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Many of my friends are Hindus and most of them are pure vegetarians. I respect that nature but when coming to the matter of eggs, they say that eating an egg is just like killing a living thing, which I don't understand.

Most of the white eggs available in the market are just unfertilized eggs, which contains only a single ova in them, just like human beings.

As the menstrual cycle operates in the female Endometrium and if the ova is not fertilized by any sperm, then it would also disintegrate. So why is that just like killing some living organism, or in other words if someone thinks that the Ova are not living then why is egg not taken by them?

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    Your question is wrong! This statement does not apply to entire hinduism, but to only small portion of it! Many hindus does a non vegeterian diet, and it is not forbidden!
    – demonofthemist
    Commented Apr 6, 2015 at 19:35
  • This needs to be reopened so it can properly answered, this is a specific question about eggs while the other question is about tamasic and sattvic foods in general. The only answer below is citing Wikipedia which is a poor reference.
    – Say No To Censorship
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 22:45

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A "vegetarian egg" or an egg without an embryo developing in it is produced when a hen does not mate with a rooster before laying the egg.

Moral Reason

I have been taught that one reason such eggs are not considered suitable for consumption is that by preventing fertilization you are preventing the birth of an animal, which is considered unjust by some. The reasoning here is that blockading the creation of life is similar if not equal to extinguishing it.

Vedic Reason

According to Wikipedia's article on Sattvic diet, an unfertilized egg is considered Rajasic, or overly stimulating. Such foods are not to be consumed as they lead to an unfit state of mind.

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    It would be more useful to cite some authentic sources, preferably scriptures. Visit this to get the issue with Wikipedia.
    – Pandya ♦
    Commented Jun 18, 2020 at 3:23

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