There is a strange and unfortunate trend today—especially among loud, modern Vaishnava circles—where a saint’s divinity is judged by diet.
Not by compassion.
Not by wisdom.
Not by spiritual radiance.
Just whether someone ate meat.
This shallow, agenda-driven lens is the reason why some people today claim that Sai Baba cannot be divine because he cooked or ate meat.
And yet, the same people close their eyes to scripture—especially when the Valmiki Ramayana itself records that Shri Rama consumed meat during his exile.
I usually avoid controversial topics, as I prefer to stay clear of debates or online arguments. However, I felt compelled to write about this issue because when a genuine Sadhguru is criticized unfairly, those who perceive the truth have a responsibility to speak with clarity and respect.
Sanatana Dharma Is a Universe, Not a Single Room
Let this be said with clarity:
Vaishnavas have the right to follow their tradition—but they are not the custodians of the entire Hindu Dharma.
Sanatana Dharma contains dozens of paths:
- Shaiva
- Shakta
- Smarta
- Tantra
- Kaula
- Datta Sampradaya
- Nath
- Aghora
- Tribal and gramadevata traditions
- And many more
All equally ancient.
All equally sacred.
Today, however, some Vaishnavas behave as if their dietary rules define the purity of every saint in history. That is not devotion.
That is just narrowness dressed up as spirituality.
Even the Valmiki Ramayana Records That Shri Rama Ate Meat
Most people today assume that Shri Rama was strictly vegetarian because vegetarianism is popular in Vaishnava circles.
But that assumption does not align with Rishi Valmiki’s original text.
Let’s look at the verses directly.
1. Shri Rama’s Vow to Give Up Meat — Which Means He Was Eating It Before
Ayodhya Kanda 2.20.29
Rama says:
“For fourteen years, I shall live in the forest,
subsisting on roots, fruits, and honey, giving up meat (āmiṣam) like a sage (munivat).”
If you vow to “give something up,” it means you used to partake in it.
Rishi Valmiki clearly portrays Shri Rama as someone who normally ate meat, and voluntarily gave it up to live an ascetic life.
2. Shri Rama and Lakshmana Hunting and Eating Meat in the Forest
Ayodhya Kanda 2.52.102
“Famished (bubhukṣitau), they killed four great deer—a boar, a rishya, a pṛṣata, and a mahāruru—
and, taking the pure/sacred meat (medhyam), they rested under a tree.”
Rishi Valmiki uses the word medhyam, meaning ritually pure.
This is not survival scavenging—this is dharmic consumption.
3. Shri Rama Roasting Meat and Serving It to Mata Sita
Ayodhya Kanda 2.96.1–2
Verse 1:
“Rama gratified Sita with meat (māṁsena chandayan) while showing her the Mandakini.”
Verse 2:
“This meat (idaṁ medhyam) is savoury.
This meat roasted on fire (niṣṭaptam agninā) is sacred.”
This is as explicit as it gets:
- Rama cooked meat
- Rama ate meat
- Rama called it sacred
Nothing about this affected his divinity.
4. Mata Sita Herself Vowed to Offer Meat and Liquor
Ayodhya Kanda 2.52.89
Sita vows to worship Ganga with:
“a thousand pots of liquor (surā-ghaṭa sahasreṇa) and rice prepared with meat (māṁsa-bhūta odanena).”
Rama’s own wife saw nothing impure about such offerings.
When Even Shri Rama Ate Meat, Why Attack Sai Baba?
The logic collapses instantly.
If eating meat makes someone “not divine,” then:
- Shri Rama
- Sita Mata
- Bhaiya Lakshmana
…would all be stripped of divinity according to these modern standards.
Luckily, divinity does not follow social media opinions.
Sai Baba’s Reality: A Sadhguru, an Avadhut, a Datta Incarnation
The Shri Sai Satcharitra reveals Sai Baba as a realised master beyond narrow identities.
• Baba cooked meat—but never beef.
He cooked non-vegetarian food only for Muslim devotees and vegetarian food for Brahmins. This was compassion, not impurity—meeting devotees where their faith stood.
• Baba maintained an eternal Dhuni.
The sacred fire is a clear mark of Hindu ascetic traditions, especially Nath and Datta lineages.
• Baba distributed Udi.
Udi from the Dhuni healed, protected, and transformed lives—symbolising grace and inner purification.
• Baba’s body was not circumcised.
Hemadpant records this plainly, dispelling the idea that Baba was merely a Muslim fakir.
• Baba spoke profound Vedic wisdom.
Without formal learning, he expressed Upanishadic truths with ease, astonishing scholars—proof of direct realization, not borrowed knowledge.
And most importantly…
Shripad Shrivallabh Charitramrut—Baba Was Prophesied Long Before His Birth
In Chapter 45 of the Shripad Shrivallabh Charitramrut, the first Datta incarnation interacts with Hanuman and declares that in the future, he will take another birth as:
“Sai Nath” — Sai Baba of Shirdi.
This places Baba directly in the lineage of:
- Shripad Shrivallabha
- Narasimha Saraswati
- and then Sai Baba
He is not a Muslim saint with Hindu decorations.
He is a predicted Datta Avatara.
The Diet Argument Is Spiritually Ignorant
Here is the blunt truth:
Without himsa, you cannot eat at all.
- Farming destroys forests that are a habitats for thousands of living beings.
- Cultivation kills countless insects
- Harvesting crushes animals and birds
- Cooking kills microbes
- Even breathing kills micro-organisms
If someone wants “zero violence,” the only option is to stop living.
Vegetarianism is beautiful—but it is not a guarantee of purity, nor is non-vegetarian food a sign of impurity.
In Sanatana Dharma, intention matters more than ingredients.
Practice Your Tradition—but Stop Policing Others
If Vaishnavas choose strict vegetarianism, wonderful.
But it must remain their vow—not the world’s rule.
Do not impose Vaishnava dietary standards on:
- Shaivas
- Shaktas
- Naths
- Aghoris
- Datta devotees
- Tribal and gramadevata traditions
Sanatana Dharma is a vast, inclusive sky.
Not a narrow corridor.
A Saint’s Greatness Is Measured by Consciousness, Not Cuisine
Sai Baba uplifted millions.
He healed the sick, protected the helpless, granted miracles, and guided seekers across religions and castes.
And some people want to reduce him to a food debate?
That says more about them than about him.
If Shri Rama’s divinity survived roasted venison,
Sai Baba’s divinity certainly survives cooking meat for devotees.
A saint’s light cannot be dimmed by someone else’s plate-based morality.
Final Thought
Diet does not define divinity.
Consciousness does.
When shallow people question a true Sadhguru, devotees must answer—not with anger, but with truth.
That is why this post stands.
To defend what is true, sacred, and timeless.