Why Did the Veda Say That Food Came from Plants and Animals Came from Food, When Food Is a Category of Plants?

O Learned and Devoted Servants of God

[Prof. JSR Prasad asked:- Pādanamaskāram, Swami. The Veda said that one category came from other category like air from space, fire from air, etc. In that chain, it is said that plants came from the earth. Similarly, the Veda sould have said that zoological items came from plants. Botany belongs to plants and Zoology belongs to animals. But the Veda says that food (annam) came from plants and from food came animals. What is the reason? Food is not a special category, but a part of category of plants.]

Swami replied:- It is true that the Veda said the modification of one category to another category in creation like air from space, fire from air, plants from earth, food from plants and animals from food. But, food is not an independent category like air, earth, plants, animals, etc. Food is a part of category of plants. The reason for saying like that is that any animal including human being shall take food from plants only and not from killing animals. This means that it is the commandment of God that all living beings must live on vegetarian food and not on non-vegetarian food. Plants contain Prāṇamaya kośa due to respiration, but not Manomaya kośa, Vijñānamaya kośa and Ānandamaya kośa due to the absence of nervous system and awareness. Only awareness causes pain and agony while being killed. Plants are inert items only. If a demon kills a man for eating his flesh, will the man speak the same arguments of justifying his eating of non-veg. food spoken by him while eating an animal? If the dried leaves are dead, Goddess Pārvatī should have continued the food with dried leaves. Why should she leave even the dried leaves and was called ‘Aparṇā’? The concept here is leaving the food gradually due to devotional absorption in God.

2, Is it true that plants have life?

[Q. While Goddess Parvati was doing penance, it is said that she avoided even plucking the green leaves and started eating only the fallen dried leaves as food. Here, some interpret that even plants have life, which is the green chlorophyll. Is it correct?]

Swami replied:- Plants have Prāṇamaya kośa since they absorb oxygen and leave carbon-dioxide like us. People argue that plants have life and eating plants is also eating non-veg. food. Plants have life, but no awareness and nervous system or brain to undergo suffering while killing. Awareness means Manomaya, Vijñānamaya and Ānandamaya kośas. If awareness is absent, it is inert item. The Veda says that food must be taken from plants (Oṣadhībhyo'nnam…). This is the commandment of God in the case of food for animals, birds, etc., including human beings. This is the reason for the Veda mentioning food from plants even though food is a part of the category of plants and not independent category. When the animal is killed, it wishes that in the next birth, the killer shall become the animal and animal shall become the killer (Māṃ saḥ yathā hanti…). By God’s wish, it happens so.

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