Can the devotees take Onion & Garlic if doctor prescribes them?
A male devotee asked like this:
“Hk Prabhuji. I am sorry to say, I have taken garlic coz my doctor recommended it. I had repeated cold and cough atleast once a week. I met two doctors. Both recommended me garlic capsules. I took it for two months. Now, my repeated cold, cough disappeared. My question is, because it is not non veg, can we take it as medicine if doctor prescribes it? Please relieve me from worries.”
REPLY:
We can’t say anything if the doctor prescribes it with no other alternative for curing your problem. Of course repeated cold and cough is a very disturbing issue. We can’t involve in any other duties. However, there are many other remedies for cold and cough that the devotees can use.
(My family members do not support me avoiding onion and garlic. How to manage? READ HERE!)
If a doctor advises to take onion and garlic, that means the doctors are dealing with body, not the athma. They treat the body to some extent, but, they don’t treat athma. So, they would advice what is good ONLY for body, not for athma.
But, Devotion is related to Athma targetting the Paramathma Krishna.
Actually, taking onion and garlic itself is not a crime and just by taking, you will not go to the hells because they are also vegetarian foods only, but they are not Satva guna foods. Stage by stage, they will increase your rajo and thamo guna and hence you will commit offences and crimes even without your self-control and hence you cannot come up in devotional practices. So, they are discouraged.
For a normal, satvic life, Onion and Garlic is not necessary. If a person is raised without giving onion and garlic right from his/ her childhood, definitely, he/ she will become a satvic person who fear for offences. A NORMAL PERSON CAN HAPPILY LIVE EVEN WITHOUT ONION AND GARLIC.
Only in a certain unavoidable medical conditions alone (as mentioned below by me), one can take garlic capsules.
Ask that doctor what is the other alternative for onion and garlic and use it. In case, he says that “only the garlic” can be the best medicine for a particular problem, take those capsules.
(WHAT IF QUITTING ONION AND GARLIC AFFECTS MY HEALTH? HOW TO FOLLOW DEVOTION IN OUTSTATION? READ HERE!)
GARLIC IS NOT SUITABLE FOR ADDING WITH THE FOOD FOR DEVOTEES. SO, NEVER ADD IT IN THE FOOD BECAUSE WE OFFER FOOD TO KRISHNA. BUT, IF THE DOCTORS PRESCRIBE IT COMPULSORILY WITHOUT ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES, WE CAN ACCEPT IT AS A MEDICINE FOR A CERTAIN PROBLEMS .
(1) In case, your body is very weak and seriously lacks in protective mechanism (immunity), and if THE doctors prescribe for improvement in protection against diseases, you can take Garlic as GARLIC CAPSULES.
(Is Taking Onion and Garlic while Chanting with Tulasi beads permitted? READ HERE!)
(2) Onion or garlic is recommended by many doctors for those who go to them for impotency, lack of immunity, ie, protective mechanism of our body, for more appetite, repeated cold and cough, etc… Some people will always have the presence of cold and cough. They get affected by the cold repeatedly throughout the year. Such persons can’t do any other works effectively because of the cold all the time. Such persons will be recommended Garlic capsules by many doctors. These issues can also be corrected thru some other medicines and foods. So, ask the doctors for alternatives. If he says that there are no other alternatives, instead of adding with the food, you can purchase GARLIC capsules and take it for a certain period.
(3) But, they should be very careful because the same garlic will increase sense disturbances and aggressive nature because it will increase the domination of rajo and thamo guna. So, if you take garlic as capsule for medical reasons, you must be careful in dealing with the domination of Rajo and Thamo gunas. You should chant extra rounds and develop more sense control. Otherwise, there may be some chances of some small to big violations.
(4) Garlic will also be recommended more for HIV infected patients, TB patients, etc because they severely lack in immunity. Onion and garlic enhance immunity, ie, resistance against diseases.
(5) Those with breathing issues, gastric issues & Constipation may be recommended garlic by doctors. But these health issues can be corrected thru some other products and medicines also. So, they may also take garlic tablets.
(PREVENTING CONSTIPATION WITHOUT GARLIC! READ IN OUR ANOTHER SITE!)
(6) Doctors definitely recommend garlic and onion to the patients of MIOCARDIAL INFARCTION. Garlic prevents the accumulation of cholesterol in the blood vessels that supply blood to heart. Because of this Miocardial Infarction, the patient develops Heart attack. So, the doctors recommend Garlic and onion more. These garlic and onion stop accumulation of fatty molecules. So, if a person develops heart attack once, he is recommended Garlic to avoid further heart attacks.
(Alternative foods for Onion and Garlic to maintain the health of heart! READ HERE!)
So, only if the reasons are genuine and no other way and ONLY if the doctor says, you should use Garlic as tablet. Do not add garlic in food. However, when your doctors say to take garlic, ask him what the alternative for garlic having similar effects is. Use it as advised by the doctor. If he does not suggest any other alternative, use garlic as just one or two capsules a day.
In India, Garlic capsules are available through many Pharma Companies that can be purchased from our AMAZON STORE whose link is given HERE.
This is only for those who have NO OTHER OPTIONS and recommended by doctors. Normal body devotees, please avoid onion and garlic.
This is not the post recommending garlic. This exemption only for medical purposes with no other alternatives. Instead of taking other chemical based tablets, garlic is alright if your doctors recommend.
(KRISHNA’S ADVICE IN BHAGAVAD GITA TO AVOID ONION &GARLIC AND STORIES BEHIND THEM! READ HERE!)