Vivekananda said Brahmins ate beef, is this correct?

Question

In one of the lecture by Swami Vivekananda, he told:

The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 3/Lectures from Colombo to Almora/Reply to the Address of Welcome at Madura

...There was a time in this very India when, without eating beef no Brahmin could remain a Brahmin...

So, Does it mean that Brahmins ate beef? or what message does Vivekananda try to convey?

Answer 1

I believe Swamiji must have been referring to the few verses in Dharma Sutras that do mention consumption of bovine meat. The Apastambh Grihya Sutra mentions that cattle may be slaughtered when a guest arrives, or at the occasion of marriage or as an offering to the ancestors in the Shraadh ceremony.

9 These are the occasions for killing a cow: (the arrival of) a guest, (the Ashtaka sacrific eoffered to) the Fathers, and marriage.

However, the same Grihya Sutras ALSO give the option of letting the cow loose when a guest arrives so that the host does NOT have to sacrifice it to entertain the guest. At multiple places they suggest that cow's flesh should be substituted with that of a goat or a ram or even better, cooked grain or payasam (kheer in Hindi).

17 If the guest chooses to let (the cow) loose, he murmurs the next (formulas, II, 10, 8-11) in a low voice (and says) loudly, 'Om! Let it loose!' (II, 10, 12).

18 (In this case) he recites the next (formulas, M. II, 10, 13-17) in a low voice over the food which is announced to him (instead of the cow), (and says) loudly, 'Om! Make it ready!' (II, 10,18)

There are other verses too that mention the sacrifice of bovines but not really cows. For example Rig Veda verse 10.85 does mention ritual sacrifice of oxen but no cows. I could find only one verse where cow, that too a barren one is supposed to be offered to Agni along with Ram or Oxen Rig Veda verse 10.91.14. And again the verse talks about a sacrifice being offered to a god NOT for the consumption of humans.

14 He in whom horses, bulls, oxen, and barren cows, and rams, when duly set apart, are offered up,— To Agni, Soma-sprinkled, drinker of sweet juice, Disposer, with my heart I bring a fair hymn forth.

15 Into thy mouth is poured the offering, Agni, as Soma into cup, oil into ladle. Vouchsafe us wealth. strength-winning, blest with heroes, wealth lofty, praised by men, and full of splendour.

I have seen some other similar verses mentioned but none of them talk about consumption of this meat by humans solely for their sense gratification. In fact the Manu Smriti explicitly states:

62. Dying, without the expectation of a reward, for the sake of Brahmanas and of cows, or in the defence of women and children, secures beatitude to those excluded (from the Aryan community.)

63. He who unhesitatingly abandons life for the sake of Brahmanas or of cows, is freed from (the guilt of) the murder of a Brahmana, and (so is he) who saves (the life of) a cow, or of a Brahmana.

64. But a student who on any occasion eats honey or meat, shall perform a Krikkhra (penance), and afterwards complete his vow (of studentship).

Presuming that these students were mostly Brahmins this becomes significant for this particular question. It also gives strength to the belief that even students of other Varnas were not allowed to have meat let alone Beef in Gurukuls run by Brahmins!

167. Fasting during three (days and) nights shall be (the penance for stealing) grass, wood, trees, dry food, molasses, clothes, leather, and meat.

There are also multiple Vedic verses that mention the cow as Aghnya or One who can not be hurt. In Rig Veda verse 7.56.17 the supplicant equates the lives of men with those of cattle by praying to the Maruts to keep their storms away that kill them both. It is noteworthy that no other animal has been mentioned except cattle which shows how strong the bond between men and cows.

Again the Rig Veda verse 1.164.40 wishes cows good fortune to find great pastures in every season so that the men can also stay healthy and wealthy. Again the word used for cow here is Aghnya or inviolable.

Rig Veda verse 10.87.16 goes so far as to wish violent death for those who kill cattle, horses and humans showing once again that the lives of each were equally precious. I quote here the Griffith translation -

The fiend who smears himself with flesh of cattle, with flesh of horses and of human bodies. Who steals the milch-cow's milk away, O Agni,—tear off the heads of such with fiery fury.

The entire 28th sukta of Book 6 Rig Veda 6.28 in fact talks about how cows enjoyed freedom from persecution in the Vedic society -

These are ne’er lost, no robber ever injures them: no evil-minded foe attempts to harass them.... These Cows, the cattle of the pious worshipper, roam over widespread pasture where no danger is.. Never be thief or sinful man your matter, and may the dart of Rudra still avoid you!

Manu Smriti even mentions that errant cows were not to be punished!

242. But Manu has declared that no fine shall be paid for (damage done by) a cow within ten days after her calving, by bulls and by cattle sacred to the gods, whether they are attended by a herdsman or not.

If the Brahmins writing these scriptures themselves say that the cow is inviolable, how can we conclude that the same Brahmins ate their meat? Perhaps the cow and horse sacrifices were special events that took place once in a blue moon but I strongly oppose the idea that these sacred animals were killed routinely for food! If you wish to read a more holistic article on this issue you can also check this article - The Beef Eaters of India

Answer 2

Apart from above answers, which analyze from vedic and historic (of vedic times) point of view; I will add also another point of view, which analyzes the correctness of recorded statement of Vivekananda itself:

1) "beef" does not mean flesh of cow only. beef means the flesh of a cow, bull, or ox, used as food. see https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/beef

2) "bullock" means a male domestic bovine animal that has been castrated and is raised for beef. see https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/bullock

now read the full sentence of Vivekananda at https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/Volume_3/Lectures_from_Colombo_to_Almora/Reply_to_the_Address_of_Welcome_at_Madura is given below:

"There was a time in this very India when, without eating beef, no Brahmin could remain a Brahmin; you read in the Vedas how, when a Sannyasin, a king, or a great man came into a house, the best bullock was killed; how in time it was found that as we were an agricultural race, killing the best bulls meant annihilation of the race"

Hence, it is clear that he is using the terms "bulls,bullock killing" , so he is using the term beef here for meat of bull and oxen. He has nowhere used any word about killing of cow, and everywhere mentioned about killing of bull and oxen.

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and then in the next line it is mentioned that Vivekananda said "Therefore the practice was stopped, and a voice was raised against the killing of cows".

This is a mis-recording(misinterpretation or mistranslation) , when he was earlier explicitly saying that "bulls were being killed", also "bullock" explictly means "male animal .." ;THEN how suddenly he can be saying that "voice has to be raised against killing of cows". If bulls and bullocks are being explicitly killed , then suddenly how voice (if any) has to be raised against killing of cow.

Hence, due to this inherent inconsistency, this para is weak in shabda pramana(as doubts in accurate recording of his speech) and we will conclude that the understanding of the person recording the reply of Swami Vivekananda at Madurai public speech, has put interpolations of his own while recording the speech.

Answer 3

Because Swami Vivekanand was a great person, not a perfect person. Noone is. He was wrong about this topic. He followed only European translations of Vedas.

More info about Vivekanand and others only being popularised for British Interests: https://qr.ae/TEbPW6

For info about mis-translations of Vedas refer the Agniveer articles mentioned in comments of other answers.

Answer 4

This is what he said-

There was a time in this very India when, without eating beef, no Brahmin could remain a Brahmin; you read in the Vedas how, when a Sannyasin, a king, or a great man came into a house, the best bullock was killed; how in time it was found that as we were an agricultural race, killing the best bulls meant annihilation of the race.

This is surely from apasthamba sutras, but he has forgotten give the context of the verse and the next verse.

Well vivekananda also gave many references from ramayana and Mahabharata for his meat eating habits, even though both ramyana and Mahabharata talk about ascetics living in vegeterian diet, hell Mahabharata even mentions vegeterian diet for house holders.

Vivekananda compared food habits of Lord rama and Krishna to his food habits even though scriptures being clear that one should not compare himself to Lord, and follow instructions only, he was a borderline atheist, he called krishna/rama "their gods", as in other hindus

he didn't consider them Lord himself this is as hilarious as vivekananda saying that he'll keep thousands of wives because Krishna did so, hilarious false equivalence.

He took 2 references from the iitihasas even though their being thousands of references of vegeterian diet and Lord Krishna saying vegeterian diet as supreme in geeta, he was one of those people who didn't give much heed to geetas instructions, took whatever he wanted.

His works are filled with such hypocritic examples.

Anyway vegetarianism has always been part of Hinduism, ascetics and brahmavadi brahmins have always been vegeterian, amagandha sutta of buddhists talks about vegeterian Brahmin and a kassapa Buddha, the latter telling the former how meat eating is not bad (vegetarianism was not a product of buddhism),

For a matter of fact Buddhism became popular because of its lineient rules on eating habits, while Hinduism says that eating meat out of rituals is a heinous sin which restricted meat eating, Buddhism was much lenient, even the monks could eat meat from butchers shop, butchers shop was literally banned in ancient India under hinduism as meat could only be taken in yajnas,(that too in handful small quantities) while Buddhism first gave butchers shop rights in india,

Buddha was only against elaborate rituals not meat in anyway. Buddhism attracted people because it gave much more freedom to people. It's a false beleif that vegetarianism came from Buddhism.

It's sad to see that vivekananda was not able to come out of sense gratification of meat, this is why meat is banned for Brahmavadins and sanyasins because it causes attachment, sanyasins should be away from sense gratification sadly he compared himself to kings and gods, maybe he should've drank poison like Lord shiva and came out of that perfectly hmm.

Only karma kanda brahmins ate beef but that too only as yajna Prasad (only handful of that) most of the carcass was offered to agni and other devas.

Answer 5

In Brahmana Dhammika Sutta, when Brahmins asked about whether present day (present day means during Buddha's lifetime) Brahmins were living like how they lived earlier. When Buddha replied about conduct of Brahmins in early days, he clearly mentioned they never harmed cows:

''..Having collected all that in line with rectitude, from that they performed the sacrifice. And in setting up the sacrifice,they didn’t harm cows.“Like a mother, father,brother, or other relative,cows are our foremost friends. From them comes medicine. They give food, strength,beauty, & happiness.” **Knowing this line of reasoning,they didn’t harm cows.**Delicate, with large bodies, beautiful, prestigious, brahmans were committed to standards of what should & shouldn’t be done in line with their principles.As long as this lasted in the world,humanity prospered in happiness.."

Later Buddha mentioned how Brahmins were living during Buddha's time. Here he mentioned they killed cows in Yajna, but didn't mention they killed outside of sacrifices:

"...Overcome by desire,their craving grew more. Having composed chants there,they went up to Okkāka again.“Like water & earth,gold, wealth, & grain, are cows to human beings.This is a requisite for beings.Sacrifice! Much is your property!Sacrifice! Much is your wealth!”Then the king, lord of charioteers,induced by the Brahmans,killed in a sacrifice many hundred-thousands of cows..."

If Brahmins killed cows outside of sacrifices, Buddha would have mentioned it. And it is well known that not everyone used to do sacrifices. So it is not correct to say 'There was a time in this very India when, without eating beef no Brahmin could remain a Brahmin'.

Answer 6

As per śatapathabrāhmaṇa khaṇḍa 7, there is a niṣedha which prevents a brāhmaṇa from slaughtering a bull/cow (goḥ) for sacrifice and requires a substitution with another animal (wild gavaya) at the time of slaughter during sacrifice:

7.5.2.28

athotsargairupatiṣṭhata | etadvai yatraitānprajāpatiḥ paśūnālipsata ta ālipsyamānā aśocaṃsteṣāmetairutsargaiḥ śucam pāpmānamapāhaṃstathaivaiṣāmayametadetairutsargaiḥ śucam pāpmānamapahanti

28. He then stands by (the heads, revering them) with the utsarga. For at that time when prajāpati wanted to slaughter the victims, they, being about to be slaughtered, were distressed (or pained); and by these utsargas he drove out their distress, their evil. In like manner does this one, by these utsargas, now drive out their distress, their evil.

7.5.2.34

atha goḥ | imaṃ sāhasraṃ śatadhāramutmamiti sāhasro vā eṣa śatadhāra utso yadgaurvyacyamānaṃ sarirasya madhya itīme vai lokāḥ sariramupajīvyamānameṣu lokeṣvityetadvṛtaṃ duhānāmaditiṃ janāyeti ghṛtaṃ vā eṣāditirjanāya duhe'gne mā hiṃsīḥ parame vyomannitīme vai lokāḥ paramaṃ vyomaiṣu lokeṣvenam mā hiṃsīrityetadgavayamāraṇyamanu te diśāmīti tadasmai gavayamāraṇyamanudiśati tena cinvānastanvo niṣīdeti tena cinvāna ātmānaṃ saṃskuruṣvetyetadgavayaṃ te śugṛcatu yaṃ dviṣāstaṃ te śugṛcatviti tadgavaye ca śucaṃ dadhāti yaṃ ca dveṣṭi tasmiṃśca

34. Then that of the bull, with “This thousandfold, hundred-streamed well—,” for a thousandfold, hundred-streamed well he, the bull (cow), indeed is;—“extended in the middle of the flood,” the flood doubtless are these worlds: thus, subsisted upon in these worlds;—“the inexhaustible, milking ghee for man,”—for ghee this inexhaustible (cow) indeed milks for man- 'harm not, O agni, in the highest region!' the highest region doubtless are these worlds: thus, do not harm it in these worlds!—“The gavaya do I assign unto thee,” he thereby assigns to him the wild gavaya;—“building up therewith thy forms, get thee settled!” that is, “building up therewith, perfect thyself!”—“Let thy burning heat reach the gavaya! let thy burning heat reach him whom we hate!” he thereby lays burning heat into the gavaya, and into him whom he hates.

7.5.2.37

tadāhuḥ | yāṃ vai tatprajāpatireteṣām paśūnāṃ śucam pāpmānamapāhaṃsta ete pañca paśavo'bhavaṃsta eta utkrāntamedhā amedhyā ayajñiyāsteṣām brāhmaṇo nāśnīyāttānetasyāṃ diśi dadhāti tasmādetasyāṃ diśi parjanyo na varṣuko yatraite bhavanti

37. As to this they say,—The pain (heat), the evil of these animals, which prajapati drove out, became these five animals; they, with their pith (sacrificial essence) gone out of them, are pithless, unfit for sacrifice; a brāhmaṇa should not eat of them: he consigns them to that region; whence parjanya does not rain in that region where these are.

As per carakasaṃhitā ch.27, goḥ & gavaya are different animals where "goḥ" is classified under tearer group of animals whereas "gavaya" is an animal inhabiting marshy land :

The cattle (goḥ) the ass, the mule, the camel, the horse, the panther, the lion, the bear, the monkey, the wolf, the tiger, the hyena, the large brown mongoose, the cat, the mouse, the fox, the jackal, the hawk, the dog, the blue jay, the crow, the golden eagle, the honey buzzard, the bearded vulture, the vulture, the owl, the sparrow hawk, the owlet and the fisheagle are the beasts and birds of the tearer group of creatures (prasaha)

39. The wild boar, the yak; the rhinoceros, the buffalo, the gavaya, the elephant, the antelope, the hog and the deer are the wetland animals (anupa).