What is the reason behind Hindus not eating onion and garlic?

Why Hindus don’t eat onion and garlic?

Hello readers as you know that onion is the part of our diet it contains Sulphur and when we eat onion so it react with water inside stomach and make sulphuric (H2SO4) acid which ease to digest our food but some Indians (Mostly BRAHMANS) so today I am going to tell you what are the reasons behind it;

Cultural/Ancient Reason

Onion and garlic are known as potent substances in Ayurveda with many many active components and multitude of physiological effects! Both agents are known today as anti-cancer agents, anti-oxidants, carminative and other many effects but both items are not used as eatables especially by civilized and Dharmic or religious Indians!

Because, onion mainly and also garlic was palate diet of the asurs or mlechhas who were enemies of Bharatvarsh for many years! Onion along with meat and alcohol was chief diet of the Shakas(Scythians) and the related tribes like Parad(Parthians), Pahlav, Huns (Hephthalites), Parseek (Persians) etc who all hailed from the middle and central Asian region! These were the ferocious enemies of India for many many years and in a way they still are! Indian prohibited meat, alcohol, onion in their food items which was as detestable as excrement and that practice is still prevalent in rest of India except the regions of influence of the asurs! Onion etc. also are known to be act as aphrodisiac and that’s why the asurs used that!

According to Ayurveda, India's classic medical science, foods are grouped into three categories - sattvic, rajasic and tamasic - foods in the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. Onions and garlic, and the other alliaceous plants are classified as rajasic and tamasic, which means that they increase passion and ignorance.

Those that subscribe to pure brahmana-style cooking of India, and Vaishnavas - followers of Lord Vishnu, Rama and Krishna - like to only cook with foods from the sattvic category. These foods include fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, dairy products, grains and legumes, and so on. Specifically, Vaisnavas do not like to cook with rajasic or tamasic foods because they are unfit to offer to the Deity.

Rajasic and tamasic foods are also not used because they are detrimental to meditation and devotions. "Garlic and onions are both rajasic and tamasic, and are forbidden to yogis because they root the consciousness more firmly in the body"

Onion, meat and alcohol are foods of the demons-rakshas, daitya, asurs etc!

Onion also enrages sexual desire, increases the appetite, irritates body, warms the body and this is needed by inhabitants of frozen regions-wee the asurs came from! The tatarians! Onion also is prohibited for the scholars, intellectuals, religious people, doctors etc because it interferes with concentration and placidity it irritates body and excites the body to indulge in quarrel, fights and violence Asurs were known for this! Brahmans avoid such “tamsik” food, the kshatriyas however can use it just as shudras!!

This is why people always avoided eating onions and garlic. Though some people believe that garlic helps to cure certain health disorders; however, Brahmins found alternative ayurvedic medicines to cure the same diseases. Since human beings have been known to be evolved from monkeys, these rules and beliefs were applied to tame our ever-diverting minds. Rather, we humans do not have a control over our minds. So, by avoiding foods like onions, garlic, meat, etc. Brahmins believe that it is a step towards attaining peace and fulfilling the purpose of their life. Hence, they refrain from doing any such activities that might divert their attention away from God.

HISTORY

There are several stories about the actual appearance of onions and garlic in this world – here are a few:
“Once, in Satya Yuga the rishis were performing gomedha and asvamedha sacrifices for the welfare of the whole universe. A cow or a horse would be cut into pieces and placed in the fire. Afterwards the rishis would utter mantras and the same animal would come alive in a beautiful young body. One time the rishi who was about to perform a gomedha sacrifice, his wife was pregnant. She had a very strong desire to eat and she had heard that if, during pregnancy one has a desire to eat and does not fulfill this, then the baby that will be born will always have saliva coming from its mouth. Very strangely, she desired strongly to eat meat, thus she decided to keep one piece of meat of the cow’s body that was offered in sacrifice. She hid it and was making a plan to eat it very soon. At that time the rishi was finishing the sacrifice and uttered all the mantras for the new young cow tocome to life. However when he saw the new cow, he noticed that there was a little part missing from her left side. He went into meditation and realized that his wife had taken away a piece of meat during the sacrifice. Now his wife also understood what happened and quickly threw the meat far away in a field. Due to the effect of the mantras uttered by the rishi there was now life in this piece of meat. Then the bones in that piece of meat became garlic and the meat became onions in that field. Thus these foods are never taken by any Vaishnava devotee because it is not vegetarian. Plus it is in the mode of ignorance.”

Another historic reference:

From the Puranic Encylopedia by Vettam Mani (under CANDRA VI.), (Kamba Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda and Bhagavata, Astama Skandha. Kamba Ramayana is a Tamil text by poet Kambar):
“Solar eclipse according to the Puranas. The Devas and the asuras jointly churned Ksirabdhi wherefrom emerged Dhanvantari with the Amrtakumbha (pot of nectar). But an asura mayavi (magician) called Saimhikeya absconded to Patala with the Amrtakumbha which nobody noticed as everybody was busy with dividing other divine objects. Only after the mayavi’s disappearance was it noticed that the Amrtakumbha was missing. At once Mahavishnu assumed the figure of a beautiful woman, got back the Kumbha and gave it to the devas. The devas began drinking the amrta when, at the instance of some other devas, Saimhikeya, the mayavi, assuming the form of an old Brahmin reached svarga, got a share of the amrta and began to drink it. Surya and Candra (Sun and Moon) who were on guard at the gates divined the secret of the ‘old Brahmin’ and informed Mahavishnu about it. He cut the throat of the pseudo-Brahmin with his Sudarsana Chakra. But, half of the nectar he had drunk stayed above the throat and the other half below it. Therefore, though the head and the trunk were severed they remained alive. These two parts, in course of time, evolved as Rahu and Ketu.
When the throat was cut some blood dropped on on the ground, and became the red onion and the white onion (garlic) respectively. So both onion and garlic originated from the throat and blood of the demons or asuras, thus their consumption brings us closer to tamo guna (mode of ignorance) which characterizes the nature of the demons and thus is detrimental to Bhakti.”

Scientific Reason

1. Garlic, onion and carrot increase rajas, especially sexual desire. Not good for spiritual life. If you are trying to concentrate your mind on a mantra, it will be harder if you ingest these items. A common person may not feel the difference, because a common person’s mind is disturbed any way. But just as a single spot is visible on a clean white sheet, a little disturbance of mind can be detected by advances sadhakas. So our Rishis felt the effect of these items and forbade them. You can also feel the difference if you have a very stable mind. It is an experimentable (falsifiable in Karl Popper’s language) principle.

2. The first two items have a bad smell. If you eat them your mouth has a foul smell, and this is also felt in the sweat.

Of all sensual impressions, the devas are very sensitive to smell. That is why in puja always fragrant items are offered, e.g. incense, flowers, scents etc. So for Vaisnavas onions and garlic are forbidden because our God is a living person and has His fancy.

3. Strong flavour: when we add onion and garlic to the food it leaves a strong flavour in the food in such a way so that we couldn't find the taste and smell of any other items.

4. Warming material: It is work as an warming agent in the body. And a good choice for cold area. But it is in appropriate for the Indian whether where we feel all types of seasons.

5. Hindu-Muslim conflicts: there are main reason for avoidance is as per common belief the onion and garlic were introduced by the afgans during their attacks on India, hence people starting to avoid any types of material introduced by them.


I hope now you clearly understand why some Indians don't eat onions and garlic.