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Bali-dana, animal sacrifice in front of Goddess Kali

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

In the Vedic civilization, meat-eaters are advised to kill an animal for the goddess Kālī or a similar demigod. This is in order not to give the animal unnecessary pain, as slaughterhouses do. In the bali-dāna sacrifice to a demigod, it is recommended to cut the throat of an animal with one slice. This should be done on a dark-moon night, and the painful noises expressed by the animal at the time of being slaughtered are not to be heard by anyone. There are also many other restrictions.
CC Madhya 24.250, Translation and Purport:

"Nārada Muni continued, 'My dear hunter, your business is killing animals. That is a slight offense on your part. But when you consciously give them unnecessary pain by leaving them half-dead, you incur very great sins.'"

This is another good instruction to animal-killers. There are always animal-killers and animal-eaters in human society because less civilized people are accustomed to eating meat. In the Vedic civilization, meat-eaters are advised to kill an animal for the goddess Kālī or a similar demigod. This is in order not to give the animal unnecessary pain, as slaughterhouses do. In the bali-dāna sacrifice to a demigod, it is recommended to cut the throat of an animal with one slice. This should be done on a dark-moon night, and the painful noises expressed by the animal at the time of being slaughtered are not to be heard by anyone. There are also many other restrictions. Slaughter is allowed only once a month, and the killer of the animal has to suffer similar pains in his next life. At the present moment, so-called civilized men do not sacrifice animals to a deity in a religious or ritualistic way. They openly kill animals daily by the thousands for no purpose other than the satisfaction of the tongue. Because of this the entire world is suffering in so many ways. Politicians are unnecessarily declaring war, and according to the stringent laws of material nature, massacres are taking place between nations.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate

"The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by nature." (BG 3.27) The laws of prakṛti (nature) are very stringent. No one should think that he has the freedom to kill animals and not suffer the consequences. One cannot be safe by doing this. Nārada Muni herein says that animal-killing is offensive, especially when animals are given unnecessary pain. Meat-eaters and animal-killers are advised not to purchase meat from the slaughterhouse. They can worship Kālī once a month, kill some unimportant animal and eat it. Even by following this method, one is still an offender.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Bali-dāna, before the goddess Kālī, if it is done properly, then the goat which is sacrificed before the goddess Kālī, it gets immediately a human body which would have taken so many years, millions of years to come to the, but because it is being sacrificed, that is the Vedic mantra. Therefore, but this man who is killing, he has to become goat to be sacrificed by this goat having taken birth as human being. Therefore it is called karma-bandha.
Lecture on SB 1.8.49 -- Mayapura, October 29, 1974:

Bali-dāna, before the goddess Kālī, if it is done properly, then the goat which is sacrificed before the goddess Kālī, it gets immediately a human body which would have taken so many years, millions of years to come to the, but because it is being sacrificed, that is the Vedic mantra. Therefore, but this man who is killing, he has to become goat to be sacrificed by this goat having taken birth as human being. Therefore it is called karma-bandha. Yajñārthe karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. So there are rules and regulations. So his only aim is to eat some meat. So he can take this risk. You eat meat, but give the, what is called, facility (to) the animals to become human being immediately after death. That facility is given to (indistinct), so that he can also take advantage of... Māṁsa. Sa māṁ khadati iti māṁsaḥ. So these things are there. Na me syān nirayān mokṣaḥ. There was a king who killed so many animals for sacrifice. So when he was entering heaven... I forgot the name, famous king. So many souls were ready for killing him, because he killed so many animals. So therefore it is said, ordinarily, nirayān mokṣaḥ. We have to take responsibility for all this, nirayān mokṣaḥ. Why? Hy api varṣāyutāyutaiḥ. Ayuta, ten hundred thousand million.

So this is karma-cakra. We are getting some opportunity and making our next life. In this way it is called karma-cakra.

Even when there is bali, the sacrifice is given, the mantra means, the mantra says that "This man is killing you. You'll get next life a human being. But you have the opportunity, option, to kill him." This is the mantra. Now, if somebody's responsible, he'll certainly think that "I am going to be killed by this goat again?" Māṁsa khadati. Mām: "He will eat me." That is māṁsa. So no responsible man will take that responsibility, that "I will kill this animal. Again he'll become a man and he'll kill me. No, no. Stop this business."
Lecture on SB 1.10.13 -- Mayapura, June 26, 1973:

Indian: Shakespeare writes in his books that marriage is nothing but legal prostitution.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So that is their interpretation. Marriage, Vedic śāstra enjoins marriage, and it is for prostitution. Just see the interpretation. All the great ṛṣis, they recommended: "Yes, you can go on, prostitution, with your prostitution, under the sanction of the śāstra." No, it is not that. The real purpose is to restrict. Just like meat-eating. Meat-eating is recommended in Vedic literature. There is kālī-pūjā. Kālī-pūjā. By sacrificing one goat before Goddess Kālī. Goddess Kālī's worshiped on the amāvasyā. Amāvasyā takes place once in a month. Therefore these rascals who are meat-eaters, they'll be restricted. If they accept the śāstra, "No, no, if we eat meat from the butcher's place, then we shall be sinful. Let us eat meat..." Just like in Calcutta you'll find so many butchers, they have kept one Goddess Kālī deity so that people will think now it is not sinful. Here the māṁsa, the meat is not..., it is sanctified. Hindu-brāhmaṇa-kati(?). So these things are going on. Actually, it is restriction. And even when there is bali, the sacrifice is given, the mantra means, the mantra says that "This man is killing you. You'll get next life a human being. But you have the opportunity, option, to kill him." This is the mantra. Now, if somebody's responsible, he'll certainly think that "I am going to be killed by this goat again?" Māṁsa khadati. Mām: "He will eat me." That is māṁsa. So no responsible man will take that responsibility, that "I will kill this animal. Again he'll become a man and he'll kill me. No, no. Stop this business."

So this is the process of restriction. Similarly those who are drunkards, for them is recommended by offering liquor to Caṇḍī, they can drink. Similarly, marriage is also like that. It is restriction. It is not prostitution. It is restriction. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. This is natural tendency. If you want, if one can stop it, that is called tapasya. And human life becomes perfect by tapasya.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

According to Vedic injunction, if you want to eat meat, you kill yourself in your front, in the front of goddess Kālī. So that the animal will get next life as human being. He is promoted immediately. He hasn't got to go to the evolutionary process. He gets immediately. And it is given right that "After you get human form of (life), you can kill this person." You see? This is the process of bali-dāna, mantra and everything.
Morning Walk -- June 29, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Vinā paśughnāt (SB 10.1.4). That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that "One who is killer of animal, he cannot understand the spiritual science." Vinā paśughnāt (SB 10.1.4). This is the statement. Paśughna means the animal killer. Therefore the first prohibition is stop this animal killing. Otherwise, this dull brain will not be able to understand. They are not fit for understanding. Mūḍha, mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). Duṣkṛtina means always engaged in sinful activities. They have got brain but their brain is being utilized only for sinful activities, they are called duṣkṛtina. Kṛtī, kṛtī means good brain, and duṣkṛtī means brain is being utilized for sinful act. Therefore they are mūḍha. In spite of good brain, they are rascals, because brain is being utilized for sinful activities, how to set up up-to-date machinery for killing animals. Brain is being used for this purpose. Any animal can be killed with ordinary knife, but they're manufacturing latest machinery. Their brain, rascal brain is being used for that purpose. And what they will understand? They are preparing their road for going to hell. What they will understand about spiritual matters? Nature will not excuse. That is not possible. (break) That is sufficient for your being killed. Yes, sir. Wherefrom these laws come unless there is God's laws? Everyone will be killed. They are thinking that "We are not going to slaughterhouse to kill. They kill; we purchase." The Buddhist says like that. Everyone says like that. Therefore, according to Vedic scripture, those animal-eaters, they should kill them personally so that they can see how much suffering is there, so he will stop. But now the things are being done in the slaughterhouse. They do not see. They purchase very nicely packed. They do not know. And they are becoming implicated. Therefore, according to Vedic injunction, if you want to eat meat, you kill yourself in your front, in the front of goddess Kālī. So that the animal will get next life as human being. He is promoted immediately. He hasn't got to go to the evolutionary process. He gets immediately. And it is given right that "After you get human form of (life), you can kill this person." You see? This is the process of bali-dāna, mantra and everything. (Break) ...regulation that... that is not cow. An insignificant animal, goat... (end)

Page Title:Bali-dana, animal sacrifice in front of Goddess Kali
Compiler:Labangalatika
Created:09 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:4