Srimate Ramanujaye Namaha,

Namaskaaram Swami, This story is part of mahabaharata and swami covers  this story in detail in Mahabharata series.. I dont have the audio no (somewhere around july 15th).

But in that Audio, in later part of the story, the sage asks how about reconciling the difference between his spiritual knowledge and doing such a occupation. Then the answer given is he himself does not eat meat, but just does it with detachment and when the other people elevate and realize, for which there will be a time for each person, then he will also stop eating meat. There was some more explanation along the lines of duty as per time ,place and circumstance..

That audio might be helpful swami.

adiyen

In this audio, dharma vyasar is doing Karma yoga. I hope he is a bhaktha, otherwise this incident would not have come in purana. He did not consume non veg. Even then, since himsa is done, is it not apacharam?. Just a thought.
adiyen

Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha
Srimathe Sri Varaha Mahadesikaya Namaha
Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Swamy Thiruvadigaley Sharanam

What wrong did கொக்கு do? It was doing its duty right? It was unintentional by the way. கொக்கு கர்ம yogi தானே. அது அதோட வேலையை செய்யறது. கொக்கு பின்ன நடந்தா போகும் காற்றில் தானே போகும்?

கொக்கு என்று நினைத்தாயோ கொங்கணவா! ?

Dasanudasan

வேளுக்குடி ஸ்வாமி திருவடிகளுக்கு அடியேனின் பணிவான நமஸ்காரங்கள்.

ஸ்வாமி, பெரும் குழப்பமாக உள்ளது. What to do or not to do that is the question!

अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं शौचम् इन्द्रियनिग्रहः । एतं सामासिकं धर्मं चातुर्वर्ण्येऽब्रवीन्मनुः அஹிம்சை, சத்யம், பிறர் பொருள் கவராமை, சுத்தம், புலன் அடக்கம் இவை அனைவருக்கும் பொதுவான சாமான்ய தர்மம் ஆயிற்றே. அப்படி இருக்க, தினமும் மிருகங்களை கொல்வதில் ஈடுபடுவது எவ்வாறு கர்ம யோகமாகும்? ஒரு சத்திரியர் தர்மம் சார்ந்த போரிலோ, அல்லது பெரும் குற்றம் செய்தவரை தண்டிக்கையிலோ கொலையில் ஈடுபடலாம் என்று அறிகிறோம். அது போல கசாபு தொழிலில் ஈடுபடுபவருக்கு சில வரையறை இருக்கின்றனவா? 

இன்றைய சூழலில் ஒரு மென்பொருள் வல்லுநர் வலை சார்ந்த சூதாட்டம், விபசாரம், automation of salughter houses போன்றவைக்கு மென்பொருள் எழுதுவது தர்மமாகுமா? அல்லது அது போன்ற வாய்ப்புகளை ஏற்காமல் விலகிடவேண்டுமா? “என் தொழில் மென்பொருள் எழுதுவது; மற்றவர் கேட்பதை செய்வது என் தொழில், என் தர்மம்” என்று தப்பித்து கொள்வது சரியா?

பெருமாளும், தைவீக குணங்களை பட்டியல் இடையில் “அஹிம்சா சத்யம் அக்ரோதஸ் த்யாக ஷாந்திர் அபைஸுனம்” என்று அஹிம்சையை குறிப்பிடிகிறாரே. மேலும், எந்த எந்த குணங்கள் நிறைந்த பக்தன் தனக்கு பிரியமானவன் என்று பட்டியலிடையில், “அத்வேஷ்டா சர்வ பூதானாம் மைத்ர கருண ஏவ ச” என்று தானே ஆரம்பிக்கிறார்!  அப்படி இருக்க, ஒரு பக்தன் எவ்வாறு கொலை செயல்களில் தினமும் ஈடுபட முடியும்?

புராணங்களில் மற்றும் சரித்திர கதைகளில் சந்தர்ப்ப வசத்தால் விபசாரத்தில் சிக்கிய பெண்கள், அந்நிலையிலும் ஆழ்ந்த பக்தராக திகழ்ந்தனர் என்று கேள்வி பட்டுள்ளோம். அதை மனம் சற்றும் சலனமில்லாமல் ஏற்கிறது. ஆனால் ஒருவர் கசாபு தொழிலில் ஈடுபட்டார் என்று கேள்விபடுகையில் மனம் ஏற்க மறுக்கிறது!   

எண்னில் அடங்கா கேள்விகள்; என்னில் அடங்கா கேள்விகள். 

அடியோன்கள் குழப்பத்தை தீர்கவேண்டுமாய் பிரார்திக்கிறோம்.

on behalf of many others on this forum

adiyen kamban dasan.

Srimate Ramanujaye Namaha,

Swami based on Swamy’s Mahabharatam audio 73, what I understand is if one has perfected Karma yoga ( fully realizes one as instrument of God, thinks his work is part of God’s work, no expectation of result, not using results for himself beyond maintaining body and soul) Then such exceptional work can be accomodated.

May be in this story dharma vyasar , is already reached qualifications of all requirements of Karma yoga ( did not do his profession to increase his material life comforts) so his act did not bring any reaction to him. 

But in our case we cannot say we are fully dedicating the results to the Lord, so in our case such occupation duties may bring reaction and may be needed to avoid.

Adiyen

Swamy, Namaskaaram.

One point to consider is Dharmavyadhan followed fasting over several days in a paksham, which could have served as an effective prayachittam (for those of his acts involving of culling animals, for selling). Also, present birth of him as vedan / vetan is due to sabam acquired in his previous brahmin birth and he continues to have saatvicness due to previous janma vaasanai.

Adiyen Ramanujadaasan.

Srimate Ramanujaye Namaha,

Swami, When and why did he fast? where is it mentioned? If he did prayacittam it means he has reactions to his work..  but it does not seem so . as he was having vision of past events even without being there.. so he was a yogi already  ..at the point when sage Kowsika met him so that means he was not incurring any reactions.

Coincidentally by Perumal’s anugraham, after positng in this thread i read bhagavat Geeta and came across this verse which is very apt for the context we are discussing.

Text 4.19 “One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every endeavor is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker for whom the reactions of work have been burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge.”

Raamanujacharya’s explanation for the above verse is :

“The person performing karma or actions accrues reactions by attachment to desires and hankering for rewards. This is delusion as desires are imagined and fantasised before enactment. Thus it is merely a false idea or wrong notion of the mind. The fantasising alluded to here consists of the mentality which erroneously identifies the atma or soul with prakriti or material nature along with the three gunas being the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance and mistakenly conceives of them as all being one principle. But to that person seeking moksa or liberation all acts regular and occasional performed by them and necessitated by bodily maintenance are not subject to reactions being devoid of desire. Further exemption is guaranteed as the aspirant for moksa is not living in a world of imagination or fantasy because such a person performs every action while being cognisant of the eternal atma. Whoever performs karma in this manner while meditating on the atma is one of spiritual intelligence situated in atma tattva or soul realisation and all reactions to a myriad of past actions have been eradicated by the fire of knowledge. Thus Lord Krishna is praising the person who performs prescribed Vedic activities in atma tattva as being highly laudable. This is in sharp contrast to the karmi or one who performs actions for fruitive rewards being forced to accept reactions.”

Adiyen

Swamy,

In the same 73 episode of Mahabharatam, at 9 min, it is mentioned that Dharmavyadhan fasts several days in a paksham:

It is my own understanding that even if it is considered paapam – act of being a butcher (here due to lineage), he is observing fasting. It is not mentioned as prayachittam as such. But those are general prayachittams and could clear paapams if any. This story is mainly to highlight that Dharmavyadhan had such abilities to know what happened earlier in other’s life is all due to his staunch kainkaryam to his aged parents. Plus one should not have head weight and that a person from vedan lineage could be as knowledgeable as a Rishi.

Adiyen, Thavaru irupin kshamikka prarthikkirane.

Adiyen Ramanujadaasan.

Namaskaram Swami!

So whatever varna one might be in, but after getting pancha samskaram, he should abstain from eating meat. Am I correct? I am asking this because in the internet there are people who are of the opinion that, except brahmins other varnas can eat meat, even if one is a Vaishnava.  Eventhough  I don’t consume meat, I was worried by the people’s opinion in internet.

I am asking this question for Kali yuga.

Please clarify this doubt for adiyen swami…