Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c9.s17.1

c9.s17.1

Like wine-drinking, flesh-eating was also prevalent in those days. Under various occupations we have studied the busy life of the hunters, the fowlers, the butchers and the fishermen who used to supply various kinds of meat and fish from which many kinds of curry and soup were prepared. Meat was prepared by frying (taliya), roasting (bhajjiya) drying (parisukka) and salting (lavaṇa) in various ways.⁴⁶ Mention has been made of a royal cook who prepared varieties of meat dishes and brought them to the royal table. The Sūryapannatti mentions that by eating flesh of a cāsaya, deer, tiger, frog, animals with claws, and water animal in particular constellations, success is achieved.⁴⁷ The saṅkhaḍis or special festivals are mentioned, where a large number of animals were killed and their flesh was served to the guests. It is stated that a monk or nun should not resolve to go to a festival when they knew that they would be served up chiefly with meat or fish or roasted slices of meat or fish.⁴⁸