The Myth of the Holy CowHugely controversial upon its publication in India, this book has already been banned by the Hyderabad Civil Court and the author’s life has been threatened. Jha argues against the historical sanctity of the cow in India, in an illuminating response to the prevailing attitudes about beef that have been fiercely supported by the current Hindu right-wing government and the fundamentalist groups backing it. |
Contents
Preface to the Verso Edition | ix |
Abbreviations | 13 |
Note on Transliterations | 16 |
Introduction | 17 |
Animals are verily food but Yajnavalkya Favours Beef | 27 |
The Rejection of Animal Sacrifice An Assertion of the Sacredness of the Cow? | 61 |
The Later Dharmasastric Tradition and Beyond | 90 |
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Common terms and phrases
2nd edn A.B. Keith according ahimsā Ancient India animal food animal sacrifice Aryans aśvamedha Atharvaveda Avesta beef eating brāhmaņas Brāhmaņical Brockington Buddha Buddhist buffalo bull Calcutta Caraka century Chap Chowkhamba cited in Kane commentary cow killing cow protection cow slaughter Culture deer Delhi Dharmaśāstra Dharmasūtra dietary early medieval eat meat eaten Einoo evidence fish flesh eating goat Grhyasūtra guests Hanns-Peter Schmidt Hindu Hinduism honour Ibid Jain Jaina Jainism Jātaka John Brockington Kali kaliyuga killing of animals killing of cows king law books lawgivers madhuparka Mahābhārata Manu meat eating mention monks Motilal Banarsidass Munshiram Manoharlal Nikāya non-vegetarian Om Prakash Oxford University Press P.V. Kane Pāli pañcagavya passage Poona pork practice Prakash Purāṇa Purāņas R.S. Sharma Rāma Rāmāyana references Religion religious Rgveda ritual sacred Samhitā Śankha Sanskrit Soma śrāddha Sūtra Sutta Śvetāmbara tathā Upaniṣadic Varanasi Vedas Vedic texts Vinaya Pitaka Yāj Yājñavalkya