Posted on: 22 Jun 2017
Dr Annapurna, Prof. Hindi, Central University of Hyderabad asked: Lot of stress is given on cow slaughter. What about the slaughter of other living beings like goat etc.?
Swami replied: The scripture says that a Brahmana should not be killed (Brahamano na hantavyah). Does this mean that you can kill people of other castes? You must know that the characteristic of Brahmana is soft nature, who does not harm even his enemy (Ghaatam na ghaatayet viprah). This means that any human being, who is of soft nature, is Brahmana irrespective of his caste by birth. The Gita says that caste system is based on characteristic qualities expressed by corresponding deeds (Guna karma vibhaagashah). You can extend this word to all castes of Hinduism. You can further extend this to all human beings of all religions on this earth. Is there a Brahmana greater than Jesus? Jesus was very soft and prayed God to excuse even His killers! Swami Dayananda tried His level best to impress this concept. You can extend this word even to all living beings like cow, goat etc. Just like Brahmana stands for the soft nature in human beings, cow also stands as representative of embodiment of soft nature in animals and birds. By this, you must know that just like any soft natured human being is Brahmana, any soft natured animal or bird is also a cow. Scripture says that cows and Brahmanas should always be safe (Gobrahmanebhyah...). Here, cow and Brahamana do not stand for a specific living being recognized by the birth in a community. This only means that one should not harm any soft natured living being on this earth. These two words stand for quality and not for birth in a particular community. Based on qualities and deeds Ravana is not a Brahamana where as Rama is really a Brahmana.
Some people argue that killing a goat in sacrifice is not a sin (Yajnaarthaat karmanonyatra). This is not correct and this verse is an insertion. The Veda explains killing of goat to be offered to God in sacrifice for the sake of non-vegetarians, who will kill the goat even otherwise. The aim of the Veda is about the offering of food to God and not to kill the goat. The meaning of the word maamsa (mutton) is that the living being killed dies thinking that as the butcher and non-vegetarian kill it in this birth, it shall kill them in the next birth in the same way (Maam sa yathaa...). In the next birth the butcher and the killed animal exchange their places!
King Praachinabarhi was proud that he performed several sacrifices in which several goats were killed. He was thinking that he did pious works like sacrifices. Sage Narada came to him and gave the divine vision to the king in which all the killed goats were seen as cruel butchers going to attack the king born as goat in his future births! The word ‘Ajaa’ in Sanskrit means a goat. This word also means the seeds stored for three years, which can’t germinate. The flour of these seeds is also called as ‘Ajaa’ and the animal prepared from such flour made as paste is called as Ajaa. This statue is cut in the sacrifice, which represents the killing of animal nature of a human being (Manyuh pashuh— Veda). The animal killed believes the butcher as its guardian and finally is killed by him only. Similarly, people with ignorance believe the misinterpretations of the Veda and finally get punished in the hell. Killing of Ajaa indicates killing of such foolish ignorance present in blind belief and it does not represent killing of an innocent goat for food. The knife killing Ajaa is the analytical knowledge (Chitvaa jnaanaasinaa... Gita).
Stopping slaughter of cows is partial control to be achieved before reaching total control. Since total control is not achieved, you should not reject partial control also. One day or other, partial control shall reach the total control. In initial stage, something is better than nothing!