Saturday, February 24, 2007

Forbidden food for brahmins

The rigvidhanam of Saunaka rishi mentions about different categories of bhojanam that would make a brahmin to incur sin and also the prayaschitha or penance to be performed in such cases.

They are –

1.Kundannam – food given by fools

2. Soothakannam – food from a house where soothaka for 10 days is being observed after a baby is born

3. Sudrannam – food offered by sudra 

4. Rajasvalannam – food prepared or offered by women during their menstrual cycle

5. Pathithannam – food from people who have fallen from their spiritual status.

6.Kushtaynnam – food offered by lepers

7. Kshatriyannam – food offered by kshatriyas. 

8. Vaisyannam – food offered by vaisyas.

9. Varnatheethannam – food offered by person belonging to a different varna 

10.Vidhurannam- food offered by widower

11. Paryayannam – food offered by wanderers

12.Jarinyannam – food offered by unchaste women

13.Sraadhhannam – food offered in various sraadhas. 

14.Golakannam – food from son born to a widow

15.Divadvirbhojanam – to eat twice during day

16. Bharyayuktabhojanam – to have food along with wife

17.Panchayajnaviheenasya gruhe – food in the house of a person not performing the panchayajna.

18. Haste dathannam – food given in hand (buffet ?)

19. Yathyannam – food from sanyasis

20.Bahavascha ekapatre bhojanam – many people eating from one plate

21. Svadeenam darsanm kruthva bhojanam – to have food after seeing dog etc.

22. Rajasvaladhvanim sruthva bhojanam – to have food after hearing the voice of a woman having her menstrual cycle.

23. Anthyjanam dhvanim sruthva paschad bhojanam – to have food after hearing the voice of lowly people.

24.Uchhishtabhojanam – to eat the left over of another person

25. Vrudhisraadhabhojanm – food offered in naandi sraaddha 

26. Seemanthabhojanm – food offered during seemantha ceremony.

27. Abhisasthe bhojanam – food offered by a sinner.

28. Suthyahani bhojanam – food offered on the day of delivery of a child.

29.Punarbhuvo bhojanm – food offered by a woman who has remarried.

30. Anthyjam sprushtva – food taken after touching lowly people.

31.Bhuktikaale rajah.striyah drushtva – if a woman having her menstrual cycle is seen at the time of taking food.

32.Ashtamyam va chaturdashyam diva bhojanam – to have food during the day on ashtami andchaturdashi 

33. Parvadvaye bhanuvare rathrou bhojanm – to have food at night during amavasya, purnima or sunday
34. Ekadasyam ahoratram bhojanam – to have food either on day or night during ekadashi.

35. Vatsareshu manvadishu yugeshu rathrou bhojanam – to have food at night during vishu, yugadi etc.

36.Sthenabhunkthe sraadhakartha – the performer of sraadha having food secretly.

37. Oupasanam vina bhojanam – to have food without performing oupasanam. 

38. Suryagrhe, chandragrahe cha – to have food during solar and lunar eclipses

39.Athivikrayinogehe – to have food from one who trades in wool

40. Vaisvadevam vina – food taken without performing vaisvadevam

41. Sraadhakartha punarbhunkte – performer of sraadha if takes food twice times.

42. Kruthaghnannam – food from thankless people

43.Svamidroheegruhe – from the house of one who has deceived his employer or lord

44.Mithradrohee gruhe – from one who has done wrong to his friend

45.Deergharogee gruhe – from one who chronically sick.

46.Pisunasya gruhe – food from a miser

47.Asuyakasya gruhe – food from the jealous

48. Ganannam – food offered as charity to public

49.Akaryadigruhe – from one who performs wrong deeds

50. Akulasya gruhe – from lowly people

51. Dveshyabhaktam – food from enemy

52. Kunjaraghna gruhe – food from one who has killed elephant

53.Hayaghnasya gruhe – from one who has killed horse

54. Goghnasya gruhe – from one who has killed cow

55.Brahmaghnasya gruhe – from one who has caused harm to brahmins

56.Svarnastheyasya gruhe – from one who has stolen gold

57. Talpagasya gruhe – from one who has slept with his guru’s wife

58. Tatsamyogigruhe – from one who associates with the above kind of sinners

59.Asvavikrayinogruhe – from one who sells horses

60 Rasavikrayinogruhe – from one who sells chemicals

61.Ushtravikrayinogruhe – from one who sells camels