Diet in Hinduism

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Diet in Hinduism is traditionally governed by the rules laid out in the Dharmastras, a genre of Sanskrittexts pertaining to Hindu religious and legal duty !he Dharmastras has put much emphasis on "ho#ana$%that &hich is en#oyed%' (thers

have attached additional Hindu )a& instructions and taboos to food !ogether, these address areas such as ho& many times food &as to be taken, the kinds of foods and drinks allo&ed or forbidden, &hat causes food defilement, &hose food &as to be eaten, and eti*uette and ceremonies before taking food both at the time of taking it as &ell as after taking it
+,-

Contents
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1 ood in the Vedas ! ood in the "harma#$stras % ood and asceticism & Ve'etarian (indus ) Non*ve'etarian (indus + ,ee also - .eferences / 0iblio'raphy

Food in the Vedas[edit]

!he oldest Hindu text .ig /eda $,0 12 ,34,5' speaks about the flesh of the cattle and the horses6+7-

!he fiend &ho smears himself &ith flesh of cattle, &ith flesh of horses and of human bodies, Who steals the milch4co&8s milk a&ay, ( 9gni,:tear off the heads of such &ith fiery fury

!he co& gives milk each year, ( ;an4regarder let not the <tudhna ever taste it =f one &ould glut him &ith the biesting, 9gni, pierce &ith thy flame his vitals as he meets thee

)et the fiends drink the poison of the cattle> may 9diti cast off the evildoers ;ay the ?od Savitar give them up to ruin, and be their share of plants and herbs denied them

9gni, from days of old thou slayest demons never shall .kasas in fight o@ercome thee "urn up the foolish ones, the flesh4devourers let none of them escape thine heavenly arro&

: .ig /eda $,0 12 ,34,5'

Some consider this as a disapproval of the co& slaughter and meat eating in general
+A-

(thers put it in the context of

demons and evil spirits $<tudhna' stealing the cattle and the milk, and mention that the beef eating &as common in the /edic times +B-+C- ;ultiple other .igvedic verses in ;andala ,0, including 1C ,A,+3- ,37 B+2- and ,37 ,74,A,+1- contain references to the slaughter of cattle, horses and other animals, as &ell as meat eating

!he 9tharva /eda bans only the eating of the ra& flesh and the human flesh6

!hose &ho eat flesh uncooked, and those &ho eat the bleeding flesh of men, Feeders on babes unborn, long4haired, far from this place &e banish these

: 9tharva /eda $1 3 7A'+5!he Dpastamba ErautasFtra from <a#urveda has clear references to proper preparation of beef in certain occasions
+,0-

Food in the Dharmastras[edit]

/egetarian thali from Delhi, =ndia

Food is the essence of life, from &hich things unfold GHverything is centered in food, the evil deeds of man resort to their food Whoever eats the food of another partakes of that man@s sin I+,,- =t is because of this that elaborate restrictions are laid out for =ndian society about everything relating to food Some obscure commands do exist in the Dharmastras about food For example, ;anu says that one should face east &hen partaking in food and the /isnu JH S 31 goes on to say that a man is allo&ed to do so facing south, except &hen the diner@s mother is alive
+,7-

Food does, ho&ever, play a

useful role in the concept of life for Hindu society ;anu == C goes on to tell &hich direction, &hen eating, promotes &hich asset in life Someone facing the south &ould eat food that &ould lead to fame, as one &ho faces &est eats food to produce &ealth, and so on +,A=t is also instructed that one &ho is about to eat food should greet the food &hen it is served to him =n performing this act, he should pay honour to it, and never find fault in it +,B!he in#unctions found in the Dharmastras are summariKed more clearly by Latrick (livelle in his article %From Feast to Fast6 Food and the =ndian 9scetic % =n his &ork, (livelle breaks do&n more clearly &hat the Dharmastra prescribes for individual parts of Hindu society 9ll the topics that Jane touched on, mentioned above, are explained here in a &ay &hich relates food to both everyday life for Hindus as &ell as life in the cosmic realm !he production, preparation, exchange and consumption of food have very particular processes of execution !hese aspects of food are all commanded in order to protect kinship, purity, ritual, ethical values, and social stratification, each of &hich play a huge part in Hindu society Food plays a central role in explaining the Hindu conception of the cosmos and creation itself 9ncient creation stories portray the creator god of the "rahmins as the creator as &ell as the actual food for

his creatures +,C- !he production of food is the immediate concern after the creation of the very first beings (ther creation myths exist, each of &hich, ho&ever, connect creation, food, and sacrifice Food &as held in high respects, according to the Dharmastra, from the very beginning ;anu %From the sun comes rain, and from rain food, and therefrom the living creatures derive their subsistenceI+,3Jane and (livelle both reference the command that G(ne should not speak ill of food !hat is the ruleI to further the point that food is established upon food Food being established upon food in this text is the ancient &ay of describing the correlation bet&een food and eater, that one cannot exist &ithout the other G!he &hole of creation, therefore, is a vast food chain %+,29s &ell as being the source of creation, food is also seen as a danger in Hindu society 9s food is the source of creation at the cosmic level, so is it the source of immorality at a social level Food is central to sacrificial offerings to the gods Hven of the five daily sacrifices, four of them involve transaction of food =n this &ay, since the cosmos represents a giant food cycle, the interdependence of all beings is expressed in the transaction of food 9lthough in most Dharmastra texts the behavior to&ards food is described more for "rahmins, the elite caste, recent studies of these texts sho& that similar behavioral patterns existed at all levels of Hindu society !his culture has formulated many prohibitions and classifications &ith regard to food as a critical mechanism for the formation of social groups and the expression of leadership (ther such social classes in society that are to obey in#unctions of food are the mendicant &orld renouncers and the sedentary forest hermits

Food and asceticism[edit]

/arious vegetarian dishes from;umbai, =ndia

!he &orld renouncer is not allo&ed to produce, store, or prepare food He obtains his daily food solely by begging "ecause there is a proper time for this begging, &hich is after the householders of the upper classes have finished their food, his meals consist of their left4overs Distinct types of begging exist, &ith each different method pertaining to a different subclass of these mendicants !he lo&est class eats at the house of his son or his relative, the next class does not go to the house of his relative, but rather begs his food from seven other houses !he highest, archetypal renouncer begs randomly, but obtains #ust a morsel from each of the houses from &hich he begs 9s these classes of people cannot

produce or store food, their relationship to this entity is one4&ay !he renouncer does not engage in any form of food transaction, only reception
+,1-

!he forest hermits, on the other hand, are not mediated in their food habits by culture !heir food is &ild and uncultivated !heir diet &ould consist mainly of fruits, roots, leaves, and anything that gro&s naturally in the forest Forbidden to them is anything that is cultivated ?aut === A7 and "audh == 3 ,, state that MHe shall not step on plo&ed land> he shall not enter a village @ +,5- )ike the renouncers, the forest hermits are further subdivided into those &ho cook their food and those &ho do not cook their food Hach of these subcategories are even further divided into five classes based upon &hether they only eat grains, or only roots, and so on for those that cook For those &ho do not cook their food, their five classes are based more on ho& they eat their food6 &ith hands only, &ith mouth only and so on (bserving ascetical food codes and habits allo&s scholars to make generaliKations regarding food according to these patterns For instance, (livelle claims that four distinct areas of Hindu relationships to food exist in ascetical food practices !hese &ould be procurement, storage, preparation, and consumption =n these areas, humans put forth much effort and energy to follo& them correctly !his then, becomes a social as &ell as cultural endeavor for &hich to practice !he rules of the ascetics sho& that they take and eat only that &hich is enough for their sustenance !he creation myths at the cosmic levels sho& that the ideal &orld &ith provide everything humans need, so long as humans take only &hat is necessary to them !aking more than one needs or &hat is commanded of one@s caste results in greed and the overall deterioration of the &orld Food then, is a dangerous substance, as &ell as the source of all things in being !he relationship bet&een a man and his food, then, is his relationship to the cosmos

Vegetarian Hindus[edit]

.a#asthani vegetarian cuisine

Some ma#or paths of Hinduism hold vegetarianism as an ideal !here are three main reasons for this6 the principle of nonviolence $ahimsa' applied to animals,+70- the intention to offer only %pure% $vegetarian' food to a deity and then to receive it back as prasad,+7,- and the conviction that non4vegetarian food is detrimental for the mind and for spiritual development ;any Hindus point to scriptural bases, such as the ;ahabharata8s maxim that %Nonviolence is the highest duty and the highest teaching,%+77- as advocating a vegetarian diet

!here are many Hindu groups that have continued to abide by a strict vegetarian diet in modern times (ne example is the movement kno&n as =SJO(N $=nternational Society for Jrishna Oonsciousness', &hose follo&ers Gnot only abstain from meat, fish, and fo&l, but also avoid certain vegetables that are thought to have negative properties, such as onion, mushrooms and garlic I+7A- 9 second example is the S&aminarayan ;ovement !he follo&ers of this Hindu group also staunchly adhere to a diet that is devoid of meat, eggs, and seafood +7B/egetarianism is propagated by the <a#urveda and it is recommended for a satvic $purifying' lifestyle +7C- !hus, another reason thatdietary purity is so eminent &ithin Hinduism is because Gthe idea that food reflects the general *ualities of nature6 purity, energy, inertiaI> it follo&s that a healthy diet should be one that promotes purity &ithin an individual
+7A-

Non-vegetarian Hindus[edit]

"utter chicken, a favourite of meat consuming population of =ndian subcontinent

Further information: History of Brahmin diet, Jhatka, and Animal sacrifice in Hinduism Oontrary to popular belief, =ndia is not presently a predominantly vegetarian country
+73-+72-

"rahmins of Hast =ndia and

Jashmir and the Saras&at "rahmins of the South&est are allo&ed fish and some meat

+71-

Historically and currently,+75- those Hindus &ho eat meat prescribe #hatka meat +A0- !his is a common method of slaughter &hen "ali Sacrifices are made to some Hindu deities, ho&ever,/edic rituals such as 9gnicayana involved the strangulation of sacrificial goats +A,- ;anyShaivite Hindus engage in #hatka methods as part of religious dietary la&s, as influenced by some Shakta doctrines, &hich permit the consumption of meat During Durga Lu#a and Jali Lu#a among some Shaivite Hindus in Lun#ab, "engal and Jashmir, Phatka meat is the re*uired meat for those Shaivite Hindus &ho eat meat ;any /aishnava sects prohibit the consumption of meat, and their relative demographic predominance +A7- over some non4vegetarian Shaivite sects leads to a common stereotype that all Hindus are vegetarian +AA;any dalit communities eat meat, such as the Ohamar community of Lun#ab, but some may abstain from beef andQor pork, dependent on the village culture 9lthough killing co&s is prohibited in Hinduism, in Nepal some Hindus sacrifice and consume meat from the"uffalo +AB- !here is a disagreement on buffalo meat consumption bet&een =ndian Hindus and Nepalese Hindus on this topic as co&s and buffalo are seen as related species, &ith Nepalese holding that buffalo consumption is an old tradition in their country, and is regularly consumed there
+AC-

"uffalo meat is popular in Nepalese

national dishes like ;omos and "urgers, &hile in =ndia buffalo meat is largely re#ected

See also[edit]

Sattvic diet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on thetalk page. This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2010) This article relies on references to primary sources. (September 2012)
9 sattvic diet, also referred to as a yoga diet or sentient diet, is a diet based on foods that: according to 9yurveda and <oga, are strong in the sattva guna, and lead to clarity and upeksa $e*uanimity' of mind &hile also being beneficial to the body
+citation needed-

Such foods include &ater, cereal grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, unpasteuriKed and unhomogeniKed fresh milk and fresh milk derivatives $mostly ghee, but also butter, cream, cheese $paneer', and yogurt $lassi'', and ra& honey +citation neededFoods that this system considers neither positive or negative are rajasic, &hile those that harm the mind or body aretamasic +citation neededFoods that are kept overnight $leftovers' are considered tamasic, as they lose their vital essences and may have gro&n microorganisms 9ny foods that involve the harm of another being are also considered tamasic, and overly4s&eet foods are considered ra#asic !oo much spice, sugar, or salt may render &hat &as a sattvic food to become ra#asic or tamasic
+citation needed-

Foods that are considered the most sattvic of all are fresh milk from a happy co& $see the dairy section', and fruit fallen from a tree !his is because there is absolutely no harm done to the organism from &hich the nutrients came, but the organism gave the food &illingly and &ith blessings
Contents
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+citation needed-

1 ,attvic foods

o o o o o o o

1.1 Nuts1 ,eeds1 and 2ils 1.! ruit 1.% "airy 1.& Ve'etables 1.) 3hole 'rains 1.+ 4e'umes 1.- ,weeteners

o o

1./ ,pices 1.5 ,attvic herbs ! .a6asic 7stimulant8 foods % Tamasic 7sedative8 foods

%.1 ,criptural references & ,ee also ) .eferences + E9ternal lin:s

Sattvic foods[edit]
Nuts, Seeds, and ils[edit]

Fresh nuts and seeds that have not been overly roasted and salted are good additions to the sattvic diet in small portions +citation needed-Ohoices include almonds $especially &hen soaked in &ater overnight and then peeled', hemp seeds, coconuts, pine nuts, &alnuts,sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds (ils should be of good *uality and cold4pressed Some choices are olive oil, sesame oiland flax oil ;ost oils should only be eaten in their ra& state, but some oils like ghee, sesame oil, palm oil, and coconut oil can be used in cooking

Fruit[edit] Dairy[edit]
!he milk must be obtained from an animal that has a spacious outdoor environment, an abundance of pasture to feed on, &ater to drink, is treated &ith love and care, and is not pregnant !he milk may only be collected once the mother8s calf has its share Dairy products like yogurt and cheese $paneer' must be made that day, from milk obtained that day "utter must be fresh daily as &ell, and ra&> but ghee $clarified butter' can be aged forever, and is great for cooking Freshness is key &ith dairy ;ilk that is freshly milked from a happy co&, still &arm, is nectar to man and &oman ;ilk that is not consumed fresh can be refrigerated for one to t&o &eeks in its ra& state, but must be brought to a boil before drinking, and drunk &hile still hotQ&arm LasteuriKation, homogeniKation, and the use of ?;(s and pesticides are all considered poisonous to humans 44 as is the consumption of milk from co&s that are treated poorly, and consuming cold milk 9s finding milk that surpasses these standards is extremely rare, people in &estern countries often choose to follo& a vegan Sattvic diet
+citation needed-

Vegeta!les[edit]
;ost mild vegetables are considered sattvic Lungent vegetables like hot peppers, leek, garlic and onion are excluded, as are gas4forming foods such as mushrooms $tamasic,

as are all fungi' and potatoes Some consider the Solanaceae family $tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes' as not sattvic, but most consider the 9llium family $garlic, onion, leeks, shallots', as &ell as fungus $yeasts, molds, and mushrooms' as not sattvic !he classification of &hether something is sattvic or not is defined largely by the different schools of thought, and 4 even then 4 individually, depending on the understanding and needs of practitioners Sometimes the given nature of certain foods can be neutralised by careful preparation 9 practice is to drink freshly made vegetable #uices for their prana, liveenKymes, and easy absorption +citation needed-

"hole grains[edit]
Whole grains provide nourishment Some include organic rice, &hole &heat, spelt, oatmeal and barley Sometimes the grains are lightly roasted before cooking to remove some of their heavy *uality <easted breads are not recommended, unless toasted Wheat and other grains can be sprouted before cooking as &ell Some preparations are #icharee $bro&n or &hite basmati rice cooked &ith &hole or split mung beans, ghee and mild spices', kheer $rice cooked &ith milk and s&eetened', chapatis $non4leavened &hole &heat flat bread',porridge $sometimes made very &atery and cooked &ith herbs', and G"ibleI bread $sprouted grain bread' Sometimes yogis &ill fast from grains during special practices
+citation needed-

$egumes[edit]
;ung beans, lentils, yello& split peas, chickpeas, aduki beans, common beans, organic tofu, and bean sprouts are considered sattvic if &ell prepared =n general, the smaller the bean, the easier to digest Lreparations include splitting, peeling, grinding, soaking, sprouting, cooking and spicing )egumes combined &ith &hole grains can offer a complete protein source Some yogis consider the mung bean to be the only sattvic legume

S%eeteners[edit]
Some yogis use ra& honey $often in combination &ith dairy' and #aggery, a ra& sugar $not refined' =n some traditions, sugar andQor honey are excluded from the diet, along &ith all other s&eeteners

S&ices[edit]
Sattvic spices are mild spices including basil, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, fresh ginger and turmeric .a#asic spices like black pepper and red pepper are normally excluded, but are sometimes used in small amounts, both to clear channels blocked by mucus and to counter tamas Salt is good in strict moderation, but only unrefined salts, like Himalayan salt or unbleached sea salt, not iodiKed salt

Sattvic her!s[edit]
(ther herbs are used to directly support sattva in the mind and in meditation !hese include ash&agandha, bacopa, calamus, gotu kola,gingko, #atamansi, purnarnava, shatavari, saffron, shankhapushpi, tulsi and rose

'a(asic )stimulant* foods[edit]

Stimulant foods, also called mutative foods, muta!le foods or ra(asic foods, are foods that often provoke mental restlessness !hey are not completely beneficial, nor are they harmful, to body or mind Foods that cannot be categoriKed as either sentient or static are classified in this food group !hese foods are thought by some to cause aggressive and dominating thoughts, especially to&ards others+citation neededStimulant foods energiKe and develop the manipura $navel' chakra and body but do not promote advancement in the higher chakras Such foods include6 caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea $both black and green', cola drinks, energy drinks, bro&n or black chocolate,gingko biloba, spicy food, salt, and unfertiliKed egg

+amasic )sedative* foods[edit]

Sedative foods, also called static foods, or tamasic foods are foods &hose consumption, according to <oga, are harmful to either mind or body Harm to mind includes anything that &ill lead to a duller, less refined state of consciousness "odily harm includes any foods that &ill cause detrimental stress to any physical organ directly or indirectly $via any physical imbalance'
+citation needed-

!hey are, ho&ever, sometimes necessary during times of great physical stress and pain !hey help dull the pain and lo&er consciousness, allo&ing the body to repair itself Such static foods may be deemed necessary in times of &ar or great distress Static foods stimulate and strengthen the lo&er t&o chakras, but &ill not assist in beneficial development of the higher chakras =n fact they are usually detrimental to the advancement of the higher chakras Such foods include6 meat, fish, fertiliKed egg, onion, garlic, scallion, leek, chive, mushroom, alcoholic beverage, durian $fruit', blue cheese, opium, and stale food

Scri&tural references[edit]
=n Latan#ali8s <oga sutra, in the section on niyama, there is a &ord called tapas !apas here includes ahara niyama:right food but in limited *uantity So, niyama, &hich is a personal discipline, includes

regulation of food habits =n other texts, like Hatha <oga Lradipika, the author, before talking about pranayama, insists on proper food habits
+citation needed-