Why should we avoid Onion and Garlic?

REPLY:

Onion and Garlic dilutes the blood (like aspirin does) and add a chemical called ‘Allicin’ in the blood. So, the blood runs faster than normal. So, the nerves become alerted / agitated and these nerves get tightened and hence they induce the person to involve in some activities to relax his nerves. Naturally, the man uses sexual acts to relax his nerves. So, he involves in uncontrolled sexual acts. Thus, more usage of garlic & onion induces man to commit offences. But, they do not strengthen the body. But, induces the nerves. Among Onion and garlic, garlic is more serious in inducing nerves.

However, this ‘Allicin’ prevents the Cholesterol from getting acumulated and becoming as a clot in blood vessels. So, it is said by doctors that Onion and garlic can prevent / delay heart attacks (Myocardial Infarction) (Sorry, many doctors do not know karma that is more powerful) ! The same effect is available in onion also in small quantities! But, if we take them for the sake of heart, we have the above said negative effects also.

SO, its NEGATIVES outweigh its POSITIVES. So, better to avoid them to concentrate fully in Krishna Consciousness.

Srila Prabhupäda said that eating onion and garlic is as bad as eating cow’s flesh. Onion originated from the cow’s ankle and garlic originated from cow’s hoof as said by Srila Prabhupada.

(1) First Let us read the origin of Onions and Garlic as said by Srila Prabhupada:

Srila Prabhupada told a story about a king, a cow and a brähmana. Let us read his words:

“This particular king , before having the cow slaughtered would call a brähmana and the brähmana would offer prayers to the effect that “In this life these people are slaughtering you, but in the next life you will get the chance to slaughter them.”

So one time a brähmana came there but he felt lusty and he wanted to eat the cow’s flesh also. However, the system was that he was not allowed to see the slaughter going on, he was supposed to offer his prayers and then leave. So he hid in a corner and witnessed the butchering. After the people had all taken their share of the dead cow and departed, the brähmana came to that spot and he found an ankle of the cow. Because he was not supposed to eat any meat, he took the cow’s ankle (joint in leg) into the forest and buried it with the plan that he would return in the night, cook it and eat it. When he came back, he dug out the cow’s ankle and found to his great surprise that it had turned into onion and garlic.

The cow’s hoof (hard part of cows feet) transformed to garlic and the ankle became onion; That is why, Garlic looks like a cow’s hoof, and just as the cow’s ankle has several layers of flesh similarly the onion has several layers and is the color of flesh. When you eat garlic it makes a bad smell come in your mouth and when you cut onion it makes tears come out of your eyes. The tears come because the cow was crying that in Kali yuga even the brähmana wants to eat onion.”

(2) Next, let us read this following story was kindly provided by HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami Maharaj:

One ayurvedic doctor had told me that this description is there in Ayurveda: When Lord Vishnu in His Mohini form was distributing nectar to demigods two demons named Rahu and Ketu sat down along with the line of Demigods. By mistake the Lord served them nectar into their mouths. Immediately the lord was informed by the Sun and Moon that those two were demons.

As soon as the Lord came to know of this He cut off the heads of both demons. By that time nectar had not passed through their throats. It was still in their mouths. When the Lord cut of their heads , the heads were separated from their bodies. Thus nectar did not pass to the stomach but fell on the ground.

(That is the reason why Rahu and Ketu’s head are still alive but their bodies were finished.)

When their heads were cut off garlic and Onions manifested from this nectar which fell on the ground from the mouth of the two demons. Thus Garlic and Onions are regarded as nectar but not used for the Lord because these are remnants of demons having touched their mouths. Even the nectar touched the mouths of these two demons still garlic and onions act like nectar in curing the diseases. But they are not meant for Vishnu or Vaishnavas.

The doctor told me that whoever will eat garlic and Onion, their body will Be very strong like demons body and at the same time their intelligence also will be contaminated like the intelligence of demons.

(3) How onion and garlic affect Krishna Consciousness?

If one likes to come up in Krishna Consciousness, he must avoid Onion and garlic. Why? Because, Krishna consciousness needs satva guna to come up. These onions and garlic develop rajo and thamo gunas and hence we will be unable to achieve sense control that is the important requisite in Krishna Consciousness.

That ground reality is that people have become addicted to Onion and garlic. Once, a national party was defeated in election because of spiralling prices of onion in India that was not available even when the people were ready to pay any price for that. People are that much addicted to it. Because, at that time, the prices of Onion was un-imaginable in India. So, people got angry and changed the government itself. S o, we can understand how much the people are attached to onion and garlic!

So, it is in our interest to decide which is better! If we like to improve in Krishna Consciousness, it is better to stop garlic/onion!

(4) What to add in food in the place of Onion and garlic to maintain the taste?

Vedic cooks replace the tastes of onion and garlic with a spice called Hing (asafetida), which adds a similar rich taste to cooked foods without overcoming the palate.

(5) Srila Prabhupad has said:

“If anyone likes to improve in Krishna Consciousness, he should avoid Garlic & Onion & the Spicy items in our food! We should never offer the food that contains such food to Krishna!”

(6) In Bhagavad Gita (17.9)

Krishna states that ‘Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease.’

Onion and garlic fall in this category. They excite the baser instincts and make it difficult for one to control the senses. The prohibition on onion, garlic etc. is implicit, by virtue of their characteristics.

It may be very difficult for you! But, to develop Satva Guna and to come up in Krishna Consciousness, it is important to avoid onion and garlic!