Previous

Next

Ask a Question

Summary of Question:	Eating Fish/Meat...
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Tuesday, 5/06/2003 5:32 AM MDT

Some people have misinterpreted the Guru Granth Sahib Jee's sacred words on the issue of 'meat'. Bhai Sahib Bhai Sahib Singh's interpretation and scholary of the Guru Granth Sahib's teachings have been approved and acknowledge by the Sikh Panth. (e.g. the panjabi translation of the hukhamnama from the golden temple is the translation BHai Sahib Sahib Singh). Bhai Sahib Singh Jee was a member of the Singh Sabha Movement in the early 1900s who were intellectuals which tried to understand the Sikh religion and get rid of the corruption from Brahman rituals and misconceptions.The deep translation of this Shabad as noted by Bhai Sahib Singh Jee (www.gurugranthdarpan.com) is (i am translating panjabi to english):

"kabeer bhaaNg maachhulee suraa paan jo jo paraanee khaaNhi. "
Kabeer, those mortals who consume marijuana, fish and wine
Page 1377, Line 2 -- Saint Kabir

Discussion:
The words “marijuana, fish and alcohol’ does not mean that Kabeer Jee is only prohibiting alcohol and marijuana and that he isn’t prohibiting any other drugs. Like point of that we are being told is not that we should stop eating fish or meat. Read the whole teaching together. Doing Satsang (meeting the holy congregation) as well as doing immoral deeds – Kabeer Jee is prohibiting this act. Men who yearn for lust (sexual desire) generally eat meat and drink alcohol then go on to commit adultery; and; fish is popular for increasing sexual tendencies, because of this Kabeer Jee has used the words Alcohol, Marijuana and Fish.

Translation:
Translation of Shabad: O Kabeer! If people go to pilgrimage and those drunkard people eat fish and marijuana (or, they go to satsang and they eat drink meat and alcohol, and do immoral deeds) then their pilgrimage the benefit of doing pilgrimage is nothing.

--- So basically from this we learn that eat fish or meat after going to the Gurdwara, doing Satsang etc is making our time spent in Satsang useless coz we are boosting our sex faculities. But eating meat or fish in terms of food is not prohibited but same time not recommended. (my personal interpretation)
Manvir Singh
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eating Meat?

According to the Sikh Rehit Maryada booklet ‘Kutha’, the meat prepared by the Muslim ritual is prohibited for a Sikh. Regarding eating other meat, it is still silent. From the prohibition of the Kutha meat, it is presumed that non Kutha meat is not prohibited for the Sikhs.

Of course, beef is prohibited to the Hindus and pork to the Muslims. Jews and Christians have their own restrictions. They may not eat certain kinds of meat on certain days. Sikhs have no such instructions. If one thinks he needs to eat meat, it does not matter which meat it is, beef, pork, poultry, fish, etc., which day it is. Of course, one should be careful not to eat any meat or other foods harmful to one’s health.

Gurbani’s instructions on this topic are very clear.

"Only a fool argues whether to eat meat or not. Who can define what is meat and what is not meat? Who knows where the sin lies, being a vegetarian or a non vegetarian?" (Page 1289 Guru Granth Sahib)

The Brahmanical thought that a religious person should be a vegetarian is of recent origin. Earlier, Brahmans had been eating beef and horse meat after sacrificing the animal in the name of the goddess.

In conclusion, it is not correct to say that any person who eats meat (of course Kutha, because of the Muslim rituals is prohibited) loses his membership of the Khalsa and becomes an apostate. Traditionally, however, eating meat by the Sikhs is not encouraged.

http://members.pgonline.com/~mpurewal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------