Every time vegetarian people say that Ram was vegetarian. There is no space for Non-Vegetarianism in Sanatan culture. I have given evidence of non vegetarianism in Sanatan culture below from Ramayan and Ved.
In AtharvaVeda, it is said that:
राजसूयं वाजपेयमग्निष्टोमस्तदध्वरः |
अर्काश्वमेधावुच्छिष् ट जीबर्बहिभमदिन्तम || ११-६-६
Translation- Rajsuya, Vajpayee, Agnistam these yajnas are non-violent. Orc & Ashwamedha Yajna are situated in the Lord which is the enhancer of the organism & the most joyful.
It means Rajsuya, Vajpayee, Agnistom these yajnas are non-violent, that is, these yajnas have nothing to do with animal slaughter.
So even in the yajna of sage Bishwamitra, killing of animals was definitely not an issue, so there was blood & flesh uninvited, that is why the demons were producing annoyance of Bishwamitra by throwing blood & flesh, for which Bishwamitra wanted Rama from Dasaratha.
So what is the proof all in all - the blood & flesh being thrown by the demons in the yajna of Bishwamitra and eating non-veg is same thing?
Talking about the diet of ancient times, it is said in the context of the story of sage Basishta & sage Bishwamitra, when Bishwamitra went to the ashram of Basishta, Basishta treated Bishwamitra with fruits. Its quite natural.
Because nowadays also when guest comes home we first treat him with fruit or sweets, but the next meal is different, which was also in Sage Vashishta's ashram.
The incident narrated in Bal-Kand like this:
तं दृष्ट्वा परमप्रीतो विश्वामित्रो महाबलः |
प्रणतो विनयाद्वीरो वसिष्ठं जपतां वरम् || १-५२-१
स्वागतं तव चेत्युक्तो वसिष्ठेन महात्मना |
आसनं चास्य भगवान् वसिष्ठो व्यादिदेश ह || १-५२-२
उपविष्टाय च तदा विश्वामित्राय धीमते |
यथान्यायं मुनिवरः फलमूलमुपाहरत् || १-५२-३
प्रतिगृह्य तु तां पूजां वसिष्ठाद्राजसत्तमः |
तपोऽग्निहोत्रशिष्येषु कुशलं पर्यपृच्छत || १-५२-४
विश्वामित्रो महातेजा वनस्पतिगणे तथा |
सर्वत्र कुशलं चाह वसिष्ठो राजसत्तमः || १-५२-५
सुखोपविष्टं राजानं विश्वामित्रं महातपाः |
पप्रच्छ जपतां श्रेष्ठो वसिष्ठो ब्रह्मणः सुतः || १-५२-६
Summary: "Vashishta offers hospitality to Vishvamitra and his armies. Even though the *King Vishvamitra is disinclined to pressurise a hermit with such a burdensome affair of hospitality to hosts, Vashishta entreats the king to accept. Vishvamitra had to oblige the same. Vashishta summons his do-all Divine Sacred Cow, Shabala, also known as Kaamadhenu, requests her to generate heaps of Tasteful Foodstuffs (षड़रस) for a royal banquet as well as for military rations."
[*King- before being a sage, Vishvamitra was a King.]
Ingredients of a balanced diet are six. Tasteful Foodstuffs or षड़रस means all these six ingredients, of which animal meat is an important ingredient & nowhere in the world there is any evidence that Kings, Princes or King's army ate vegetarian food.
Even today, no army, air force, police, border guard in any country of the world ever eats vegetarian; Because, the mentality of fighting while eating vegetarian food will no more, despite having the necessary energy in the body.
So for Vishvamitra's army, sage Vashishta arranged vegetarian food through Kamadhenu, it is only possible to believe in the side of a madman and a fool.
In Ayodhya Kand:
चतुर्दश हि वर्षाणि वत्स्यामि विजने वने |
मधु मूल फलैः जीवन् हित्वा मुनिवद् आमिषम् || २-२०-२९
Summary: "I (Shri Ram ) shall live in a solitary forest like a sage for fourteen years, leaving off meat and living with roots, fruits and honey".
Check out that Shri Ram says "he shall leaving off meat, while living in forest".
It means Shri Ram used to eat meat while living in the palace of Ayodhya.
But when he went to the forest and saw that only eating fruit does not fill the stomach and also body does not move also, so he was forced to hunt animals and eat meat & for this reason there are lots of evidence of Rama-Sita-Lakshman eating meat in forest incidents.
Then in the incident Golden Deer hunting, some people say that Shri Ram chase that deer only to fulfill Devi Sita's wish. But his plan was if it is not a deer but a demon then it must be killed. Thinking this he followed the deer.
Sri Ram at first tried to catch the deer alive, but the deer made him run after him so much that Ram killed it & when he shot an arrow at him, after shooted by arrow, deer appeared in its original form. It was a magical monster, Maareech.
Before his death, the Maareech shouted "Ha Lakshman, Ha Sita" as per Ravan's plan. Thinking of what they would think if this shout reached Lakshman & Sita, Ram quickly hunted another deer and on taking its flesh, he hurried towards the aashram/janasthaana.
In Aranya Kanda:
निहत्य पृषतम् च अन्यम् मांसम् आदाय राघवः |
त्वरमाणो जनस्थानम् ससार अभिमुखः तदा || ३-४४-२७
Summary- Raghava then on killing another spotted deer and on taking its flesh, he hurried himself towards Janasthaana.
If Rama doesn't eat meet then why did he hunt another deer and take its flesh after killing the magical deer maareech?
When Hanuman goes to Lanka in search of Sita & after finding Sita he says that he was Ram's messenger, there was some conversation between Hanuman & Sita.
In that conversation, when Sita asked about Ram to Hanuman; Hanuman says:
न मांसं राघवो भुङ्क्ते न चापि मधुसेवते |
वन्यं सुविहितं नित्यं भक्तमश्नाति पञ्चमम् || ५-३६-४१
Summary- Rama is not eating meat, nor indulging even in spirituous liquor. Everyday, in the evening, he is eating the food existing in the forest, well arranged for him.
Depending on the situation Hanuman's statement proves that Ram used to eat meat during his normal life with Sita in jungle. Ram, after Sita's abduction, is no longer eating meat & spirituous liquor in her estrangement and worries, as he was in tension.
In Ayodhya Kanda, having traveled for a pretty long distance, Rama crossed Vedasruti, Gomati and Syandika rivers. He presses forward in the chariot talking with Sumantra.
Then Shri Ram asked Sumantra:
कदा अहम् पुनर् आगम्य सरय्वाः पुष्पिते वने |
मृगयाम् पर्याटष्यामि मात्रा पित्रा च सम्गतः || २-४९-१५
Summary- When, coming back and united with my mother and father, shall I roam hunting in the forest, bordering on Sarayu river and laden with blossoms?
The kings of ancient times only hunted deer, so the word hunting (मृगया) is synonymous with deer(मृग) but hunted other ferocious animals to show their heroism, but hunted the herbivores only for food. So the purpose of Ram's hunting can be understood?
In Ayodhya Kanda, Sita prays to Ganges River:
सुराघटसहस्रेण मांसभूतोदनेन च |
यक्ष्ये त्वाम् प्रयता देवि पुरीम् पुनरुपागता || २-५२-८९
Summary- "Oh, goddess! After reaching back the city of Ayodhya, I shall worship you with thousand pots of spirituous liquor & jellied meat with cooked rice well prepared for the solemn rite."
Is it possible for a person, who do not eat meat & liquor, worship goddess with meat and liquor?
Last two verse of Chapter-52
स लोकपालप्रतिमप्रभाववाम् |
स्तीर्त्वा महात्मा वरदो महानदीम् |
ततः समृद्धान् शुभसस्यमालिनः |
क्रमेण वत्सान् मुदितानुपागमत् || २-५२-१०१
तौ तत्र हत्वा चतुरः महा मृगान् |
वराहम् ऋश्यम् पृषतम् महा रुरुम् |
आदाय मेध्यम् त्वरितम् बुभुक्षितौ|
वासाय काले ययतुर् वनः पतिम् || २-५२-१०२
Translation- Having crossed the great river, Rama the high-soled, the bestowal of boons, equal in glory with the guardians of spheres, then reached progressively the prosperous and the happy land of Vatsa; which contained rows of beautiful crops. (2-52-101)
Translation- Having hunted there four deer, namely Varaaha, Rishya, Prisata; and Mahaaruru (the four principal species of deer) and taking quickly the portions that were pure, being hungry as they were, Rama and Lakshmana reached a tree to take rest in the evening. (2-52-102)
If Ram-Lakshman-Sita does not eat meat, then why did they kill these animals?
After that, in Ayodhya-Kand:
क्रोशमात्रम् ततो गत्वा भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मनौ || २-५५-३३
बहून्मेध्यान् मृगान् हत्वा चेरतुर्यमुनावने | २-५५-३४
Summary-Thereafter having travelled only a couple of miles the two brothers Rama and Lakshmana killed many consecrated deer and ate in the river-forest of Yamuna. [2-55-33(b), 2-55-34(a)]
Then, Shri Ram said to Laksham:
तम् तु पक्वम् समाज्ञाय निष्टप्तम् चिन्न शोणितम् |
लक्ष्मणः पुरुष व्याघ्रम् अथ राघवम् अब्रवीत् || २-५६-२७
अयम् कृष्णः समाप्त अन्गः शृतः कृष्ण मृगो यथा |
देवता देव सम्काश यजस्व कुशलो हि असि || २-५६-२८
Translation- Feeling certain that it is cooked and heated thoroughly with no blood remaining, Lakshmana spoke to Rama the lion among man as follows: (2-53-27)
Translation- "This black antelope, with its complete limbs, has been cooked completely by me. Oh, Rama resembling God! Worship the concerned deity, as you are skilled in that act." (2-53-28)
Not only does Ram-Lakshman-Sita ate meat but also Bharat. Reference is:
इति उक्त्वा उपायनम् गृह्य मत्स्य मांस मधूनि च |
अभिचक्राम भरतम् निषाद अधिपतिर् गुहः || २-८४-१०
Translation- After uttering thus, Guha the king of Nishadas took fish, meat and honey as an offering and approached Bharata.
If Bharat does not eat these food, then why those foods were taken as gift?
After the acceptance of hospitality from Nishadraj Guha, Bharat with his Army goes to the Ashram of sage Bharadwaj, where all the soldiers of Bharat were told:
सुराम् सुरापाः पिबत पायसम् च बुभुक्षिताः |
मांसनि च सुमेध्यानि भक्ष्यन्ताम् यावद् इग्च्छथ ||२-९१-५१
Translation- "O, wine-bibbers! Drink the wine, however much you desire! O troops stricken with hunger! Let milk thickened with rice and the meats which are very much fresh, be eaten (as you will)."
After that soldiers of Bharat treated like this:
उत्साद्य स्नापयन्ति स्म नदी तीरेषु वल्गुषु |
अप्य् एकम् एकम् पुरुषम् प्रमदाः सत्प च अष्ट च || २-९१-५२
Translation- Seven or eight young women bathed every single man on the beautiful river-banks, after massaging their body with oil.
सम्वहन्त्यः समापेतुर् नार्यो रुचिर लोचनाः |
परिमृज्य तथा न्यायम् पाययन्ति वर अन्गनाः || २-९१-५३
Translation- Women with charming eyes came running and shampooed their limbs. Lovely women likewise wiped off the moisture on their body with towels and gave them beverages to drink, mutually sharing them among each other.
आजैः च अपि च वाराहैर् निष्टान वर संचयैः |
फल निर्यूह संसिद्धैः सूपैर् गन्ध रस अन्वितैः || २-९१-६६
पुष्प ध्वजवतीः पूर्णाः शुक्लस्य अन्नस्य च अभितः |
ददृशुर् विस्मिताः तत्र नरा लौहीः सहस्रशः || २-९१-६७
Translation- Dishes of goat & boar with delicious sauces were there & condiments that were spicy, fragrant & succulent, cooked in fruit juices;
Translation- vessels of rare metals filled with rice, decorated with flowers, were offered in thousands to those soldiers there. The soldiers saw them with wonder on all sides.
बभूवुर् वन पार्श्वेषु कूपाः पायस कर्दमाः |
ताः च कामदुघा गावो द्रुमाः च आसन् मधुश्च्युतः || २-९१-६८
Translation- The wells in various sides of the forest (surrounding Bharadwaja's hermitage) have their mud transformed into milk in which rice was cooked. The cows in the region were transformed into cows of plenty and the trees dripped honey.
वाप्यो मैरेय पूर्णाः च मृष्ट मांस चयैर् वृताः |
प्रतप्त पिठरैः च अपि मार्ग मायूर कौक्कुटैः || २-९१-६९
Translation- Some ponds there were endowed with full of wine and some were filled with assortment of various dressed meats pertaining to deer, peacocks and wild cocks; cooked in hot pans.
From this information it is clear that in the ancient days sages also ate meat, no one was a vegetarian.
For your information , in Aranya Kand, "Maya Mriga & Maareech Vadh", in which Sita saw a beautiful deer & asked Ram to catch the deer. The deer was actually a Maya deer, but not the GOLDEN DEER as per the conventional notion. Maareech took the guise of deer, to confuse Ram.
Not only that when Ravan goes in disguise of Traveller to kidnap Sita, unable to recognise Ravan, Sita said:
समाश्वस मुहूर्तम् तु शक्यम् वस्तुम् इह त्वया || ३-४७-२२
आगमिष्यति मे भर्ता वन्यम् आदाय पुष्कलम् |
रुरून् गोधान् वराहान् च हत्वा आदाय अमिषान् बहु || ३-४७-२३
Translation- "Be comfortable for a moment, here it is possible for you to make a sojourn, and soon my husband will be coming on taking plentiful forest produce, and on killing stags, mongooses, wild boars he fetches meat, aplenty". [3-47-22(b), 3-47-23]
If Ram-Lakshman-Sita does not eat meat then why would Ram hunt these animals and why would Sita tell a guest to eat meat?
Hopefully, it has become clear to everyone that Ram-Lakshman-Sita was not a vegetarian, even the sages of ancient time were also not vegetarian.
Special Note:
Everyone knows that Sanatan Dharma forbids eating buffalos & cow, so no Sanatani eats the meat of these animals. But are these provisions enough to persuade people to be vegetarians?
Whether one is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, it is proved by eating onions, garlic & meat. Although onion, garlic are just vegetables, even though vegetarians have eye pain on onion, garlic; So nowadays it is a standard that a person who eats onion, garlic is not a vegetarian.
What Sanatani eat, such as goats, sheep, pig, ducks, chickens, fish; give references against not eating these animals, if a vegetarian can & also give references where non-vegetarians are condemned in the Vedas.
Then Vegetarians also says that it is the duty of the Aryans/Sanatanis to protect innocent animals.
Sanatanis kept Cows for nutritious milk, food, Ox for farming, Camels & *Horses for fighting & defending themselves...
But for *Horses, sometimes it was different because of Ashwamedh Yajna (for Kshatriya only)
In the Bal-Kand, Chapter - 14
शामित्रे तु हयस्तत्र तथा जलचराश्च ये |
ऋषिभिः सर्वमेवैतन्नियुक्तं शास्त्रतस्तदा || १-१४-३१
पशूनां त्रिशतं तत्र यूपेषु नियतं तदा |
अश्वरत्नोत्तमं तस्य राज्ञो दशरथस्य च || १-१४-३२
कौसल्या तं हयं तत्र परिचर्य समंततः |
कृपाणैर्विशशासैनं त्रिभिः परमया मुदा || १-१४-३३
पतत्रिणा तदा सार्धं सुस्थितेन च चेतसा |
अवसद्रजनीमेकां कौसल्या धर्मकाम्यया || १-१४-३४
होताध्वर्युस्तथोद्गाता हस्तेन समयोजयन् |
महिष्या परिवृत्त्या च वावातामपरां तथा || १-१४-३५
Translation: The sages have arranged those animals that are to be there in animal sacrifices, like horse and other aquatic animals, in that ritual according to scriptures. [1-14-31]
Three hundred animals are tied to the ritual posts, along with the gemlike best ritual horse of that King Dasharatha. [1-14-32]
With great delight coming on her Queen Kausalya reverently made circumambulations to the horse, and symbolically killed the horse with three knives. [1-14-33]
Queen Kausalya desiring the results of ritual disconcertedly resided one night with that horse that flew away like a bird. [1-14-34]
Thus, the officiating priests of the ritual, namely hotaa adhwaryu and udgaataa have received in their hand the Crowned Queen, the neglected wife, and a concubine of the king, next as a symbolic donation in the ritual by the performer, the king. [1-14-35]
If it seems unbelievable for some people, then let's check the RigVeda 1 Mandal, 162 & 163 Sukta, it's on "Horse Sacrifice". I am giving some reference below :-
एष च्छाग: पुरो अश्वेन वाजिना पूष्णो भागो नीयते विश्वदेव्यः।
अभिप्रियं यत्पुरोळाशमर्वता त्वष्टेदेनं सौश्रवसाय जिन्वति॥ (१/१६२/३) 1.162.3
- suitable goat of all the gods falls in the category of pusara, it is being brought forward with the speedy horse. Therefore, for the enjoyment of the gods of Tvastha, prepare a delicious meal from that day with the goat.
यदश्वस्य क्रविषो मक्षिकाश यद्वा स्वरौ स्वधितौ रिप्तमस्ति।
यद्धस्तयोः शमितुर्यन्नखेषु सर्वा ता ते अपि देवेष्वस्तु॥ (१/१६२/९) 1.162.9
-The part of the unripe flesh of the horse that the bee eats, whatever is stuck in the intestine during cutting or cleaning, and whatever is stuck in the hands and nails of the cutter should go to the gods.
यदूवध्यमुदरस्यापवाति य आमस्य क्रविषो गन्धो अस्ति।
सुकृता तच्छमितार: कृण्वन्तूत मेधं शृतपाकं पचन्तु॥ (१/१६२/१०) 1.162.10
-The indigestible grass that come out of the belly, should not be remain in the unripe flesh, the cutter pure that, and cook the holy flesh, suitable for the gods.
यत्ते गात्रादग्निना पच्यमानादभि शूलं निहतस्यावधावति। मा तद्भूम्यामा श्रिषन्मा तृणेषु देवेभ्यस्तदुशद्भ्यो रातमस्तु॥ (१/१६२/११) 1.162.11
-O horse! When cooking in the fire, the juice that comes out of your body, and the part that is stuck in the crucifix, should not fall to the ground, and should not be mixed with grass. The gods are greedy, let everything be given to them.
न वा उ एतन्म्रियसे न रिष्यसि देवाँ इदेषि पथिभि: सुगेभि:।
हरी ते युञ्जा पृषती अभूतामुपास्थाद्वाजी धुरि रासभस्य॥ (१/१६२/२१) 1.162.21
-O horse! You are not dying; Or people are not killing of you; You are going to the gods in a good way. Indra's two horses named Hari, and the two carriers named Prisati of the Maruts will be attached to your chariot. A speeding horse will be attached to your chariot instead of Rasav, the vehicle of the two horses.
उप प्रागाच्छसनं वाज्यर्वा देवद्रीचा मनसा दीध्यानः।
अजः पुरो नीयते नाभिरस्यानु पश्चात्कवयो यन्ति रेभाः॥ (१/१६३/१२) 1.163.12
-This speeding horse is going to the slaughterhouse, meditating with devotion to the gods. His friendly goat is being carried in front of him; Poet while reciting hymns are going after them.
That is why Sanatan Dharma forbids killing cows, horses (except for Ashwamedha yajna) camel. But why would humans keep other domesticated animals such as goats, pigs, sheep, ducks, Hen; if their meat could not be eaten? Did humans have a responsibility to protect and care for those animals without benefit?
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