[Advaita-l] Advaitic Foods

[Rajaram Venkataramani]

For most of us, it is not possible to survive without food and water though
there are few great yogis even today who have conquered the need for such
bodility demands. We have countless examples in the puranas where saints
conquered the urges of hunger, thirst and sleep to achieve specific goals.
There are specific mantras which can satisfy hunger and thirst. We may not
be very accomplished in the control of mind. Hence we may be impelled by our
body and mind to eat and drink. The choice of food is guided by local
customs and our karma vasanas. But by eating food whimsically, we will be
incurring sin. *bhunjate te tv agham papa*
*ye pacanty atma-karanat (bg 3.13). *So, whether one eats satvik, rajasic or
tamasic food one will only acquire sin. It is the same whether one eats
vegetarian or non-vegetarian. All these involve violence against other
living entities. The way to get rid of sin is to eat food offered in a vedic
sacrifice *yajna-sistasinah santo* *mucyante sarva-kilbisaih* (bg 3.13).
Now, there are very few vedic sacrifices that involve animal sacrifice under
very strict conditions and the quantity of meant that can be eaten is also
restricted to tiny amounts. But most of them do not allow. Lord Rama did not
eat meat after Sita was abducted as yajna could not be done without her.