Do the Scriptures permit animal sports like Bull Chasing, Cockfight, etc?
A devotee (Name hidden on request) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna , Dear Prabhuji,
I have one doubt about traditional animal sports . What does the scriptures say about traditional animal sports like Jallikattu (Bull Chasing) , cockfight etc…. Is it allowed because we consider bull as father of human society and we play sports by tamming it ?
Thank you in advance. Hare Krishna
REPLY:
There are no barriers for the animal sports like Bull Chasing, Cockfight, etc in the Scriptures.
Why?
These games are for the pleasure of the animals.
These sports are played thousands of years in Indian and other cultures.
Hundreds of years ago, in some cultures, a boy can marry a girl only if he controls a bull.
See, like the humans, the animals too need change.
(Why Krishna recommends Animal Sacrifice through Vedas? READ HERE!)
They work hard in the agriculture throughout the year.
So, once or twice a year, they are given rest and enjoyable games.
The animals are bathed and decorated during these festive days.
The bulls are allowed run in the race.
The Cocks are allowed to fight with each other.
The surrounding people would encourage these animals.
The Cows are also performed pujas, outings, every day or every few days.
The winning animals were given great feast.
The purpose of all these animal games are ONLY to make the animals happy and relaxed and to show our gratitude for their year long help for us in agriculture and milk production.
If the cows are the mothers for us, naturally, the bulls are our fathers.
Since they supply milk to us, we even worship the cows considering them like our another mother.
Similarly, the bulls are also great to worship.
In Tamilnadu, Bull Chasing (Jallikkattu) is very popular for thousands of years.
(Proofs for a man taking animal birth in his next birth! READ HERE!)
The animals too enjoy the games as they get energized.
The people bathe the bulls, even dress them, apply tilaks, offer good food to them and perform pujas for them.
Then, they are allowed to run the race and the young boys chase them and control them to show their might.
Since the bulls are stronger than the man, they can easily bear the controlling of the men. They are not hurt.
In fact, only some men are hurt getting punched by the horns.
The above are the common views to justify why these animal sports like Bull Chasing, Cockfight, etc are permitted since thousands of years.
(Has Srila Prabhupada really said that kshatriyas can kill and eat animals? READ HERE!)
However, with the advent of kaliyuga, there is misuse of every good system.
Everything is commercialized and are made commercial betting sports.
Therefore, even these animal sports like Bull Chasing, Cockfight, etc have been misued as explained below:
(i) There are betting incidents in Bull Chasing sports.
(ii) In some places, the failed bulls that were controlled by someone are ill treated.
(iii) In a few countries, the failed bulls are even killed.
(iv) In some places, the nose of the cocks are pained with poison that can kill the losing animal.
(Why killing plants for food is forgivable, but killing animals is sinful? READ HERE!)
(v) In some cases, untrained boys/ men try to control the bulls and are even killed by the bulls.
(vi) Because of the commercialized animal sports, these sports cause enemity instead of uniting the people.
These are the examples for the misuse of these traditional sports.
Only these misuses should be prohibited and monitored.
There is no need for banning these animal sports.
Because, these sports are not the prohibited games.
We should bother more about the increase in meat eating that kills thousands of innocent animals.
So, the killing of animals is the true cause of worry in the society.
These animal sports are to do good for the animals by recreating them.
Only the misuse of these sports should be stopped, not the sports itself.
(Is it sinful to kill animals for research by the scientists and the employees? READ HERE!)