Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

...one should eat lower animals,very low,their consciouness is far less developed and will suffer less than a higher animal.Lets not think
" oh,I just ate a pig so a pig can eat me next life,thats not so bad " the animal eater is doomed for a hellish existance birth after birth.

Following this logic, can we say that a cannibal gets a human body in the next life?

The word paSUn (animal) refers more specifically to five kinds of animals as in A.V. 10.2.9 to this list according to Mahabharata mules and asses are also added (MB.6.155) or camels and dogs in other places. Most certainly this word does not mean worms or lower animals (more specifically paSUn refers to a sacrificial type animal)... I am not sure if we can follow Deenas logic, (moreover this verse does refer to pretya "after leaving this present body" (thus can also refer to a temporary hellish condition described elsewhere in Bhag.)

In this life, an envious person commits violent acts against many living entities. Therefore after his death, when he is taken to hell by Yamaraja, those living entities who were hurt by him appear as animals called rurus to inflict very severe pain upon him. Learned scholars call this hell Raurava. Not generally seen in this world, the ruru is more envious than a snake. (SB 5.26.11)

Why do you ask this question at all?

I often cite this verse when preaching against eating meat, and its a logical question that I want to be able to answer.

On one hand it makes sense that we should have to trade positions between killer and killed as a matter of justice and of attaining the kind of body one thinks of at the time of death, but on the other hand it doesnt make sense because it suggests that by killing lower animals such as clams and fish one will have to take a lower birth compared to someone who eats goats and pigs. I hoped that devotees would be able to clarify this, but so far I dont think the question has been answered.

I just say that meat eating is selfish enjoyment at the cost of other living creatures. How can a person who puts their sense gratification above rationality, logic and compassion become spiritual? How can that person call themselves compassionate? We arent in poverty or famine, we dont live on an island or in a desert, we dont need to eat the animals.

Hare Krishna
PAMHO

I think this quote below by Veda Prabhu proves that being born to be eaten by the same animals refers probably to being eaten in Hell. Another angle to support this is this.
1. Suppose I eat an animal - does this animal get a human form immediately to eat me. Sounds tough.
2. A human body is responsible for karma. Animals, demigods etc are not. So if the animal is born human to eat me - then it ends up adding karma just to fulfill my punishment.

So, it seems to point that such reverse eating happens in Hell

VEDA Jul 17th 2009
In this life, an envious person commits violent acts against many living entities. Therefore after his death, when he is taken to hell by Yamaraja, those living entities who were hurt by him appear as animals called rurus to inflict very severe pain upon him. Learned scholars call this hell Raurava. Not generally seen in this world, the ruru is more envious than a snake. (SB 5.26.11)

I was under the impression that the meat-eater later getting eaten by his former food was a kind of swapping body types. In other words, if a man eats a pig, eventually the pig will be born as a man who will eat the former man who is now embodied as a pig. However, that doesnt seem to be what devotees here are saying.

If I am a goat and get eaten by a man, why should I have to go to hell in order to eat the man who ate me? This scenario doesnt make much sense to me.

It could be that because the lower animals usually have shorter lifespans one gets to suffer less time as a reaction.

[quote][cite] VEDA:[/cite]In this life, an envious person commits violent acts against many living entities. Therefore after his death, when he is taken to hell by Yamaraja, those living entities who were hurt by him appear as animals called rurus to inflict very severe pain upon him. Learned scholars call this hell Raurava. Not generally seen in this world, the ruru is more envious than a snake. (SB 5.26.11)[/quote]

The last paragraph to SB 11.5.14 (the verse referred to in the OP) says so too:[br][br]

"O ruler of the citizens, my dear King, please see in the sky those animals which you have sacrificed, without compassion and without mercy, in the sacrificial arena. All these animals are awaiting your death so that they can avenge the injuries you have inflicted upon them. After you die, they will angrily pierce your body with iron horns." (Bhuc0u257 g. 4.25.7-8) Such punishment of animal killers may take place under the jurisdiction of Yamaru257 ja on the planet of the lord of death. In other words, one who kills an animal or who eats meat undoubtedly acquires a debt to the living entity who has contributed his body for the satisfaction of the meat-eater. The meat-eater must pay his debt by contributing his own body to be consumed in the next life. Such payment of ones debt by offering ones own body to be eaten is confirmed in the Vedic literature.[br][br]

As for the topic question, it seems to be key that the workings of karma are carried out on several planets, not just here on earth.

In the maha-bharat history there is a story of yudhistira maharaja , whom was rudely shocked when he finds out that duryodhana is in heaven,while his farther is in a hell.Narada muni further suggests that he perform the rajasuya sacrifice to deliver his ancestors from there precarious positions even though they performed immense good deeds.Within this story it is revealed that the pious go to hell for a short time first, while they eventually go to heaven for a very longtime afterwards.Yet the demoniac generally go to heaven first then go to hell for a considerable term.....such is the nature of yamarajas system.