NARRATOR:
Salutations to the hidden spiritual seeker, Sri Sri Shamakhapa. Greetings. We begin our program from Shantikunj by paying our respects to Gurudev, the hidden seeker Sri Sri Shamakhapa. Let us all listen together to the invaluable words of Gurudev.
DEVOTEE:
Salutations, Gurudev. In today's episode, we want to know about Brahmins. We often see that some eat non-vegetarian food while others eat only vegetarian. We see priests who perform Puja for the Mother or serve in Shiva temples—sometimes they eat non-veg, sometimes veg. What are the specific rules they should follow? Could you tell us more about this?
GURU SHYAMA KHYAPA:
Look, Brahmins were created by God. Lord Krishna Himself created them. If you read the Gita, you will understand. In one place He says, "Chatur-varnyam maya srishtam"—the four castes were created by Me. There are four Vedas: Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva. For Brahmins, food habits are a major factor. Some foods are stimulants; eating them makes the body hot and increases excitement. In the Gita, Krishna says to avoid such things—specifically, food with excessive salt, excessive chili, or excessive sourness. These should be avoided. So, what should a person eat? In the old days, Ghee (clarified butter) was the main thing. It was said, "Rinam kritva ghritam pibet"—even if you have to take a debt, eat ghee. Ghee has specific qualities. Usually, in the worship of God, these are used. Meat is never offered to God.
GURU SHYAMA KHYAPA:
However, for those who practice Tantra, the matter is different. There are many Tantriks who do not eat meat or fish; they are vegetarians. They have combined the teachings of the Gita and Tantra and realized that no matter what spiritual path you follow, stimulants should not be consumed. But in some forms of Tantra, power is needed, which is why they eat fish, meat, or consume alcohol. These are all stimulants. They stay very excited for a short while and then fade out. But it is said, "Brahmin, you must stay awake." A Brahmin is not allowed to sleep. The Vedas say you can never sleep. This is "Veda Gyan" (Vedic knowledge). If a Brahmin sleeps, society sleeps, the world sleeps, and even God sleeps. Your responsibility is to keep God awake and keep society awake. This is emphasized repeatedly in the Vedas.
GURU SHYAMA KHYAPA:
Now, which came first, the Vedas or the Gita? That is a big question. But the Gita, Vedas, and Upanishads are all essentially one and the same—different essences extracted from the same source. The Upanishads also say the same: "Brahmin, you have no right to sleep. If you sleep, everything sleeps." Regarding food habits, there are certain stimulants that should not be eaten—like Masoor Dal (red lentils), onion, garlic, and ginger. People should not eat these. I would say this applies to everyone, not just Brahmins. Even doctors call me and ask, "Veg or non-veg—which is better?" I say vegetarian is better because it contains no stimulants.
GURU SHYAMA KHYAPA:
Non-veg has stimulants. Take fish, for example. In ancient times, sages and Munis allowed fish to be used for auspicious tasks—weddings, sacred thread ceremonies, or first-rice ceremonies. But they said you cannot use meat. Why? Because meat is the food of animals. Lions and tigers eat meat; so do foxes and dogs. If you eat their food, what will they eat? This was the logic. But given the current situation, who follows what? People eat whatever they can get. The tongue is a powerful thing; for the sake of taste, people are eating things they should not.
GURU SHYAMA KHYAPA:
I will say one thing: the Gita and Lord Krishna emphasize avoiding stimulants. In the past, widows would not eat these things; they were vegetarians. The only reason was to avoid stimulation, as many became widows at a young age. Before me are the Upanishads and the Gita. They repeatedly say: avoid excessive salt, excessive sourness, and excessive chili. These harm the body rather than help it. You know of Omkarnath Thakur. I once asked him, "Baba, can we eat fish and meat?" He replied, "You can eat fish. It is used in auspicious works. But do not eat meat or such things." He allowed fish but forbade meat. He said meat, onion, garlic, and ginger would make the body hot and lead to various diseases.
GURU SHYAMA KHYAPA:
When we practiced Tantra, drinking water was forbidden at times. If you drink water repeatedly, you will have to urinate, and your meditation posture (Asana) will be disturbed. To this day, I only drink water once a week. It is my personal practice—I do water therapy once a week or once a month. Doctors say to drink 2 to 5 liters of water, but most diseases come from water. Bacteria are most prevalent in water. The water coming through pipes or from under the ground contains iron and arsenic.
GURU SHYAMA KHYAPA:
So, food habits often lead people down a bad path. Eating stimulants increases Lust (Kama). Lust leads to Anger (Krodha), then Greed (Lobha), then Attachment (Moha), then Pride (Mada), and finally Envy (Matsarya). These are all symbols of violence—the six internal enemies (Shada-ripu). They are always waiting. As the saint Ramprasad said, "There are six crocodiles in the body, always hungry for food." You must apply the "turmeric of conscience" (Vivek-haldi) to your body, then they will not touch you. If your conscience is awakened, you will automatically understand which foods you should avoid.
GURU SHYAMA KHYAPA:
If you practice the Gita every day, you will understand the instructions on food habits. Meat is a terrible thing. In other parts of the country, they call us "Fish-eating Bengalis" and do not give us much respect. They say fish and meat are for spirits, and if you take them home, the spirits follow you. I have heard many such things from sages. There are many types of sages—some live only on air, some do not need water or food. I have seen some who take a single fruit, crush it, offer half to the Ganges, and eat the other half—that is their only food for the day.
DEVOTEE:
Gurudev, one more question. We often hear that many Brahmins do not eat at houses during the mourning period (Mritashouch). Why is that?
GURU SHYAMA KHYAPA:
It is forbidden by the scriptures to eat at a funeral feast (Shraddha). It is said that eating there makes the body ill. They feed others so that the soul of the deceased can be liberated. On the day of "Matsyamukhi" (after the mourning period), fish and meat are served. There is a rule that the family cannot eat those until they serve the Brahmins and their relatives. Even in this age of science, these traditions persist. Brahmins are advised not to accept food from a funeral. In the past, when there were no municipal death certificates, these feasts served as a "witness." People eating at a wedding or a funeral were the community's witnesses that the event had occurred.
GURU SHYAMA KHYAPA:
I say, eat balanced food that does not agitate you or cause illness. Managing the six enemies is very hard. Even if you do not eat, if there is money or gold lying around, will you not feel a temptation? The tongue is just one part. Chaitanya Dev said there is great merit in "restraining the tongue." There are two types of food: Sattvic (pure) and Asattvic (impure). Pure food leads you to a pure path; impure food makes you inhuman. To awaken your conscience, your food habits are vital.
NARRATOR:
You were listening to the words of the hidden seeker Sri Sri Shamakhapa. To hear Gurudev's invaluable words regularly, subscribe, like, share, and comment. We conclude today's program by offering our respects and wishing you Gurudev's blessings and well-being. Stay well. Namaskar.