Can We Eat Non-vegetarian Food After Satyanarayan Puja?

Supporters of non-vegetarian food categorically believe that the canine teeth that we have, inbuilt, are meant to consume nonvegetarian food. Some Indians believe that consuming non-veg food during any auspicious occasion such as festivals, pujas or even in events such as shraadh is equivalent to sin.

Puja is something that is totally connected to the soul and the spiritual realms. There is a belief that tamasic foods do not let the person rise above the physical plane. They do not let us touch the spirituality within us. The prescribed diet and fasts do the job of giving you the right orientation or putting you on the beaten path of spirituality. But they are not the only and final means to reach god. You find it difficult to pray when your senses are working more on the bodily level.

There has always been a debate about whether one can consume non-vegetarian food after Satyanarayana Puja. This puja is observed every month, and in the upcoming month, it will be observed on 13 July 2022. The Asadha Shukla Purnima will begin at 04:00 am on 13 July and it will end at 12:06 am on 14 July. Scroll down the article to know more.

Silencing The Inner Demons/Dogmas

Tamasic food such as meat, stale fruits, etc are believed to encourage negative emotions like anger, lack of self-control, greed, and the rest of the six Arishadvargas or Shadripu/Shada (the six inner enemies of the soul- lust, anger, greed, intense want, arrogance, and jealousy). Of course, this is only for those intending to practice spirituality. The sattvic food that you consume on the day of the festival, would help your senses to stay sattvic for at least that whole day, where the prayers that you perform, reach the deity. Also, they are said to silence your inner demons.

Food, Ethical Eating And The Concept Of Nonviolence

"Ahimsa paramo dharmaha". The adage means "nonviolence is the ultimate dharma." This principle also applies to food. This thought process actually celebrates the concept of universal compassion, that towers above profane and baser human instincts and emotions bordering on himsa, which is violence.

The scriptures laid this down for us in order to make us better human beings. We are prone to be pious-minded on the festive days and all our actions would be trending along the lines of ahimsa on that day. Eating non-veg is like killing god's own creation and asking him to do good to you for eating that unsuspecting innocent animal.

Effects Of Tamasic Food On The Body And Mind

The gradations of food into sattvic rajasic and tamasic are purely based on spiritual considerations. For conserving physical health, the tamasic meat maybe 100 times better than the sattvic brinjal. (Brinjal is not proteinaceous). The sattvic foods are only for attracting higher vibrations from the universe.

Tamasic food does not have any sattvic properties that invoke noble thoughts and godly beings near you. They create a kind of barrier between you and any vibration that is divine. Mantras are effective only in a traditionally prescribed setting and atmosphere of absolute purity and strict dietary restrictions. Sattvic food is essentially pure at all levels. Meat being tamasic, and not pure, as it is, does not have the elements that connect you to the vibrations from beyond.

Food Choices For Special Occasions

Secondly, certain foods are tabooed from cooking, during certain restricted occasions. The dishes cooked during the shradh ceremony use an entirely distinct set of vegetables and legumes that are not to be used during auspicious festivals. For example, raw plantain is not cooked, in some communities, at festivals. They reserve it for shradh.

Lemon is one such fruit used to appease the ferocious forms of Adi shakti. Lemon sherbet is used as a prasad for many deities, like Rama and Narasimha during their festivities as well. We also see devout women doing Aarthi with diyas made of lemon peel during Rahu Kala in Durga temples.

Consuming Meat Post Satyanarayan Vrat

During Satyanarayana puja, we prepare dishes that are made only with sattvic food items as this appeases Lord Satyanarayana. The sattvic influence of food and the impressions of the ongoing festivity should remain in our spirit and bodies, at least for that day. After some time, surely one can resume one's meat-eating practices. Some orthodox practitioners opine that non-veg can be resumed only 72 hours after the vrat concludes.

Of course, if you are a true devotee, then you could reach God by simply thinking about Him, and the rituals and food restrictions will not matter. But ordinary human beings, to whom this is not so attainable a goal, have to go through the recommended traditional route of fasting and partaking of veg prasad.

Disclaimer: The information is based on assumptions and information available on the internet and the accuracy or reliability is not guaranteed. Boldsky does not confirm any inputs or information related to the article and our only purpose is to deliver information. Kindly consult the concerned expert before practising or implementing any information and assumption.

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