Animal Sacrifile - Gokul Kenath

(via Gokul Kenath)

What was the purpose of Animal sacrifices in Hindu temples?
One can assume many angles to it according to one's own thinking. But, the thing was that, animal sacrifices were a regulatory measure. They were aimed at regulating meat eating, the same way the institution of marriage is aimed at regulating sexual activities.

Think of it; right now there is not even 2% of animal sacrifices happening in temples compared to previously. Really Good.
But, as a result of it, did the meat eating among Hindus go up or come down? It went up and over the roof. Instead of hundreds of animals, now millions are getting slaughtered. This is the ground reality.

By abolishing animal sacrifices from temples, those 'progressive, non-violent and forward thinking' Hindus did not stop their community from meat consumption. They just managed to remove the regulatory practise for it. What an accomplishment!

Coming to traditional beliefs and customs, the general rule or understanding within the Hindu community was that, one should not eat meat that is not offered to the God. So, one will have those occasions where meat would be offered in one's family temple or to their Kula Devatha and those family members consume that meat after the Puja; may be upto 10 to 15 times in a year. Most were happy with that as well.

Now, people would abide by and adhere to this general understanding only when they are actually getting meat like that occasionally. Plain ground reality here; nothing else.

Where as, when there is no such practise, but, you still say one should not consume meat that is not offered to the God, there will not be many takers for that rule. That is when people go out and start to eat meat on their own; not waiting for their family Pujas or anything like that. That is when the practise of meat eating changes from being a regulated activity to a non-regulated activity and gets into the extreme mode.

This is precisely what happened within the Hindu community.