtimesnoHinduhaseatenbeef.IfthisisallthattheTouchableHinduwantstoconveyby
hisanswerthereneedbenoquarreloverit.ButwhenthelearnedBrahminsarguethattheHindusnotonlyneveratebeefbutthey
alwaysheldthecowtobesacredandwerealwaysopposedtothekillingofthecow,itisimpossibletoaccepttheirview.

ClimateChange

WhatistheevidenceinsupportoftheconstructionthattheHindusneveratebeefandwereopposedtothekillingofthecow?There

USImperialism

aretwoseriesofreferencesintheRigVedaonwhichrelianceisplaced.Inoneofthese,thecowisspokenofasAghnya.TheyareRig

USElections

Veda1.164,27IV.1.6V828V11.69.71X.87.Aghnyameansonewhodoesnotdeservetobekilled.Fromthis,itisarguedthat

Palestine

thiswasaprohibitionagainstthekillingofthecowandthatsincetheVedasarethefinalauthorityinthematterofreligion,itis

LatinAmerica

concludedthattheAryanscouldnothavekilledthecows,muchlesscouldtheyhaveeatenbeef.Inanotherseriesofreferencesthe

Communalism
Gender/Feminism
Dalit

cowisspokenofassacred.TheyareRigVedaV1.28.1.8.andVIII,101.15.IntheseversesthecowisaddressedasMotherofRudras,
theDaughterofVasus,theSisteroftheAdityasandtheCentreofNectar.AnotherreferenceonthesubjectisinRigVedaVIII.101.
16wherethecowiscalledDevi(Goddess).RalianceisalsoplacedoncertainpassagesintheBrahmanasandSutras.

Humanrights
Economy

TherearetwopassagesintheSatapathaBrahmanawhichrelatetoanimalsacrificeandbeefeating.Oneisat111.1.2.21andreadsas

Indiapakistan

follows:

Kashmir
Environment

"He(theAdhvaryu)thenmakeshimenterthehall.Lethimnoteat(theflesh)ofeitherthecowortheox,forthecowandtheox
doubtlesssupporteverythinghereonearth.Thegodsspoke,verily,thecowandtheoxsupporteverythingherecome,letusbestow

http://www.countercurrents.org/ambedkar050315.htm

1/5

10/24/2015

DidHindusNeverEatBeef?ByBRAmbedkar

BookReview

onthecowandtheoxwhatevervigourbelongedtootherspecies(ofanimals)andthereforethecowandtheoxeatmostHence

GujaratPogrom

wereonetoeat(theflesh)ofanoxoracow,therewouldbe,asitwere,aneatingofeverything,or,asitwere,agoingtotheend(or,

KandhamalViolence

todestruction)...Lethimthereforenoteat(theflesh)ofthecowandtheox."

Arts/Culture
IndiaElections

Theotherpassageisat1,2,3,6.Itspeaksagainstanimalsacrificeonethicalgrounds.Asimilarstatementiscontainedinthe

Archives

ApastambhaDharmaSutraat1,5,17,29.Apastambhalaysageneralembargoontheeatingofcowsflesh.

Links

SuchistheevidenceinsupportofthecontentionthattheHindusneveratebeef.Whatconclusioncanbedrawnfromthisevidence?

AboutUs
Disclaimer

SofarastheevidencefromtheRigVedaisconcernedtheconclusionisbasedonamisreadingandmisunderstandingofthetexts.

FairUseNotice

TheadjectiveAghnyaappliedtothecowintheRigVedameansacowthatwasyieldingmilkandthereforenotfitforbeingkilled.

ContactUs

ThatthecowisveneratedintheRigVedaisofcoursetrue.Butthisregardandvenerationofthecowareonlytobeexpectedfroman

SubscribeToOur
NewsLetter

Name:

agriculturalcommunityliketheIndoAryans.ThisapplicationoftheutilityofthecowdidnotpreventtheAryanfromkillingthe
cowforpurposesoffood.Indeed,thecowwaskilledbecausethecowwasregardedassacred.AsobservedbyMr.Kane:"Itwasnot
thatthecowwasnotsacredinVedictimes,itwasbecauseofhersacrednessthatitisordainedintheVajasaneyiSamhitathatbeef

Email:

shouldbeeaten."(DharmaShastraVicharinMarathi,p.180).

Subscribe

ThattheAryansoftheRigVedadidkillcowsforpurposesoffoodandatebeefisabundantlyclearfromtheRigVedaitself.InRig

Unsubscribe
SearchOurArchive

Veda(X.86.14)Indrasays:Theycookforone15plustwentyoxen".TheRigVeda(X.91.14)saysthatforAgniweresacrificed
horses,bulls,oxen,barrencowsandrams.FromtheRigVeda(X.72.6)itappearsthatthecowwaskilledwithaswordoraxe.

SiteSearch

AstothetestimonyoftheSatapathaBramhana,canitbesaidtobeconclusive?Obviously,itcannotbe.Fortherearepassagesinthe

OurSite

otherBramhanaswhichgiveadifferentopinion.Togiveonlyoneinstance.AmongtheKamyashtissetforthintheTaittiriya

Web

Bramhana,notonlythesacrificeofoxenandcowsislaiddown,butweareeventoldwhatkindanddescriptionofoxenandcowsare
tobeofferedtowhatdeities.Thus,adwarfoxistobechosenforsacrificetoVishnuadroopinghornedbullwithablazeonthe
foreheadtoIndraasthedestroyerofVritra,ablackcowtoPushan,aredcowtoRudra,andsoon.TheTaittiriyaBramhananotes
anothersacrificecalledPanchasaradiyaseva,themostimportantelementofwhichwastheimmolationofseventeenfiveyearold
humpless,dwrafbulls,andasmanydwarfheifersunderthreeyearold.

Countercurrents.org
47klikes

Youand28other
friendslikethis

AsagainstthestatementoftheApastambaDharmaSutra,thefollowingpointsmaybenoted.Firstisthecontrarystatement
containedinthatverySutra.At15,14,29,theSutrasays:"Thecowandthebullaresacredandthereforeshouldbeeaten".The
secondistheprescriptionofMadhuparkacontainedintheGrahyaSutras.

Liked

AmongtheAryanstheetiquetteforreceivingimportantguestshadbecomesettledintocustomandhadbecomeaceremony.The
mostimportantofferingwasMadhuparka.AdetaileddescriptionregardingMadhuparkaaretobefoundinthevariousGrahya
Sutras.AccordingtomostoftheGrahyaSutrastherearesixpersonswhohavearighttobeservedwithMadhuparkanamely,(1)
RitwijaortheBrahmincalledtoperformasacrifice,(2)Acharya,theteacher,(3)Thebridegroom(4)TheKing(5)TheSnatak,the
studentwhohasjustfinishedhisstudiesattheGurukuland(6)Anypersonwhoisdeartothehost.SomeaddAtithitothislist.
ExceptinthecaseofRitvija,KingandAcharya,Madhuparkaistobeofferedtotherestonceinayear.TotheRitvija,Kingand
Acharyaitistobeofferedeachtimetheycome.

Orderthebook

WhatwasthisMadhuparkamadeof?ThereisdivergenceaboutthesubstancesmixedinofferingMadhuparka.Asv.grandAp.gr.
(13.10)prescribeamixtureofhoneyandcurdsorclarifiedbutterandcurds.OtherslikePar.gr.l3prescribeamixtureofthree(curds,
honeyandbutter).Ap.gr.(13.1112)statestheviewofsomethatthosethreemaybemixedorfive(thosethreewithfriedyavagrain
andbarley).Hir.gr.L,12,1012givetheoptionofmixingthreeoffive(curds,honey,ghee,waterandgroundgrain).TheKausika
Sutra(92)speaksofninekindsofmixtures,viz.,Brahma(honeyandcurds).Aindra(ofpayasa),Saurnya(curdsandghee),Pausna
(gheeandmantha),Sarasvata(milkandghee),Mausala(wineandghee,thisbeingusedonlyinSautramanaiandRajasuya
sacrifices),Parivrajaka(sesameoilandoilcake).TheMadhavagr.l.9.22saysthattheVedadeclaresthattheMadhuparkamustnot
bewithoutfleshandsoitrecommendsthatifthecowisletloose,goatsmeatorpayasa(ricecookedinmilk)maybeofferedthe
Hir.gr.1.13,14saysthatothermeatshouldbeofferedBaud.gr.(1.2,5154)saysthatwhenthecowisletoff,thefleshofagoator

APublication
onTheStatusof
AdivasiPopulations
ofIndia

rammaybeofferedorsomeforestflesh(ofadeer,etc.)maybeoffered,astherecanbenoMadhuparkawithoutfleshorifoneis
unabletoofferfleshonemaycookgroundgrains.ThustheessentialelementinMadhuparkaisfleshandparticularlycowsflesh.

http://www.countercurrents.org/ambedkar050315.htm

2/5

10/24/2015

DidHindusNeverEatBeef?ByBRAmbedkar

ThekillingofcowfortheguesthadgrowntosuchanextentthattheguestcametobecalledGoghnawhichmeansthekillerofthe
cow.ToavoidthisslaughterofthecowstheAshvateyanaGrahyaSutra(1.24.25)suggeststhatthecowshouldbeletloosewhenthe
guestcomessoastoescapetheruleofetiquette.Thirdly,referencemaybemadetotheritualrelatingtodisposalofthedeadto
counterthetestimonyoftheApastambaDharmaSutra.TheSutrasays(Kanesvol.II,PartI,p.545.):
1.Heshouldthenputthefollowing(sacrificial)implements(onthedeadbody)
2.Intotherighthandthe(spooncalled)Guhu.
3.Intotheleftthe(otherspooncalled)Upabhrit.
4.OnhisrightsidethewoodensacrificialswordcalledSphya,onhisleftsidetheAgnihotrahavani(i.e.,theladdlewithwhichthe
Agnihotraoblationsaresacrified).
5.Onhischestthe(bigsacrificialladdlecalled)Dhruva.Onhisheadthedishes.Onhisteeththepressingstones.
6.Onthetwosidesofhisnose,thetwosmallersacrificialladdlescalledSruvas.
7.Or,ifthereisonlyone(Sruva),breakingit(intwopieces).
8.OnhistwoearsthetwoPrasitraharanas(i.e,thevesselsintowhichtheportionofthesacrificialfoodbelongingtotheBrahmin)is
put
9.Or,ifthereisonlyone(Prasitraharana),breakingit(intwopieces).
10.Onhisbellythe(vesselcalled)Patri.
11.Andthecupintowhichthecutoffportion(ofthesacrificialfood)areput.
12.Onhissecretpartsthe(staffcalled)Samy.
13.Onhisthighstwokindlingwoods.
14.Onhislegsthemortarandthepestle.
15.Onhisfeetthetwobaskets.
16.Or,ifthereisonlyone(basket),breakingitintwopieces.
17.Thoseoftheimplementswhichhaveahollow(intowhichliquidscanbepoured)arefilledwithsprinkledbutter.
18.Theson(ofthedeceasedperson)shouldtaketheunderandtheuppermillstoneforhimself.
19.Andtheimplementsmadeofcopper,ironandearthenware.
20.Takingouttheomentumofthesheanimalheshouldcovertherewiththeheadandthemouth(ofthedeadperson)withthe
verse,Butonthearmour(whichwillprotectthee)againstAgni,bythatwhichcomesfromthecows.(RigVeda.X.16.7).
21.Takingoutthekidneysoftheanimalheshouldlaythemintothehands(ofthedeadbody)withtheverse,escapethetwohounds,
thesonsofSarma(RigVedaX14.10)therightkidneyintotherighthandandtheleftintothelefthand.
22.Theheartoftheanimalsheputsontheheartofthedeceased.
23.Andtwolumpsofflourorriceaccordingtosometeachers.
24.Onlyiftherearenokidneysaccordingtosometeachers.
25.Havingdistributedthewhole(animal),limbbylimb(placingitsdifferentlimbsonthecorrespondinglimbsofthedeceased)and
havingcovereditwithitshide,hereciteswhenthePranitawateriscarriedforward(theverse),Agnidonotoverturnthiscup,(Rig
Veda,X.16.8).

http://www.countercurrents.org/ambedkar050315.htm

3/5

10/24/2015

DidHindusNeverEatBeef?ByBRAmbedkar

26.BendinghisleftkneeheshouldsacrificeYugyaoblationintotheDakshinafirewiththeformulasToAgniSvaha,toKamaSvaha,
totheworldSvaha,toAnumatiSvaha.
27.Afifth(oblation)onthechestofthedeceasedwiththeformulafromthisoneverilythouhastbeenborn.Mayhenowbeborn
outofthee.TotheheavenworldsSvaha."
FromtheabovepassagequotedfromtheAshvalayanGrahyaSutraitisclearthatamongtheancientIndoAryanswhenaperson
died,ananimalhadtobekilledandthepartsoftheanimalwereplacedontheappropriatepartsofthedeadbodybeforethedead
bodywasburned.
Suchisthestateoftheevidenceonthesubjectofcowkillingandbeefeating.Whichpartofitistobeacceptedastrue?Thecorrect
viewisthatthetestimonyoftheSatapathaBrahmanaandtheApastambaDharmaSutrainsofarasitsupportstheviewthatHindus
wereagainstcowkillingandbeefeating,aremerelyexhortationsagainsttheexcessesofcowkillingandnotprohibitionsagainst
cowkilling.Indeedtheexhortationsprovethatcowkillingandeatingofbeefhadbecomeacommonpractice.Thatnotwithstanding
theseexhortationscowkillingandbeefeatingcontinued.Thatmostoftentheyfellondeafearsisprovedbytheconductof
Yajnavalkya,thegreatRishioftheAryans.ThefirstpassagequotedabovefromtheSatapathaBrahmanawasreallyaddressedto
Yajnavalkyaasanexhortation.HowdidYajnavalkyarespond?AfterlisteningtotheexhortationthisiswhatYajnavalkyasaid:"I,
forone,eatit,providedthatitistender."
ThattheHindusatonetimedidkillcowsanddideatbeefisprovedabundantlybythedescriptionoftheYajnasgiveninthe
BuddhistSutraswhichrelatetoperiodsmuchlaterthantheVedasandtheBrahmanas.Thescaleonwhichtheslaughterofcows
andanimalstookplacewascolossal.ItisnotpossibletogiveatotalofsuchslaughteronallaccountscommittedbytheBrahminsin
thenameofreligion.Someideaoftheextentofthisslaughtercan,however,behadfromreferencestoitintheBuddhistliterature.
Asanillustration,referencemaybemadetotheKutadantaSuttainwhichBuddhapreachedagainsttheperformanceofanimal
sacrificestoBrahminKutadanta.Buddha,thoughspeakinginatoneofsarcastictravesty,givesagoodideaofthepracticesand
ritualsoftheVedicsacrificeswhenhesaid:
"Andfurther,OBrahmin,atthatsacrificeneitherwereanyoxenslain,neithergoats,norfowls,norfattedpigs,norwereanykindof
livingcreaturesputtodeath.Notreeswerecutdowntobeusedasposts,noDarbhagrassesmowntostressaroundthesacrificial
spot.Andtheslavesandmessengersandworkmenthereemployedweredrivenneitherbyrodsnorfear,norcarriedontheirwork
weepingwithtearsupontheirfaces."
Kutadanta,ontheotherhand,inthankingBuddhaforhisconversiongivesanideaofthemagnitudeoftheslaughterofanimals
whichtookplaceatsuchsacrificeswhenhesays:
"I,evenIbetakemyselftothevenerableGotamaasmyguide,totheDoctrineandtheOrder.MaythevenerableOneacceptmeasa
disciple,asonewho,fromthisdayforth,aslongaslifeendures,hastakenhimashisguide.AndImyself,O,Gotama,willhavethe
sevenhundredbulls,andthesevenhundredsteers,andthesevenhundredheifers,andthesevenhundredgoats,andtheseven
hundredramssetfree.TothemIgranttheirlife.Letthemeatgrassanddrinkfreshwaterandmaycoolbreezeswaftaroundthem."
IntheSamyutaNikaya(111,19)wehaveanotherdescriptionofaYajnaperformedbyPasenadi,kingofKosala.Itissaidthatfive
hundredbulls,fivehundredcalvesandmanyheifers,goatsandramswereledtothepillartobesacrificed.
WiththisevidencenoonecandoubtthattherewasatimewhenHindus,bothBrahminsandnonBrahmins,atenotonlyfleshbut
alsobeef.
[B.R.Ambedkar,DidtheHindusnevereatbeef?inTheUntouchables:WhoWereTheyandWhyTheyBecameUntouchables?in
Dr.BabasahebAmbedkarWritingsandSpeeches,vol.7,(GovernmentofMaharashtra,Bombay,1990,firstedition1948)pp.323
328.]
[CompiledbyShamsulIslam]
[ThisarticleappearedinTheMilliGazetteprintissueof1631May2010onpageno.9]

http://www.countercurrents.org/ambedkar050315.htm

4/5

10/24/2015

DidHindusNeverEatBeef?ByBRAmbedkar

Tweet
Like

318

Share

12k

14

Share

ShareThis

Commentsaremoderated

ShareThis

http://www.countercurrents.org/ambedkar050315.htm

5/5