2

One of the answers to this question mentions that a devotee who has not conquered their desire for non-vegetarian food items should only consume it after offering to God. 2 and 3 speak of when and how their consumption my be allowed at least from the perspective of maintaining health. Thus having settled one's moral dilemma over the issue how should a devotee, who is furthermore uninitiated (and is thus bereft of the right to utter most mantras), offer their non-vegetarian food items to their preferred form of God, be it Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Ganapati, Surya, etc. to rid both the food item and the act of consumption itself of their doshas?

Edit: In 4 the accepted answer quotes the Manu Smriti's following declarations:

  1. There is no sin in eating meat...but abstention brings great rewards.
  2. He who eats meat, when he honours the gods and manes, commits no sin, whether he has bought it, or himself has killed (the animal), or has received it as a present from others.

The questions are:

  1. Who are these gods and manes?
  2. How is one who is barred from the recitation of mantras to honour the gods and manes?
3
  • No no no, you definitely cannot offer anything tamasic by nature, to any form of Paramātman which is already in the form of sat-chit-ananda. Maybe some tamasic demigods or exalted supernatural beings can be offered such items. And since you are asking for satiating your own tongue' pleasure buds, that kind of offering even IF of satvic nature mode, mustn't be offered to even the primordial Gods. Offerings to god must be out of devotion not avarice.
    – Vivikta
    Mar 14, 2021 at 12:09
  • @Vivikta Can you give some examples of these exalted supernatural beings and tamasic demigods?
    – chhatra
    Mar 14, 2021 at 13:19
  • The one's I know are the local village deities (graam/kshetra/kul devtaas) of my area and some of my friends, who are said to demand some peculiar non-veg offerings, the details of which, I'm afraid, I won't be able to divulge any further, in here. I'd just advice you to stay away from these kinds of rituals or atleast, If you really want to try these rituals, then please try to get personal advice from your family priest or elders of your family.
    – Vivikta
    Mar 14, 2021 at 13:41

1 Answer 1

2

Meat can be offered to Deities. It's approved by Vedas, Smritis as well as Tantras. But only such meat that is prepared without salt and spices.

Such meat is considered as a sacrificial food or Havi i.e. food fit to be offered to Deities.


Manu Smriti 3.257. The food eaten by hermits in the forest, milk, Soma-juice, meat which is not prepared (with spices), and salt unprepared by art, are called, on account of their nature, sacrificial food.


He should not eat food from which a portion has not been first offered in the fire or given to a guest. 14 Food containing spices or salt cannot be used for a burnt offering, 15 as also when it is mixed with some other inferior food

Dharmasutras of Apasthambha 2.16.13-16


From the second quote it is clear that whatever a person eats must be first offered previously in a fire sacrifice (or to their Ishtas in a different context).

But such a practice (of offering prepared meat to Deities before consumption on a daily basis) is not in vogue at present. Most devotees offer only fruits, nuts, sweets, milk and other vegetarian items in deity worship.

UPDATE:

Who are these gods and manes?

Gods are the several Vedic deities like Indra, Agni, Soma, Varuna, Vishnu, Rudra, Prajapati etc..

And, manes are the Pitrus (deceased ancestors).


Manu 1.36. They created seven other Manus possessing great brilliancy, gods and classes of gods and great sages of measureless power,

1.37. Yakshas (the servants of Kubera, the demons called) Rakshasas and Pisakas, Gandharvas (or musicians of the gods), Apsarases (the dancers of the gods), Asuras, (the snake-deities called) Nagas and Sarpas, (the birddeities called) Suparnas and the several classes of the manes,


In sacrifices (Yajnas or worship) conducted in their honour, it is permitted by the scriptures to offer them meat products.

2.176. Every day, having bathed, and being purified, he must offer libations of water to the gods, sages and manes, worship (the images of) the gods, and place fuel on (the sacred fire).

3.266. I will now fully declare what kind of sacrificial food, given to the manes according to the rule, will serve for a long time or for eternity

3.267. The ancestors of men are satisfied for one month with sesamum grains, rice, barley, masha beans, water, roots, and fruits, which have been given according to the prescribed rule,

3.268. Two months with fish, three months with the meat of gazelles, four with mutton, and five indeed with the flesh of birds,

3.269. Six months with the flesh of kids, seven with that of spotted deer, eight with that of the black antelope, but nine with that of the (deer called) Ruru,

3.270. Ten months they are satisfied with the meat of boars and buffaloes, but eleven months indeed with that of hares and tortoises,

and,

5.31. ’The consumption of meat (is befitting) for sacrifices,’ that is declared to be a rule made by the gods; but to persist (in using it) on other (occasions) is said to be a proceeding worthy of Rakshasas

5.32. He who eats meat, when he honours the gods and manes, commits no sin, whether he has bought it, or himself has killed (the animal), or has received it as a present from others.


Regarding your other question, how can an uninitiated person personally follow these procedures for worship which are accompanied with offering of meat? It's difficult to answer.

The uninitiated person must be initiated first to be qualified to perform these scriptural methods of rituals.

15
  • Bhagavatî Âdyâshakti accepts non-vegetarian offerings. In 19th century Bengal, butchers would slaughter animals after ritually offering them to Dakshinâkâlî. Such butcher-shops were known as Konshai-Kâli(কসাই-কালী) sthana.
    – অনু
    Apr 5, 2021 at 12:44
  • All un prepared food which are offered in fire sacrifice to god is acceptable as with the above statement. But the question is who are the gods and manes. who is not supposed to recite mantras during such sacrifice.
    – Prasanna R
    Apr 5, 2021 at 13:07
  • @AnubrataBit yes I'm aware that in Parashakti worship meat can be offered. Probably OP is also aware of that.
    – Rickross
    Apr 5, 2021 at 14:33
  • @PrasannaR I'm aware that I have not yet fully answered the question. Thanks for your comment.
    – Rickross
    Apr 5, 2021 at 14:34
  • Okai please tak
    – Prasanna R
    Apr 5, 2021 at 15:08

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .