CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI

Topic: Eating Meat

Question: Guru Jee please tell me can Sikhs eat meat?

Answer:
ਕਬੀਰ ਜੋਰੀ ਕੀਏ ਜੁਲਮੁ ਹੈ ਕਹਤਾ ਨਾਉ ਹਲਾਲੁ ॥
ਦਫਤਿਰ ਲੇ ਖਾ ਮਾਗੀਐ ਤਬ ਹੋਇਗੋ ਕਉਨੁ ਹਵਾਲੁ ॥੧੮੭॥
"O Kabeer! Those that use force and kill and call it lawful, after going to the Court of
God, what will be their state? ||187||"
(SGGS - Ang 1374)

Question: But my friends told me that I should eat meat because it is good for me
and will make me strong. Is it that bad if I have meat now and again?
Answer:
ਕਬੀਰ ਖੂਬੁ ਖਾਨਾ ਖੀਚਰੀ ਜਾ ਮਿਹ ਅੰ ਿਮਿਤੁ ਲੋ ਨੁ ॥
ਹੇਰਾ ਰੋਟੀ ਕਾਰਨੇ ਗਲਾ ਕਟਾਵੈ ਕਉਨੁ ॥੧੮੮॥
"O Kabeer! The dinner of beans and rice is excellent, if it is (just) flavoured with salt.
I am not ready to have my own throat cut to have meat with my bread? ||188||"
(SGGS - Ang 1374)

Question: But Guru Jee, why can't Sikhs eat meat?

Answer:
ਦੂਖੁ ਨ ਦੇਈ ਿਕਸੈ ਜੀਅ ਪਿਤ ਿਸਉ ਘਿਰ ਜਾਵਉ ॥
"Do not cause any being to suffer, and you shall go to your true home with honor."
(SGGS - Ang 322)

Question: That's all good, but I have seen Nihang Singhs do Jhatka and they say
that its on going tradition to slaughter goats and eat its meat. So is it okay for the
Nihang Singhs to do Jhatka?
Answer:
ਜੀਅ ਬਧਹੁ ਸੁ ਧਰਮੁ ਕਿਰ ਥਾਪਹੁ ਅਧਰਮੁ ਕਹਹੁ ਕਤ ਭਾਈ ॥
ਆਪਸ ਕਉ ਮੁਿਨਵਰ ਕਿਰ ਥਾਪਹੁ ਕਾ ਕਉ ਕਹਹੁ ਕਸਾਈ ॥2॥
"You kill living beings, and call it a righteous action. Tell me, brother, what would
you call an unrighteous action? If you religious people are doing "religious" killing
for meat, then what is A-dharam (atheism)? If you are a religious person then whom
will we call a butcher? ||2||"
(SGGS - Ang 1103)
Question: Okay. What about eating fish? I suppose that isn't really meat?
Answer:
ਕਬੀਰ ਭਾਗ ਮਾਛੁਲੀ ਸੁਰਾ ਪਾਿਨ ਜੋ ਜੋ ਪਿਾਨੀ ਖਾਿਹ ॥
ਤੀਰਥ ਬਰਤ ਨੇਮ ਕੀਏ ਤੇ ਸਭੈ ਰਸਾਤਿਲ ਜਾਿਹ ॥੨੩੩॥
"O Kabeer! Those mortals who consume marijuana, fish and wine - no matter what
pilgrimages, fasts and rituals they follow, they will all go to hell. ||233||"
(SGGS - Ang 1377)

Question: Guru Jee, can you eat meat and still do Bhagti (devotional worship)?
Answer:
ਜਉ ਸਭ ਮਿਹ ਏਕੁ ਖੁਦਾਇ ਕਹਤ ਹਉ ਤਉ ਿਕਉ ਮੁਰਗੀ ਮਾਰੈ ॥੧॥
"If in all is the one God, then why kill a chicken?"
(SGGS - Ang 1350)

Question: Does it affect our spirituality if we eat meat?

Answer:
ਜੇ ਰਤੁ ਲਗੈ ਕਪੜੈ ਜਾਮਾ ਹੋਇ ਪਲੀਤੁ ॥
ਜੋ ਰਤੁ ਪੀਵਿਹ ਮਾਣਸਾ ਿਤਨ ਿਕਉ ਿਨਰਮਲੁ ਚੀਤੁ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਉ ਖੁਦਾਇ ਕਾ ਿਦਿਲ ਹਛੈ ਮੁਿਖ ਲੇ ਹੁ ॥
ਅਵਿਰ ਿਦਵਾਜੇ ਦੁਨੀ ਕੇ ਝੂਠੇ ਅਮਲ ਕਰੇਹੁ ॥੧॥
"If one's clothes are stained with blood, the garment becomes polluted. Those who
drink the blood of others - how can those people's consciousness be pure?"
(SGGS - Ang 140)

Question: Guru Jee does becoming a vegetarian make me religious? If I just give
eating meat, does that please you?
Answer:
ਮਾਸੁ ਮਾਸੁ ਕਿਰ ਮੂਰਖੁ ਝਗੜੇ ਿਗਆਨੁ ਿਧਆਨੁ ਨਹੀ ਜਾਣੈ ॥
ਕਉਣੁ ਮਾਸੁ ਕਉਣੁ ਸਾਗੁ ਕਹਾਵੈ ਿਕਸੁ ਮਿਹ ਪਾਪ ਸਮਾਣੇ ॥
"Only the fool quarrels over the question of eating or not eating of the meat; that
person does not have the True Wisdom. (Without True Wisdom or Meditation), the
person harps on which is flesh and which is not flesh and which food is sinful and
which is not."
(SGGS - Ang 1289-1290)
Question: So a Sikh doesn't eat meat because a Sikh should have compassion and
kindness for living life, but what thing makes a person religious if just becoming
a vegetarian doesn't make a person religious?
Answer:
ਹਿਰ ਹਿਰ ਕਰਤ ਿਮਟੇ ਸਿਭ ਭਰਮਾ ॥
ਹਿਰ ਕੋ ਨਾਮੁ ਲੈ ਊਤਮ ਧਰਮਾ ॥
"Chanting the Name of the Lord all doubts are dispelled. Naam, the Name of the Lord
is the highest religion."
(SGGS – Ang 874)

Question: Guru Jee thanks for clearing up things. But why is the Panth in doubt
over what "Kuttha" means and whether it means Halal meat or all meat?
Answer:
ਕਬੀਰ ਸਾਚਾ ਸਿਤਗੁਰੁ ਿਕਆ ਕਰੈ ਜਉ ਿਸਖਾ ਮਿਹ ਚੂਕ ॥
ਅੰ ਧੇ ਏਕ ਨ ਲਾਗਈ ਿਜਉ ਬਾਸੁ ਬਜਾਈਐ ਫੂਕ ॥੧੫੮॥
"O Kabeer! What can the True Guru do, when His Sikhs are at fault? The blind do not
take in any of His Teachings; it is as useless as blowing into bamboo. ||158||"
(SGGS – Ang 1372)