No beef with beef ingestion?

The Myth of the Holy Cow (Original Version 2001)

Author: D. N. Jha

Twenty out of twenty-eight states in India have laws prohibiting the slaughter of cows. The consumption of beef has recently become a contentious issue, highlighted by incidents of cow vigilantes intercepting cattle transportation and the lynching of individuals who eat beef.

Initially published in 2002, this book received considerable criticism upon its release. With the memory of Salman Rushdie's 'Satanic Verses' ban in 1988 still fresh in people's minds, the Hyderabad Court initially prohibited the book. There were even threats to the author's life for allegedly offending Hindu sentiments.

Through his extensive intellectual discourse, the author endeavours to convince readers that abstaining from beef is not an ancient Hindu practice. He begins his discussion by asserting that beef and meat consumption were prevalent in the Vedic era. Animal sacrifices, including those of horses and cows, were common. Even Brahmins partook in eating beef. It was customary for attendees to consume these offerings. He provides evidence of this practice in the texts of the Rigveda and similar scriptures that followed. Recipes for beef preparation and its medicinal properties were also reported to exist.

Additionally, the Manu Smriti permits its consumption. The portrayal of Rama and Lakshman during their exile in the Ramayana suggests they were hunters, and Sita preferred deer meat. The Pandavas were not vegetarians either.

 

Jha, a vegetarian, appreciated the protection of cows but struggled to comprehend why cows should avoid slaughter. As a historian, he did not endorse the sanctity of the cow. With more Hindus linking abstention from beef to Hinduism, this serves as his counterargument against such a practice.

It is widely believed that Asoka's edicts, illustrated on his iconic pillars, do not mention cow protection. However, the author argues otherwise. Asoka simply instructs his subjects to safeguard 'four-legged animals'; there is no specific mention of cow slaughter or beef consumption. It is often asserted, at least in one version, that Gautama Buddha ultimately passed away after consuming a tainted pork meal. Furthermore, many Buddhist sects do not demand vegetarianism, and meat is served within their temple premises. Cows continued to be slaughtered during the Maurya rule.

The shift towards abstaining from beef became fashionable, likely in the first century CE. This change may be linked to the Advaita movement, which propagated the notion that all life is sacred and part of the greater Brahman. The idea of the transmigration of souls was introduced.

 

The ostentatious display of animal sacrifices and the emphasis placed on them spurred a rise in vegetarianism. The Jain and Buddhist concepts of kindness towards animals may have captivated the public. As interest in Brahminic practices diminished and more individuals identified as Jains or Buddhists, the Vedic practices, which had likely evolved into Brahmanic traditions, had to undergo a rebranding.

 

The ancient Bharat Hindus comprised believers in Shiva (Shaivites), Vishnu (Vaishnavites), and the feminine divinity (Shaktas), and can generally be classified as flesh-eaters and vegetarians. Some flesh-eaters consumed beef while others did not, and there was even a faction that only consumed cows that had died of natural causes rather than those that had been slaughtered.

 

There is a theory suggesting that the Brahmanicals sought to position themselves as superior to the animal-loving Buddhists and Jains, who still consumed meat. They adopted a fully vegetarian lifestyle.

 

By the 5th century CE, consuming beef had become an offence, yet people continued to partake nonetheless. The British may have accentuated the division between beef and non-beef eaters, further supporting the strategy to 'divide and rule'.

This book edition features a chapter by Baba Ambedkar on the subject, which is intriguing to read with an open mind.

 

The take-home message, at least for me, is that there were meat and beef eaters then, just as there are today. As sacrificial animal slaughter reached industrial levels in ancient India, many became disenchanted. As discussions surrounding the souls of living beings arose, Buddhism and Jainism emerged as alternative practices opposing animal sacrifice. People embraced these ideas. The Brahmins endeavoured to rebrand themselves as superior. Those elitists adopted a fully vegetarian lifestyle, and suddenly, it became fashionable to abstain from meat altogether.

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Good to know!

How I Became a Hindu (1982, Third Reprint,2008)
Author: Sita Ram Goel

Trigger Alert. Readers' discretion is advised. 

Sita Ram Goel, Ram Swarup, Koenraad Elst, David Frawley and publications linked to the RSS may not be hailed as literary marvels or considered literature pieces by the mainstream. Yet, the knowledge is there for all to scoop.

The mainstream always labels right-wing writers as rabble-rousers out to tip the serenity of public harmony. Everything they say and write is painted in the same stroke, as venomous. I decided to look at one of Sita Ram Goel's early writings.

For the uninitiated, Goel is revered as a formidable Indian historian, religious and political activist, writer, and publisher known for his influential contributions to the literature on Hinduism and Hindu nationalism in the late twentieth century. With his direct, unapologetic presentation of facts and provocative book titles, he has stirred the psyche of the Hindus and many Indians to look at India and its history with a new lens, the one previously tinted by leftist historians of the yesteryears.

Goel and his publication house, Voice of India, have had complaints issues against them for his writings on comparative religious studies, specifically Hinduism against Christianity and Islam. His research on Hindu temples in India was hailed by Hindus but criticised by the mainstream. He asserted that many of the iconic religious buildings in India were initially Hindu temples, the famous one being the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.

Goel is vehemently opposed to the idea of evangelism.

I think it is essential that everyone indulges in other alien ideologies to open their minds. Just the other day, a very dear childhood friend, for who I have only high esteem, who happens to be an unapologetic Muslim, asked me a daft question. He had earlier introduced a book on high-level science to me and my circle of friends. The author compared what the scientific world knows now to what is written in the Old Testament, Bible and Quran. He showed a fantastic similarity between the two. The daft question was how many scientists had converted to Hinduism after reading the Hindu scriptures. Of course, everyone knows that no one converts to Hinduism. One can scrutinise, embrace or reject some or all of its scriptures. One does not need to pledge any allegiance to be a Hindu. One can check in, check out or leave anytime they like.

Forget that knowledge from the cradle of Islamic civilisation originated from the Indian subcontinent anyway.

Like most people in the Indian-Hindu diaspora, Sita Ram Goel, too, grew up confused. They were fed myths and fables about the Hindu religion that seemed detached from reality. They soon became ashamed to be associated with Hinduism. In keeping with their friends and to speak the same lingo as the elitist circle, they looked at Abrahamic religions as their saviours. Goel grew up at a time when India was in its march to Independence. Gandhism initially made a lot of sense. Dogmatic beliefs and stickling to ritualism made him explore the Arya Samaj movement, which rejected idolatry practices. He again felt awkward when everyone around looked down at the Harijans and shunned away from their worship. As a student, he explored Marxism, Communism and Socialism. In his assessment, Leninism and Stalinism swayed far away from Marx's teachings. They are merely rebranding of Western capitalism. The final endpoint is material gain. In capitalism, wealth is controlled by the wealthy few linked to the ruling class. In Communism, it boils down to the same at the end. In Goel's mind, the Abrahamic religions are no different from Communism, as indoctrination is the mainstay. Goel fell very sick once. A Reverend took him in and nursed him back to health. Goel got disillusioned when the holy man kept pestering him to accept Jesus as his Saviour.

Living through the age of Nehruism, he noticed that Hindus have evolved into apologists. They have resigned themselves to the fact that they can be a punching bag to everyone, and yet be careful not to offend others. The Hindus, when they are the majority, they have to keep Christians and Muslims happy. Conversely, Hindus as minorities in Muslim-majority nations have to endure so much discrimination. But no one is bothered. As Muslims have a propensity to do street demonstrations, Hindus have been conditioned not to offend but to maintain the peace.

People in his circle have described Sita Ram Goel as an 'intellectual Kshatriya'. His pet projects include researching the history of temples and mosques built on top of pre-existing ancient temples, including the Ayodhya debate. To answer the question of how he became a Hindu, after experimenting with all philosophies and religious teachings, he found the Abrahamic teachings quite dogmatic and restrictive. The Marxists, Leninists, Stalinists and Capitalists are one and the same, rebranded differently. Sanathana Dharma, despite its man-made rituals and divisions between people, is actually more inclusive. A Sanathani can pray to his God in whatever way he feels fit. His God may or may not have a form. He may even be a non-believer of Gods and still a Hindu.

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Breaking the yoke of ignorance!

Benzaiten, Japanese equivalent
to the diety Saraswati.

Saraswati Pooja used to be a vital feature in our household in childhood. The highlight of the whole event was placing our textbooks and getting the blessings of Goddess Saraswati. Thinking we would perform better in studies with Her blessings was naive. Amma did not fail to gently remind us that praying would not make us pass exams. We needed to put in the hours and concentration. There was no substitute for education; it was our key to happiness.

Every Saraswati Pooja reminds me of my childhood of respecting books and learned individuals, irrespective of their teaching styles or content. Then I questioned myself: Can smut be given the same recognition if presented in book form? With all the ill effects that come out of the web but nullified by all the good things it spreads, does it still qualify as a learning tool?

I soon realised that the spirit of Saraswati is the zest of reinforcing to immerse oneself into the ocean of knowledge. It is also a reminder that we are the privileged few whose journey through education is a given right. It is a prompt for us to appreciate those who reached greater despite the odds against them to acquire knowledge.

Ruby Bridges, 6, attending Elementary
School in 1960, accompanied by
US Marshals.

Offhand, I remember the people of my mother’s generation whose parents thought a child’s job was to take over the lead of feeding the family as soon as their bodies transitioned into adulthood, which can be as early as 14 for a girl and 16 for a male. My mother’s desire to continue studies and fly high was clipped prematurely after her primary Tamil school studies, and my uncle had to literally stay away from his family to earn to finance his upper secondary school studies.

Salutations also go to the first lady doctor and the first lawyer in countries where education for females was considered dangerous, tilting the patriarchal-matriarchal societal balance. They went against the grain and gripe of their communities to succeed. A family with an educated female will end illiteracy in that family.

Thought also goes to Ruby Bridges, whose parents had the courage and wisdom to enrol her as the first black girl in an all-white elementary school in Louisiana in 1960. In 1964, Norman Rockwell immortalised the scene of Ruby marching boldly ‘like a soldier’ accompanied by US marshals in a painting. It later became an iconic image of the Civil Rights Movement.

Even though specific religious iconographies have been included in celebrating Saraswati Pooja, its essence is secular. Appreciating the power of education on society does not convert students to give up their cultural beliefs. All faiths encourage their congregations to expand their knowledge and minds to the vast expanse of wisdom. Saraswati Pooja is a mere conduit to this realisation. It is also included as an Ayudha Pooja (Weapons' prayer), as books and knowledge constitute our weapons in our daily lives. It used to be swords and farming utensils. As though emphasising the role of the fairer sex in our society, this pooja is part of Navarathri, the nine-day celebration of female divinity.

So, I do not understand why a non-governmental organisation in Malaysia, Thiravidar Humanitarian Organisation, vehemently opposes the Saraswati Pooja celebrations in Tamil schools. They claim it is a religious activity; as such, it should not be held during teaching hours but to maintain the focus on education. That is precisely the point; celebrations like Saraswati Pooja would ignite true wisdom to separate the wheat from the chaff. This Malaysian NGO is an extension of Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian politics, primarily anti-Hindu. Their current aim in life is to eradicate Sanathana Dharma, just like humanity is trying to crush COVID and Dengue. The Malaysian NGO is parroting their masters across the seas, the same land their ancestors fled for a better life.

Dr Joshi graduated in 1886 from the Women's
Medical College in Pennsylvania.

Why were girls in the 19th and 20th centuries prevented from attending school? It could not be something engrained in the Indian society. Many crucial human activity departments are represented by goddesses, not male demigods. If Indian society was indeed patriarchal, why would Goddess Durga represent courage, Laxmi to wealth and Saraswati to be linked to knowledge? As though emphasising the role of the fairer sex in our society, Saraswati Pooja is part of Navarathri, the nine-day celebration of female divinity. Something must have happened in between. Could it be that the rapacious hunting of invading barbarians into India forced families to tuck their daughters far away from their invaders's lustful eyes? Over generations, they became better at being unseen and unheard, soon occupying second-class status in society. Just a thought!

 © Norman Rockwell

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The escape clause?

Fair dues warning: This is a spiritual post. Please leave if you are easily offended. 

Krishna demolishing Kansa

I heard a talk from a Hindu scholar recently. He was narrating the story of Krishna and the troubling times he was born into. Rather, the Protector of the Universe, Vishnu, manifested himself as Krishna to maintain law and order. Too many influential people were abusing their positions to create chaos, which needed to be curbed.

Krishna's immediate duty was to defeat Kansa, his uncle, a demonic King. Trouble started when Kansa married off his sister, Devaki, to Vasudeva. Deep inside, Kansa intended to usurp Vasudeva's land. At the wedding, a prophecy was heard that Devaki's eighth child would be the reason for Kansa's defeat. Kansa imprisoned the couple, and Devaki's seven children were all killed at birth. Why all the other births, too, not just the eighth? Somebody alerted Kansa that the seven siblings could rally behind the eighth to attack him.

When the eighth child was finally born on an auspicious star on a wet rainy night, the hypnotic illusion of Vishnu came into full force. With sleeping guards and extremely lax security, a child was born, taken out of prison, transported across River Ganga, swapped with another baby, a baby girl, born at the same time, and returned to Devaki's cell. The baby girl cried only when it arrived at its destination, alerting the guards. The palace was alerted, but by the time Kansa laid his hands on the baby, he knew he had been duped. Was the prophecy wrong? The eighth born turned out to be a girl! Kansa tried to smash the baby on the wall. Surprise, surprise. The baby girl turned out to be Goddess Kaali, who announced that Kansa’s assassin was safe on the other side of the river and that his days were numbered.

Kansa spent the rest of his days thinking of Krishna, turning every corner and looking for his assailant. Long story short, Kansa sent so many adversaries to finish off young Krishna, but in vain. When Kansa was finally killed, it is said he attained moksha (released from the curse of rebirth) because Krishna was always on his mind, thinking of Krishna day and night.

Ravana

The same thing is said to have happened to Ravana. After kidnapping Sita, keeping her captive, and wooing her, he was shocked when Hanuman arrived in his supposedly safe cocoon. Hanuman created a ruckus by burning Lanka. It was a warning to Ravana that the end was nay. Rama was coming sooner than he thought. Just like Kansa, Ravana went into alert mode. 

Despite being the sorcerer and the erudite person he was, the fear of Rama and the accompanying Vanara army sank in. Ravana shuddered. What carnage could the rest do if one representative could do such damage? Every minute that followed, he was compelled to think of Rama and only Rama. Again, Ravana was defeated but also attained moksha because Rama was always at the tip of his tongue and immersed deep in his thoughts. 

My feeble mind does not comprehend all these. These great tyrants, despite all their evil deeds, the pain and suffering they inflicted upon others, and the trail of destruction left behind, escaped the dreaded curse of reincarnation because they went on thinking and chanting the Lord's name. It is a rather lazy way of cutting the queue, surpassing all others who went the problematic way of collecting brownie points and spiralling through birth after birth to attain salvation. In my mind, katas (sermons) like these are the crossroads where itihasa (history), tattva (philosophy) and sciences morph into myths. The scriptures tell about Rama and Krishna's dates of birth indirectly through constellation positions, permitting accurate dating of certain events. This information can be fed through astronomical apps to verify the presence of such a constellation. Astronomical calculations had verified it to be correct. Their births probably happened. That is science. But I am not so sure about others. My blinkers are still on, and I may not be ready to receive the essence of the nectar of the Lord's divine wisdom. But I persevere...

(P.S. I had been under the impression that the law of karma works like Newton's Third Law of Motion. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. You reap what you sow. Perhaps this escape route to erase one's sins is reactionary to what the Catholic Church was preaching at that time in India. A sincere confession under the name of the Lord cleans the slate. Fearing losing their congregation to the order side where something else is offered to the Law of Karma, the stakeholders may have relented. Instead of uttering ‘Hail Mary’ thrice and absolving your sins, they offered the chanting of ‘Hari Krishna Hari Rama’ indefinitely.)

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Above all, think!

 Maharaj (Hindi; 2024)
Director: Siddharth P. Malhotra

There was no big hoopla to announce the arrival of one of Bollywood star's son, Aamir Khan's Junaid Khan, to the silver screen. The film, however, had to be cleared by the courts for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments before making a quiet screening on Netflix. From the get-go, people started demonstrating in front of Netflix HQ in the USA, accusing them of defaming Lord Krishna. Many of the demonstrators had not even viewed the show. Still, they demonstrated anyway, seeing the OTT platform, as in previous instances, had repeatedly been releasing movies that tend to ridicule or put Sanatha Dharma in a bad light. In their eyes, Hindus were like dodos, easy prey for target practice. For instance, no one would dare make a movie that even gives a hint of ridicule or as much questions Islamic figures or practices using modern-day yardstick. It is an unwritten rule that Islamic bodies had to give their nod before such a story hits the filming process. 

The whole story is based on an 1862 Bombay High Court case. In this case, a social reformer and journalist, Karsandas Mulji, and Nanabhai Rustomji Ranina, a newspaperman, were served a libel suit by Jadunathjer Barjratanjee Maharaj. The Maharaj alleges that the duo defamed himself and his religious practice and brought shame to the age-old religious practices of his Hindu sect, the Pushimarg of Vallabha Sampradaya. 

Vallabha set up the sect in the 1600s when he had a vision he was a reincarnation of Krishna. He set up a centre that grew big thanks to the contributions of various business communities and Vaishvanite Hindus. After Vallabha's demise, his descendants took over. The heir would be known as Maharaj. Karnadas' assertion was that the sect had deviated from traditional Vedic teaching. Its leader had abused his position by getting sexual favours from his devotees. 

The court case exposed the ignorance of his devotees. Many could not tell whether Maharaj was a guru (guide) or God himself. They blindly followed the herd in the name of devotion and service to the Almighty. This included sending their wives and teenage daughters for Maharaj's sexual gratification. It was also revealed that the guru was afflicted with syphilis. 

The case was presided over by two judges. Chief Justice Matthew Sausse, the senior of the two, overruled the other's decision to find Karsandas guilty of libel as private matters need not be publicised in public space and fined him 5 rupees. On the other hand, he affirmed that the sect was heterodox and deviant. Its songs in praise of Krishna, sung by young girls, were construed as amorous and sung by 16,000 gopis. Karsandas Mulji was awarded cost. 

This trial was a watershed case for India's social reforms and press freedom. 

Karsandas Mulji

The movie takes the liberty to masalafy the background of Karsandas, giving him a youthful look with a modern haircut. The level of drama is hyped with a dance number, a holi celebration with Karsandas love interest herself falling prey to the list of Maharaj. Melodrama reaches a point of no return when his lover subsequently commits suicide after Karsandas annulled their engagement after her seemingly wilful act of sex with the Maharaj in the name of divine service. 

This is not a documentary film. Hence, there was a need to spice up the characters and glamourise the narrative here and there. 

Yes, Modi had been reported to have sung praises of Mulji for his work in his newspaper, Satya Prakash, and his advocacy of women's rights and social reforms, particularly widow remarriage and the rights of the oppressed. So, people were surprised when a movie about him landed the producers in the courts. 

More than one and a half centuries after the trial, we find ourselves in the same boat as the members of the Pustimarg sect. We are easily cowed into submission when the name of the Divine is mentioned. It has become a dog whistle for the believers to toe the line. Questions cannot be raised as they are considered heretical. Just following, not asking questions, is the way to go. Like the children of Hamelin, we seem to be intoxicated to the tune of the Piped Piper's flute. 

https://enfolding.org/krishna-in-the-dock-the-1862-maharaja-libel-case-and-its-consequences-i/

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The annual pilgrimage

One thing about Indians in Penang, mainly of Tamil stock, is that they have a solid attachment to Thaipusam celebrations. I remember growing up in Penang around low, middle-class Tamil families; Thaipusam was an important event. For Penangites, Thaipusam meant three trips of prayers. Anything else would mean incomplete worship of Lord Thendayathapani. On the eve of Thaipusam, it was customary to follow the day-long chariot procession that traversed almost the whole town.

The main event on Thaipusam was a giant fiesta. It was the go-to place to meet up with old friends and long-lost relatives who refused to keep in touch. Climbing the Waterfall hill to pray at the small temple atop is necessary. Watching wave after wave of colourful kavadis. Kavadis came in various sizes with degrees of intricacies, architectures and varying displays of theatrics by the kavadi bearers and their entourage. Music was compulsory. Those days, there was not so much restriction to the songs played over the P.A. system of the numerous refreshment sheds (thaneer panthal). So, it was left to the creativity of shed owners to whip up catchy songs that drew a crowd. Upbeat Tamil movie songs with sultry lines ruled the day.

To accommodate the hot season that used to hit Penang in January and February (now the weather pattern has taken a toss), kavadis mainly came in two shifts - early morning and late evening. 

If one thought that was all for Thaipusam, they were wrong. After recovering from the two days' merrymaking, the chariot had to return to its original resting place. It was a night-long affair, with the chariot starting in the late evening and moving slowly through town to reach its destination the following morning, making it the fourth day of festivity. 

Now, there was a local urban legend in Penang about Thaipusam. When someone misses a year's celebration, somehow, the curse of not attending would continue for another two years.

Now that my mother, a true blue Penangite and an octogenarian, is incapacitated and essentially homebound, she became restless as Thaipusam approached. She reminisced about the good old times when she could just partake in the celebrations back in Penang at the drop of a coin, at her will. 

She smiled the moment she laid eyes on the Batu Caves temple steps, filled with saffron-attired worshippers with hypnotising drums. For her, Thaipusam was done. Of course, she viewed all these from afar in the comfort of a car perched on a flyover overlooking Batu Caves and the iconic Murugan Statue. 

P.S. At the end of the day, the question that begs to be answered is whether Thaipusam, a religious obligation, has slowly evolved into a cultural revelry and ethnic entitlement.

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