02-04-2005, 02:34 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Also, the story of vAtApi trying to kill Agastya where Illvala becomes a sheep and the meat from this sheep is fed to Agastya. Does this mean that in ancient times, brahmanas were meat eaters?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
AFAIK, Vathapi becomes a goat, and ilvala cooks him and feeds Sri Agasthya Bhaghavan Rishi. The Great Sage then digests him wholly, when Ilvala calls out Vathapi, Sri Agasthya says "Vatapi Jeernaapi", Vaathapi is now digested. A Brahminic diet is not traditionally consisting of meat. But at the end of a Yagna, the yaaga-pashu's vapa-bhagham (important part) is mixed with prodasanam and is taken.
But Sri Hanuman, in the Valmiki Ramayana asserts that the entire Ikshvaku Clan has never eaten meat of any kind. This, inspite of Rama being born as a Kshatriya.
AFAIK, Vathapi becomes a goat, and ilvala cooks him and feeds Sri Agasthya Bhaghavan Rishi. The Great Sage then digests him wholly, when Ilvala calls out Vathapi, Sri Agasthya says "Vatapi Jeernaapi", Vaathapi is now digested. A Brahminic diet is not traditionally consisting of meat. But at the end of a Yagna, the yaaga-pashu's vapa-bhagham (important part) is mixed with prodasanam and is taken.
But Sri Hanuman, in the Valmiki Ramayana asserts that the entire Ikshvaku Clan has never eaten meat of any kind. This, inspite of Rama being born as a Kshatriya.