History of Brahmin diet
is an integral part of most schools of Hinduism although there is a wide variety of practices and beliefs that have changed over time because with the spiritual practices satvik food is more recommended by saints. By one estimate, 30% of all Hindus are ovo-lacto vegetarians. Most surveys, including one by the Office of Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, show 60% to 70% or even more of Indians eat meat. Most sects of Hindus do not observe vegetarianism. Dietary habits and dietary customs were factors that have played roles in the formation, evolution and development of Indian caste system.
Dietary habits in Hindu scriptures
Vedas
There is clear evidence of meat consumption but not beef during Vedic period historical Vedic religion of Hinduism.The earliest Hindu scriptures belong or refer to the Vedic period which lasted until about 500 BCE according to the chronological division by modern historians.Later texts
Several highly authoritative scriptures also bar violence against domestic animals except in the case of ritual sacrifice. This view is clearly expressed in the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata Purana, and the Chandogya Upanishad. For instance, many Hindus point to the Mahabharatas maxim that "Nonviolence is the highest duty and the highest teaching," as advocating a vegetarian diet. It is also reflected in the Manu Smriti, a particularly renowned traditional Hindu law book. These texts strongly condemn the slaughter of animals and meat eating.Sutas
Early Brahmins of South India
Some of the south Indian Brahmins during the sutra period, like those of North India were not meat eaters.Buddhism and Jainism
Starting from the last few centuries B.C., Buddhism and Jainism contributed much to the belief that nonviolence is supremely valued which stimulated growing hostility to the slaughter of live animals.Practitioners' views on Brahmin vegetarianism
The non-influence
As opposed to the popular views propagated by non-practicing Western and Indian sociologists and Indologists, the notion of Brahmin vegetarianism is not directly due to the influence of Buddhism or Jainism. Buddhism could not itself influence its followers to adhere to the idea of total ahimsa as most Buddhists from the times of the Buddha until today are meat eaters. Theravada Buddhist tradition interprets the last meal of Buddha offered by Cunda to be pork, to which they attach no stigma or see no violation of the ahinsa principle. Buddhist vegetarianism is a rare concept even in Buddhist countries like Myanmar and Thailand. Even Buddhism's most famous patron, Emperor Ashoka, did not ban killing of animals and birds in entirety. Rather, Ashoka's animal welfare policies only restricted the species of animals that can be killed for food in addition to banning ritual sacrifices of animals on the premise that it is wasteful. Vegetarianism never was a principle to be strictly adhered to in Buddhism and no social stigma was attached to Buddhists who ate meat even in India, the land of its origin. This is reasonably clear from the fact that the austerities of Jainism which includes the strictest form of vegetarianism long pre-dated Buddha's birth and did not apparently influence Buddha's eating habits after his enlightenment. Buddha and Buddhists continued to eat meat so long they were assured that the animal was not killed specifically for the feeding the bhikshusVegetarianism is generally true for the pancha-dravida brahmins like Iyers, Iyengars, Namboothiris, Telugu Brahmins of all sub-sects, Kannada Brahmins, Maharashtra, Gujarati, and Rajasthani Brahmins. It is not as generally true for the pancha-gauda brahmins of North and East India. It is well known that the Bengali Brahmins are meat eaters. While the Brahmins of the Ganga, Yamuna belt west of Bengal are generally vegetarians, we do see exceptions. Kashmiri Brahmins are said to be meat eaters.
The greatest influence
The greatest influence on Brahmin diet has, by far, been the yog sutras of Patanjali, which expounded the theory and practice of "Raj yog". While there have been other schools of yog, Raj yog gained the greatest prominence as it is suitable for a practitioner to remain a householder and yet transcend the eight stages of yoga. Although ahinsa, among others, is mentioned as a part of yama, the first step of ashthanga yoga paddhati, it is generally viewed as an abstinence of mental animosity towards any living creature as one of the means to achieve stillness of mind. The concept of ahinsa has never been taken as an end in itself and certainly not to the level of the moral strictures of the Jains. Killing pests, dangerous animals and enemies of the nation are seen as virtuous acts as opposed to the hands-off philosophy of the Jains. General masses adopt the philosophies of Buddhism, Jainism and Vedanta interchangeably in a culture that integrated the Jain religion and deified Buddha in to the Hindu pantheon.Food having gunas (qualities)
The proliferation of Raj yog also brought with it the notions of spiritual purity of various kinds of food and their importance in practitioners' life. Various foods are categorized along the lines of the gunas that impact the spiritual progress of the practitioner. Accordingly, food is classified as Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas based on the observed impact they have on spiritual progress. Sattvic diet is a diet based on foods in Ayurveda and Yog literature that contain sattva quality. In this system of dietary classification, foods that harm the mind or body are considered Tamasic, while those that are neither positive or negative are considered Rajasic. Sattvic diet is meant to include food and eating habit that is "pure, essential, natural, vital, energy-containing, clean, conscious, true, honest, wise". Sattvic diet is a regimen that places emphasis on seasonal foods, fruits, dairy products, nuts, seeds, oils, ripe vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and non-meat based proteins. Some Sattvic diet suggestions, such as its relative emphasis on dairy products, is controversial. Sattvic diet is sometimes referred to as yogic diet in modern literature. In ancient and medieval era Yog literature, the concept discussed is Mitahara, which literally means "moderation in eating".Since the Brahmins are ordained to follow a lifestyle that ensures the spiritual progress of themselves and that of the society, they have adopted Sattvic diet. Kshatriyas and others who need to be physically and mentally engaged in the worldly affairs are allowed non-Sattvic diet, although they can choose to be vegetarians. For example, Vishwamitra, meat-eating Kshatriya, took to austerities as he aspired to become a Brahmarshi, whereas Parasurama, a brahmana, remained actively engaged in his war against the Kshatriyas.