Is offering meat & alcohol to Gods is right If meat is sinful for us?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“I have one question in my mind related to this topic. For people who offer goat or rooster to Goddess Durga, what is the reaction according to scripture?
In the same idea, They offer Alcohol too, what is the reaction for this? Can you please explain this to us?.”
REPLY:
Krishna has dedicated an entire chapter for explaining these things.
See, such practices of offering meat & alcohol to gods exist only among the devotees of some village gods and some female forms of gods.
The devotees of Krishna/ Vishnu never follow the practice of offering meat & alcohol to Krishna/ Vishnu.
(How Only the Gunas act, not the persons as per Bhagavad Gita (14.19)? READ HERE!)
See, one follows a pattern of devotional practices according to the domination of different gunas, ie, modes of nature.
Not only the devotional practices, one’s whole lifestyle is determined by the domination of three modes of nature only.
Simply speaking, Krishna nicely says: “You are not acting; Only your gunas are acting”.
This speaks the whole thing.
Krishna has dedicated the Chapter 17 of Bhagavad Gita to explain how the people follow different faiths according to the domination of a particular Guna, ie, mode.
Let me give some important verses spoken by Krishna that clearly answers your question why some people offer meat and alcohol to some demigods.
Devotional practices are classified according to the modes in which one is dominated.
In the 17th Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says like this:
TEXT 4:
Men in the mode of goodness worship the demigods; those in the mode of passion worship the demons; and those in the mode of ignorance worship ghosts and spirits.
(Why satva guna is favorable to follow devotion to Krishna? READ HERE!)
TEXTS 5-6:
Those who undergo severe austerities and penances not recommended in the scriptures, performing them out of pride and egoism, who are impelled by lust and attachment, who are foolish and who torture the material elements of the body as well as the Supersoul dwelling within, are to be known as demons.
(Here, Krishna calls those who offer meat & alcohol to those gods as demons. Sharp. Isn’t it?)
TEXT 11:
Of sacrifices (We can take it as “Offerings” also), the sacrifice performed according to the directions of scripture, as a matter of duty, by those who desire no reward, is of the nature of goodness.
TEXT 12:
But the sacrifice performed for some material benefit, or for the sake of pride, O chief of the Bhāratas, you should know to be in the mode of passion.
TEXT 13:
Any sacrifice performed without regard for the directions of scripture, without distribution of prasādam [spiritual food], without chanting of Vedic hymns and remunerations to the priests, and without faith is considered to be in the mode of ignorance.
Sacrifices can also be understood as OFFERINGS we give to the deity in which we have faith.
Krishna says that offerings should be offered according to the directions of the scriptures. Remember, no scripture recommends offering meat & alcohol to gods. They classify such offerings as demonic.
So, those who offer meat & alcohol to gods are demonic in nature. In other words, they are dominated with Thamo & Rajo gunas.
(What are the dangers of the three Gunas? How Satva Guna too has risks? READ HERE!)
So, offering meat & alcohol to Gods is classified as Thamo & Rajo guna devotion, ie, devotion in the modes of ignorance & passion.
Next, Krishna says what the true asterity is:
TEXT 14:
Austerity of the body consists in worship of the Supreme Lord, the brāhmaṇas, the spiritual master, and superiors like the father and mother, and in cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy and nonviolence.
So, Krishna says that the true austerity is worship of the above mentioned persons only. He has added NON VIOLENCE as a condition for austerity.
Next, Krishna also classifies three types of austerities or penances:
THREE TYPES OF AUSTERITIES/ PENANCES
TEXT 17:
This threefold austerity, performed with transcendental faith by men not expecting material benefits but engaged only for the sake of the Supreme, is called austerity in goodness.
TEXT 18:
Penance performed out of pride and for the sake of gaining respect, honor and worship is said to be in the mode of passion. It is neither stable nor permanent.
(Three Gunas (Modes) – Causes & Krishna’s Views in Bhagavad Gita! READ HERE!)
TEXT 19:
Penance performed out of foolishness, with self-torture or to destroy or injure others, is said to be in the mode of ignorance.
In the above text-19, Krishna condemns self torture or injury to others including animals as foolishness and such a penance is in the mode of ignorance.
Finally Krishna completes this chapter saying that any sacrifice or penance that is not targeted at the Supreme, ie Himself is useless and asat.
TEXT 28:
Anything done as sacrifice, charity or penance without faith in the Supreme, O son of Pṛthā, is impermanent. It is called asat and is useless both in this life and the next.
What else you want?
Now the One line reply for your question “Is offering meat & alcohol to Gods is right If meat eating is wrong for us?” is this:
“Such offerings are foolish, ignorant and demonic and they do not give life in either heavens or spiritual planets. Such people will go to demonic worlds and then get rebirth again.”
Clear?
(Gunas (Modes) – Origin, Development & Causes! Complete Analysis! READ HERE!)