foreign travel by a sanyasin (forwarded message)

[Rajesh Venkataraman]

--- Ashish Chandra <ramkisno at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >
> >If even dharma prachaara can be done only where the
> >"black Saaranga deer" wanders carefreely, logically
> it
> >can be done only in forests. Then how do Grhasthas
> >come to know about Dharma, as they cannot be
> expected
> >to go into the forests at least for quite some
> time!
> >And when they do go into the forests, I thought it
> is
> >more for gaining jnana.
> >
> >Is there any injunction like this for the preaching
> >Jnana kanda also?
> >
> >Thanks
> >
> >Rajesh
> >
>
> The injunction is to do Dharmaprachaar in the place
> where the Saaranga deer
> roams freely *and* where Varnaashrama Dharma is
> followed. So that should
> take care of grihasthas.
>

Thanks Ashish, for the informative mail. But when it
is said that "Dharmaprachaar can be done in a place
where the Saaranga deer roams freely *and* where
Varnaashrama Dharma is followed" does it not mean that
both the conditions have to be taken care of?
Otherwise it could have been a *or* instead of the
*and*. And I don't know of a place where *both* the
conditions are met. Even if there are some, the places
must be very few. And does it mean that one can live
only in those places?

I am asking all these questions because if we feel
that the Shastras have to be followed verbatim, come
what may, not giving scope for a difference in
interpretation due to prevailing circumstances and
worldly order, do we not have to take care of "the
Saaranga deer" condition *also*?

--- elmec <elmec at GIASBG01.VSNL.NET.IN> wrote:
> That term " where the Saaranga deer wanders freely "
> taken in a broader
> sense  means the land where " Ahimsa " is
> considered a parama dharma and where each and every
> animal is looked
> upon as a manifestation of Brahman and not as a
> piece of meat to be
> consumed. The elaborate answer supplied by Sri
> Aashish is very educative and interesting. Thanks.
>

If we can interpret it this way here then why should
not the interpretation differ elsewhere depending of
what the mahatmas say etc.?

And also I think that other than the Brahmins, the
others used to eat meat in the olden days. Also there
is an opinion that the Brahmins themselves in the
vedic age might not have been averse to eating meat.
There was a big discussion on vegetarianism in the
list just about 15 days back!

Please enlighten me.

Thanks

Rajesh
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