[Advaita-l] more on food habits - 'adRShTa' in a Vedic yAga

[V Subrahmanian]

On Tue, Jan 4, 2011 at 10:34 AM, Satish Arigela <satisharigela at yahoo.com>wrote:

> namaste,
>
> The reason meat is used in some tantric rituals is because, for the
> tAntrika and
> his particular path it has a philosophical/ritualistic significance...and
> *not*
> because the tAntrika is habituated to eating meat.
>
> In other words in the tAntric context, a vIra(a tAntrika word for one who
> has
> the senses under perfect control and is additonally equipped with mantra
> siddhi)
> may use meat and even drink in his ritual even though he never craves for
> it.
>
>
> To further clarify, if the tAntrIka ritualist craves for meat or wine he is
> considered unfit and hence he will never be initiated into those rituals.
> This
> point is clarified repeatedly in scores of tAntrika(especially in the
> dakShiNa
> srotas or the bhairavAgama) works.
>

Namaste.

In a related investigation of the Vedic ritual here is an observation of
mine:

The Vedic yAga which involves oblation of an animal should not be viewed as
someone's craving for meat-eating, or for that matter the soma
juice-drinking.  I think a Vedic ritual when conducted as per the prescribed
procedure will generate an 'adRShTa' which alone ensures the phalam the
ritual is intended to give.  If the Veda-stated procedure is altered,
violated, in any respect the adRShTa will not arise and therefore the phalam
will not accrue.  Is there any evidence of Advaita Acharyas  recognizing
this 'adRShTa' in a yAga?  We just saw the mention of 'adRShTa' by Sri
Appayya DikShita in the 'siddhAnta lesha sangrahaH' with regard to sravaNam
producing such an adRShTa. In effect,  'adRShTa' seems to be a samskara that
aids fructification of the principal endeavor. Could we say that this very
mention of adRShTa by Sri Dikshita is in recognition of this concept in the
field of vedic rituals, pUrva mImAmsA?

I would like to hear from learned members on this topic.

Regards,
subrahmanian.v

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