Onion, Garlic, Mushroom
Here is another story, from Puranic Encylopedia by Vettam Mani (under CANDRA VI.):
Solar eclipse according to the Puranas. The Devas and the asuras jointly churned Kshirabdhi wherefrom emerged Dhanvantari with the Amrtakumbha (pot of nectar).
But an asura mayavi (magician) called Saimhikeya absconded to Patala with the Amrtakumbha which nobody noticed as everybody was busy with dividing other divine objects. Only after the mayavi's disappearance was it noticed that the Amrtakumbha was missing. At once Mahavisnu assumed the figure of a beautiful woman, got back the Kumbha and gave it to the devas. The devas began drinking the amrta when, at the instance of some other devas, Saimhikeya, the mayavi, assuming the form of an old Brahmin reached svarga, got a share of the amrta and began to drink it. Surya and Candra (Sun and Moon) who were on guard at the gates divined the secret of the 'old Brahmin' and informed Mahavisnu about it. He cut the throat of the pseudo-Brahmin with his Sudarsana Cakra. But, half of the nectar he had drunk stayed above the throat and the other half below it. Therefore, though the head and the trunk were severed they remained alive. These two parts, in course of time, evolved as Rahu and Ketu
.
When the throat was cut some blood dropped on the ground, and became the red onion and the white onion (garlic) respectively. So both onion and garlic originated from the throat and blood of the demons or asuras, thus their consumption brings us closer to tamo guna (mode of ignorance) which characterizes the nature of the demons and thus is detrimental to bhakti.
(Kamba Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda and Bhagavata, Astama Skandha. Kamba Ramayana is a Tamil text by poet Kambar.)
What then is to be considered Onion and Garlic Family Members?
The Onion Family (Allium cepa): Shallots (stronger than onion, milder than garlic), Chives (and Garlic Chives - Allium tuberosum - Allium schoenoprasum L. Chives are perennials belonging to the onion family*). Leaks, Ramps, Scallions, Giant Onions, Yellow Onions, Sweet Onions, Torpedo Onions, Boller Onions, White Onions, Green Bunching Onions, Red Onions, Pear Onions,
Garlic: Giant Garlic, Garlic, Odourless Garlic (only to those who have little sense of smell, or out of cheating industry that puts so little garlic into its products that it appears initially odourless, but later comes out in the breath, in the sweat, in the passing of air, and in the urine, etc…), Rocambole Garlic, Asiatic Turban Garlic, Purple Stripe Garlic, Porcelain Garlic, Creole Garlic, Artichoke Garlic, Silverskin Garlic (to name but a few)
(*James M Stephens. 1999. University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agriculture - http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/scripts/htmlgen.exe?DOCUMENT_MV048; WG033; )
Mushrooms (Mycology – more than Fungi) : Common White (cap) Mushrooms, “Button” – Sam pigginess Mushrooms, are most common for eating.
One has to be extremely careful with Mushrooms, as they can be highly dangerous, and I don’t mean the specific taking of Psilocybe (baeocystis) Psilocybe Semilanceata (Liberty Caps) and Amanita Muscaria (Fly Agaric) for their hallucinogenic properties, that is the side effect, what is actually happening is called muscimol poisoning. Similar effects can be had from a number of Mushrooms, some are even fatal immediately in small amounts/doses.
Mushrooms are a Fungus, that usually grows either on rotting. Decaying vegetation, or as is common today – grown on the stools of horses or chickens and other such animals. Thus they although being a vegetable are considered to be in the mode of darkness, which is also where they are grown or found, in the dark damp tamasic places that get little or no air or sun-light.
There are other mushrooms that are celebrated in the shastra that grow in the full sun-light such as the pigginess (button) variety.
A renounced sage in the forest does not kill animals, but rather acquires skins from animals who have suffered natural death. According to a passage from Manu-saàhitä, quoted by Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura, the word medhyaiù, or “pure,” indicates that while residing in the forest a sage may not accept honey-based liquors, animal flesh, fungus, mushrooms, horseradish or any hallucinogenic or intoxicating herbs, even those taken as so-called medicine.(Srimad Bhagavatam 11:18:2. Purport.)
“Because mushrooms grow in a filthy place, they are not usually offered to Krishna.” (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. 17th November 1971. Letter to: Himavati Delhi).
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."
Solar eclipse according to the Puranas. The Devas and the asuras jointly churned Kshirabdhi wherefrom emerged Dhanvantari with the Amrtakumbha (pot of nectar).
But an asura mayavi (magician) called Saimhikeya absconded to Patala with the Amrtakumbha which nobody noticed as everybody was busy with dividing other divine objects. Only after the mayavi's disappearance was it noticed that the Amrtakumbha was missing. At once Mahavisnu assumed the figure of a beautiful woman, got back the Kumbha and gave it to the devas. The devas began drinking the amrta when, at the instance of some other devas, Saimhikeya, the mayavi, assuming the form of an old Brahmin reached svarga, got a share of the amrta and began to drink it. Surya and Candra (Sun and Moon) who were on guard at the gates divined the secret of the 'old Brahmin' and informed Mahavisnu about it. He cut the throat of the pseudo-Brahmin with his Sudarsana Cakra. But, half of the nectar he had drunk stayed above the throat and the other half below it. Therefore, though the head and the trunk were severed they remained alive. These two parts, in course of time, evolved as Rahu and Ketu
.
When the throat was cut some blood dropped on the ground, and became the red onion and the white onion (garlic) respectively. So both onion and garlic originated from the throat and blood of the demons or asuras, thus their consumption brings us closer to tamo guna (mode of ignorance) which characterizes the nature of the demons and thus is detrimental to bhakti.
(Kamba Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda and Bhagavata, Astama Skandha. Kamba Ramayana is a Tamil text by poet Kambar.)
What then is to be considered Onion and Garlic Family Members?
The Onion Family (Allium cepa): Shallots (stronger than onion, milder than garlic), Chives (and Garlic Chives - Allium tuberosum - Allium schoenoprasum L. Chives are perennials belonging to the onion family*). Leaks, Ramps, Scallions, Giant Onions, Yellow Onions, Sweet Onions, Torpedo Onions, Boller Onions, White Onions, Green Bunching Onions, Red Onions, Pear Onions,
Garlic: Giant Garlic, Garlic, Odourless Garlic (only to those who have little sense of smell, or out of cheating industry that puts so little garlic into its products that it appears initially odourless, but later comes out in the breath, in the sweat, in the passing of air, and in the urine, etc…), Rocambole Garlic, Asiatic Turban Garlic, Purple Stripe Garlic, Porcelain Garlic, Creole Garlic, Artichoke Garlic, Silverskin Garlic (to name but a few)
(*James M Stephens. 1999. University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agriculture - http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/scripts/htmlgen.exe?DOCUMENT_MV048; WG033; )
Mushrooms (Mycology – more than Fungi) : Common White (cap) Mushrooms, “Button” – Sam pigginess Mushrooms, are most common for eating.
One has to be extremely careful with Mushrooms, as they can be highly dangerous, and I don’t mean the specific taking of Psilocybe (baeocystis) Psilocybe Semilanceata (Liberty Caps) and Amanita Muscaria (Fly Agaric) for their hallucinogenic properties, that is the side effect, what is actually happening is called muscimol poisoning. Similar effects can be had from a number of Mushrooms, some are even fatal immediately in small amounts/doses.
Mushrooms are a Fungus, that usually grows either on rotting. Decaying vegetation, or as is common today – grown on the stools of horses or chickens and other such animals. Thus they although being a vegetable are considered to be in the mode of darkness, which is also where they are grown or found, in the dark damp tamasic places that get little or no air or sun-light.
There are other mushrooms that are celebrated in the shastra that grow in the full sun-light such as the pigginess (button) variety.
A renounced sage in the forest does not kill animals, but rather acquires skins from animals who have suffered natural death. According to a passage from Manu-saàhitä, quoted by Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura, the word medhyaiù, or “pure,” indicates that while residing in the forest a sage may not accept honey-based liquors, animal flesh, fungus, mushrooms, horseradish or any hallucinogenic or intoxicating herbs, even those taken as so-called medicine.(Srimad Bhagavatam 11:18:2. Purport.)
“Because mushrooms grow in a filthy place, they are not usually offered to Krishna.” (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. 17th November 1971. Letter to: Himavati Delhi).
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."
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