Eggplants are not for vaisnavas, or are they?

by Paramananda das

Sep 9, 2012

Dandavat pranams

Jaya Sri Guru Gauranga,Gandarvika Giridhari

Jaya Srila Prabhupada

I was reading yesterday about how eggplants are not good for celibacy:

in Bhakti Vikas Maharajas Brahmacari book: In the   chapter of Retention of semen.

I have read in Haribhaki Vilasa some quotes where Krsna has stated in various Puranas that He turns His lotusface away from those who eat eggplants (and burnt food) ....

Well now we know, when I read these quotes I have never touched eggplants again. Some may laugh at this , I think it is no laughing matter....

This is from Hari Bhakti Vilasa- 8th Vilasa :

athabhakshyani

kaurme

vrintakam jalikashakam

    kusumbhashmantakam tatha

phalanòum lashunam shuklam

    niryasam caiva varjayet

    atha-now; abhakshyani-inedible; kaurme-in the Kurma Purana; vrintakam-eggplant; jalikashakam-plantain; kusumbha-safflower; ashmantakam-ashmantaka; tatha-so; phalanòum-onion; lashunam-garlic; shuklam-sour cereal; niryasam-tree sap; ca-and; eva-indeed; varjayet-one should avoid.

    What Is Inedible (For the Purpose of Offering to the Lord)

    In the Kurma Purana it is said:

    "One should avoid eggplant, plantain, safflower, ashmantaka, onion, garlic, sour cereal, and the sap of trees.

Text 161

skande

na bhakshayati vrintakam

    tasya durataro harih

    skande-in the Skanda Purana; na-not; bhakshayati-eats; vrintakam-eggplant; tasya-of him; duratarah-far away; harih-Lord Hari.

    In the Skanda Purana it is said:

    "Lord Krishna stays far away from anyone who eats eggplant."

Text 162

kim canyatra

vartakum brihatim caiva

    dagdham annam masurakam

yasyodare pravarteta

    tasya durataro harih

    kim ca-furthermore; anyatra-in another place; vartakum-eggplant; brihatim-eggplant; ca-and; eva-indeed; dagdham-burned; annam-food; masurakam-masura dal; yasya-of whom; udare-in the stomach; pravarteta-is; tasya-of him; duratarah-far away; harih-Lord Krishna.

    In another scripture it is said:

    "Lord Krishna stays far away from anyone who places eggplant, burned food, or masura dal in his stomach."

Text 163

kim ca

alavum bhakshayed yas tu

    dagdham annam kalambikam

sa nirlajjah katham brute

    pujayami janardanam

    kim ca-furthermore; alavum-alavu; bhokshayet-eats; yah-one; tu-indeed; dagdham-burned; annam-food; kalambikam-kalambika; sa-he; nirlajjah-shameless; katham-how?; brute-speak; pujayami-I worship; janardanam-Lord Hari.

    It is also said:

    "How can a shameless person who eats alavu, kalambika, and burned food, say the words: `I worship Lord Hari'?

Text 164

ata evoktam yamale

yatra madyam tatha mamsam

    tatha vrintaka-mulake

nivedayen naiva tatra

    harer aikantiki ratih

    ata eva-therefore; uktam-said; yamale-in the Yamala; yatra-where; madyam-liquor; tatha-so; mamsam-meat; tatha-so; vrintaka-eggplant; mulake-and radish; nivedayen-may offer; na-not; eva-inded; tatra-there; hareh-of Lord Krishna; aikantiki-unalloyed; ratih-love.

    In the Yamala it is said:

    "Only a person without genuine devotion for the Lord will offer Him wine, meat, eggplant, or radish."

Text 165

atha naivedyarpana-mahatmyam

skande

naivedyani manojnani

    krishnasyagre nivedayet

kalpantam tat-pitrinam tu

    triptir bhavati shashvati

    atha-now; naivedyarpana-of offering food; mahatmyam-the glories; skande-in thr Skanda Purana; naivedyani-should be offered; manojnani-beautiful; krishnasyagre-in Lord Krishna's presence; nivedayet-should offer; kalpantam-to the end of the kalpa; tat-pitrinam-of his ancestors; tu-indeed; triptih-satisfaction; bhavati-becomes; shashvati-eternal.

    The Glories of Offering Food to the Lord

    In the Skanda Purana it is said:

    "By offering many delicious foods to Lord Krishna, a person makes his ancestors happy until the end of the kalpa.

vaisnava das anu das

Paramananda das

  • Paramananda das

      for Purusottama  month  is is recommended to avoid eggplants:
    Fasting from tomatoes, eggplant, sesame, mustard seeds & oil, honey, urad-dahl, as in Kartik
    this is the standard of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada as well as in Hari Bhakti Vilasa

    Sep 11, 2012

  • Paramananda das

    Madhya Lila 3.48
    TRANSLATION
    Amongst the various vegetables were newly grown leaves of nimba trees fried
    with eggplant. The fruit known as patola was fried with phulabadi, a kind of
    dhal preparation first mashed and then dried in the sun. There was also a
    preparation known as kusmanda-manacaki.
    PURPORT
    We request our editors of cook books to add all these nice preparations
    described by the experienced author Srila Kaviraja Gosvami.
    Madhya 3.48

    Sep 11, 2012

  • Paramananda das

    VRNTAKAM JALISAKAM KUSUMBHA SMANTAKAM TATHAPALANDU LASUNAM SUKLAM NIRYASAN  CAIVA VARJAYETGRJANAM KINSUKAN CAIVA KUKUNDANCA TATHAIVA CAUDUMBARAM ALAVUN CA  JAGDHVA PATATI VAI DVIJAH

    (HARI BHAKTI VILASA  8/158, 159 KURMA PURANA)
    "One  should  not eat eggplant, banana leaves, sunflower leaves and  asmantaka leaves, onions, garlic.  One should not  eat sour gruel  (a thin  watery poriage) or the juice of the tree.  One should also give up turnips and  beetroots, carrots,  kinsuka, forest figs, and white pumpkin.  If the twice born  persons eat these things, they all become fallen."

    Sep 11, 2012

  • Paramananda das

    The fact is that skins of eggplants is not good for celibacy and sastra obviously has mentioned to avoid eggplants, so the question is if it falls in raja or even tama guna catagory, otherwise why would sastra have mentioned eggplants.
    Why did Sanatana Goswami quote Puranas that states   not to take eggplants during kartika  ?
    Bhagavad Gita 17.8 and 9 describes food that are in the various modes of nature....so at least it is restricted for certain times such as Kartika as mentioned in Hari Bhakti Vilasa...it is controversial but should be discussed as such subjects strengthen the mind in the words of Krsna das Kaviraja(being controversial)
    for the pleasure of the vaisnavas here is something else I have written about Prasadam and Nama seva:

    Sep 11, 2012

  • Paramananda das

    Dear Devotees,

    Thanks for the enlivening posts on this subject. I receive mail all the time
    asking why we eat things that are apparently 'not recommended' for Vaisnavas
    in various scriptures and traditions.

    My bottom line is ALWAYS this: what our dear Srila Prabhupada cooked and ate
    is my guide. He is the walking, living scripture.

    Here in Australia Srila Prabhupada personally cooked eggplant with his own
    hands, and recommended we cook it as well.

    I also have a famous eggplant story involving Srila Prabhupada. Here it is:


    http://www.kurma.net/essays/e11.html

    Humbly,


    Kurma dasa

    Sep 11, 2012

  • Paramananda das

    dear Gaura Kesava Prabhu
    PAMHO AGTSP
    Yes that is very straigh foward:
    nava-nimbapatra-saha bhrishta-vartaki
    phula-badi patola-bhaja, kushmanda-mana-caki
    SYNONYMS
    nava -- newly grown; nimba-patra -- nimba leaves; saha -- along with; bhrishta-vartaki -- fried eggplant; phula-badi -- light badi; patola-bhaja -- fried patola vegetable; kushmanda -- of pumpkin; mana -- of squash; caki -- rounds.
    TRANSLATION
    Other preparations included eggplant mixed with newly grown nimba leaves fried together, light badi, fried patola and fried rounds of squash and pumpkin.
    You have written something else I found interesting http://walkingthefenceline.wordpress.com/2008/02/05/onions-garlic-a...
    hahahaha little out of topic
    Well there is some statement by Vivekananda that it is better to grow eggplants than Tulsi ...and better to play football than read Bhagavad Gita
          Jagannatha das Babaji is said to have engaged some aspiring disciples in growing eggplants:
    Narayana Maharaja has explained   in a lecture he gave about Lord Balarama how Jagannatha das Babaji told disciples to grow eggplants:
    "Respect         all the Vaisnavas and develop your tendency to serve. Try to serve each         and every Vaisnava. Cultivate this taste of serving. Jagannatha dasa Babaji         Maharaja had engaged some of his disciples in cultivating the seeds of         eggplants. Why? Because they were not fit to continue chanting throughout         the entire day. They had wanted to learn so much from him, but upon accepting         them as disciples, he asked them to cultivate a field of eggplants. When         Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura went there, they complained, "Jagannatha         dasa Babaji Maharaja is so close to you. Please ask him something for         us. We have left our homes to learn something about Krsna consciousness         and chanting and hari-katha. Instead of giving us hari-katha he is asking         us to do this field cultivation." Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura felt         their pulse and replied, "He has done correctly. This is your bhakti;         this is your Krsna consciousness cultivation. Because all of us are not         fit to continue chanting all day, we require to work, and we should serve         according to the instructions given by Vaisnavas and Gurudeva.""
    The question arise that if the Puranas state not to take eggplants then why would Lord Caitanya ,Who is the real compiler of all Vedas and Puranas take eggplants?  Is there one kind of eggplant that can be taken and not another?
    Well maybe we will not know the answer to this.But here is examples of Srila Prabhupada and Jagannatha das Babaji and Lord Caitanya taking eggplant prasadam or having it grown.??
    Indeed interesting
    vaisnava das anu das
    Paramananda das

    Sep 11, 2012