Rama, Sita & Lakshmana...

[Arjuna]

You are violating the basic principle which all Hindus observe. Everything is divine for Hindus. There is nothing which is right or wrong in absolute sense.
...
You are hurting those Hindus who are strict vegetarians & consider eating meat as next to crime.

Namaste Devotee.

Why don't U say to those who "consider eating meat as next to crime" that "everything is divine for Hindus" and "there is nothing which is right or wrong in absolute sense"?
I am not saying U or anyone SHOULD eat meat. Have U seen such a statement from me ever? I say that one MAY eat meat and be a Hindu. Which is in accordance with UR OWN STATEMENT cited above.
It is astonishing how much people feel uneasy when certain things are pointed at.

Whether i am Hindu or not depends on Ur or others definition of the term. The word Hinduism is invention of Persians by the way. I prefer to say i am Shaiva, this word is Agamic and not foreign.

Regarding Krishna, Mahabharata mentions this stuff, as well as some Puranas. He was a kshatriya as Rama was, no wonder a non-vegetarian.

I don't wish to argue, please allow me not to proceed. My point is clear i guess.

[devotee]

Namaste Arjuna,

Why don't U say to those who "consider eating meat as next to crime" that "everything is divine for Hindus" and "there is nothing which is right or wrong in absolute sense"?

Did they say anything to hurt you ?

I say that one MAY eat meat and be a Hindu.

You are right. But when someone doesn't like it, why press on this point ?

Regarding Krishna, Mahabharata mentions this stuff, as well as some Puranas. He was a kshatriya as Rama was, no wonder a non-vegetarian.

I don't remember reading anywhere about Krishna eating meat. Please mention the sources if you know. Again, Krishna was raised in a Yadava family & not Kashtriya family. Where you found this text that he was a meat eater is not clear to me. Moreover, where is it written that all Kashtriyas ate meat ?

What I want to request to you is that please keep discussions limited to things which are valuable for spiritual uplifting. Please remember that today majority of Hindus (even those who eat meat) consider meat eating a hinderance on the path of spirituality. Hurting any animal for food when other alternatives are available cannot be justified. Hunting animals for food may be prevalent & may be a necessity in Rama's time but is it justified today ?

OM

[ohmshivaya]

Namaste Arjuna.

Thanks for the link, but one snag. Though this specific picture link is accessible from my system in India, for the parent links including the http://images.exoticindiaart.com/ or its homepage, I only get the message "This Site is currently unavailable..." Did I miss anything?

This is online shop selling Indian handicrafts patronized by westerners (and most probably set up by some westerners). None of their artwork is antique, or 'original' to mean ''ancient'' Indian artwork. They are done by local artists, sometimes after they are given specific designs by the sellers based on their customer demands in Europe and US.

One should not take the art sold in this online shop as part of ancient Indian 'history' or the 'representation' of ancient India.

[ohmshivaya]

[quote=devotee;23007]Yes, the homepage is returning an error. Moreover, who is the artist of this great picture ? What is its authenticity ?


/quote]


This is an online ship that sells Indian handicrafts to customers mostly in the west, especially Europe. None of the products on this shop is antiquate or "ancient". The artwork is by modern artists, and if specific themes are popular among western buyers, then the theme will be replicated. The themes do not necessarily portray Indian history, nor necessarily derive their theme from the Indian scriptures.

[ohmshivaya]

2 Saidevo: I wonder why U cannot check it Urself, it's very easy in every web-browser. Anyway, please: http://images.exoticindiaart.com/hin...orest_hc42.jpg

2 Dhruva: I don't need to justify my non-vegetarianism that too with Vaishnava pictures, since neither Veda nor Shaiva-agama prohibit meat. But some people here wondered when i said once that both Rama and Krishna were meat-eaters. This is to justify THIS point, which is in perfect accordance with Hindu tradition.

To substantiate your 'argument' about historical characters, you use 'modern' art? None of these paintings, nor necessarily their themes, are ancient. This is an online shop peddling Indian art to customers mostly based in the west. Mmm...that doesn't seem 'scholarly.'

By the way, you haven't gone and signed up for their 'affliate program' have you? You know, you provide the link to their store, and someone enters their online shop through your link and happen to buy something online, you end up getting 15% commission? I'm wondering why all of a sudden, you are putting up "artwork" by online shops.

[Arjuna]

This is online shop selling Indian handicrafts patronized by westerners (and most probably set up by some westerners). None of their artwork is antique, or 'original' to mean ''ancient'' Indian artwork. They are done by local artists, sometimes after they are given specific designs by the sellers based on their customer demands in Europe and US.

One should not take the art sold in this online shop as part of ancient Indian 'history' or the 'representation' of ancient India.

This picture is obviously traditional, i think it's kangra style but i may mistake. Nothing of this sort is produced neither by indians nowadays nor by westerners.

[satay]

Namaskar,

I would have to agree with devotee's point of view. I was a meat eater previously, I don't see why meat eaters have to keep trying to prove anything.

Arjuna, why trying so hard to justify your meat eating tradition or habit?....

besides I don't see anyone in the picture 'eating' meat!

and again, you simply googled the picture without looking/questioning/studying the source of information just like you did previously by posting stuff from anti hindu sites.

Give it a rest. Who cares if you eat meat or not?

[ohmshivaya]

This picture is obviously traditional, i think it's kangra style but i may mistake. Nothing of this sort is produced neither by indians nowadays nor by westerners.

I perhaps shouldn't even bother to respond to the above remarks, but somehow feel compelled to write this, lest some other poor, naive soul reading your posts is led up to the dark alley with song and dance.

This is the declaration by the company itself, under the FAQ. I've highlighted the line that discloses the 'antiquated' nature of their products sold online in blue.

Q. What do you mean by 'antiquated'? Are they antiques? Do you deal in antiques?

A. The Government of India does not allow for the sale of any article more than 100 years old outside India. We do not deal in antiques. The antiquated artworks are artworks which are provided an old look about them by the artist. In most cases they are no older than 20 to 30 years.

They may use the 'Kangra' or any other older style of painting, but that doesn't mean the paintings themselves are old, or their themes exact reproductions of ancient themes. I think it is quite common knowledge that the artwork sold nowadays in shops, or anywhere, just replicate the techniques or styles from the various old schools of art (e.g., Jaipur, Bikaner,or Mewar schools of miniature paintings from Rajasthan, or the famous Tanjore school of art featuring Indian gods and goddess).

[Arjuna]

Namaskar,

I would have to agree with devotee's point of view. I was a meat previously, I don't see why meat eaters have to keep trying to prove anything.

Arjuna, why trying so hard to justify your meat eating tradition or habit?....

besides I don't see anyone in the picture 'eating' meat!

and again, you simply googled the picture without looking/questioning/studying the source of information just like you did previously by posting stuff from anti hindu sites.

Give it a rest. Who cares if you eat meat or not?

As usual Satay, nothing to say on the point but U cannot keep silent
Rama ate meat, what's the problem to U?
And I do not see myself on the pic though. Do U?

[satay]

namaskar,

Rama ate meat, what's the problem to U?

I don't see Rama eating meat in the pic. Do you?

The picture you googled and posted here is not a real depiction of Hinduism as quoted on their own site. The source is not authentic hindu organization. And on top of that the picture itself doesn't prove that Rama ate meat. It doesn't show him eating meat! In fact, the lady depicted as Sita is holding a leaf in a manner of offering it to the person depicted as Rama. Why she is not holding a piece of meat and offering to Rama? Why leaf?

Lastly, no one cares if you eat meat and you don't have to justify your meat eating habit or practice by posting any piece of artwork done by your regular james or william or a John or a Tom or a Dick or a Mary or any other non-hindu.

Please continue eating meat and concentrate on your sadhana.