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Respected Tatachar swamin,

Adiyen's humble pranams.

"As is food , so is the mind" - is the basis for the claim on sattwic food. (A lot more has been said by our acharyas on aahaara niyamam which is about vegetarianism. But adiyen is giving the clues from Gita only, as asked by Tatachar swamin.)

The foremost proof from the Gita is this:

The Lord says only about sattwic food even for Himself -"whosoever offers to me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, that offering of love, of the pure heart I accept" (9-26)
The sattwic food is that which is available in nature and doesnot require elaborate preparation, leave alone killing.

Verses 17-7 onwards in Bhagavad Gita give details on vegetarianism for a sattwic nature

"Ahaarasthvapi.. " (17-7)- (even the food)  Though the verses from this onwards talk about the food liked by the people of the 3 gunas, it is obvious that the Lord means to say that the food also plays a role in the kind of guna they get to have.

("aahaara shuddhau sattwa shuddhi:"- 7-26-2 chandokhya.
"For, my dear, the mind consists of food" 6-5-4- chando.
"when the food is pure, the man becomes pure" 7-26-2, chando)

Such a  food is (17-7)

"rasya" - obviously from milk, sugar etc.

"snighdha" -oil from milk and vegetable  product (here it must be said that the feelings of the cow when milk is drawn also influences the drinker of such milk. It is said that (this is from Gita press, gorahkpur edition) a dog is allowed to run after a calf before before a cow is milked.The cow grows angry on seeing this.That milk is offered to soldiers so that they may become cruel. Then one can imagine what guna will spring in one who eats meat, made from a terrified animal dying in pain and suffering)

"sthira" - substantial and stay in the body for long to give energy.

"hrudhya"- appear beautiful to eyes.

Further analysis of this and the next 2 verses establish that the characteristic of the source of the food get transformed into  guna.

Particular reference is to verse 17-10 which mentions "amedhyam" as the food of tamasic people.

It is described (in Gorahkpur edition) as that which is impure owing to association with impure, evil  and adharmic acts.
Such food is got through himsa.
It is obvious that this refers to meat and eggs.

Again in verse 17-17 , three types of 'tapas' are said of sattwic people.

Such a tapas includes "ahimsa" (17-14)
But that which results in "peedya" (harm) to others is for tamasic people. So certainly meat eating is not for sattwic nature.

The types of tapas mentioned in verses 17-- 14,15,16 &17 are in a nutshell about the 4 legs of Dharma. satyam, daya, shanthi and ahimsa - which are said to get reduced with the progression of yugas. In this order, Ahimsa is the parama dharma of kali yuga. That is why even animal sacrifices in yajnas whcih are supported by  vedic vidhi are FORBIDDEN in this  yuga. Then it goes without saying that eating meat is also FORBIDDEN  for everyone.
Brihath dharma Puranam gives details of what this ahimsa is all about. (purva khandam, 1-47)
Ahimsa is 7-fold.

Of this the final one is "sarvathra aathma buddhi: paraathmasu" - to treat all life as one's own - that is, not to harm any life.

Respected Tatachar swamin, please dont think I am straying out of Gita.
The defintion of what the Lord says as ahimsa in verse 17-14 is explained from this text which has given details of all the 4 dharmas of 4 yugas..

dasan,
Manivannan
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
 
                                  


                                
On 10/26/07, Tatachar@xxxxxxx <Tatachar@xxxxxxx> wrote:

    Dear Swamin,


    >>......Bhagavad Gita are ample sources on how a person on satwic mode of spiritual
    evolution / path must desist from meat eating. )<<

    I just completed translating Bhagavadgita. Could you please give me
    in your so called ample, at least one reference in Bhagavadgita to support
    your bold  conclusion above.

    dAsan

    K.S. tAtAchAr


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