Animal sacrifice, or balidanam, has been a longstanding tradition within Hindu rituals, notably in worshiping feminine deities such as Ma Durga and Ma Kali. Initially prevalent in ancient Hindu practices, the significance of animal sacrifices gradually waned over time due to the influence of reformative/non-violence movements emerging from Jainism and Buddhism, as well as misunderstandings about the practice.
Ritual and Sacrifice
Vedic, Tantric, and local practices address bali. Among the Shaiva, Shakta, and Vaishnava sects, only the Vaishnava view does not discuss animal sacrifice as an essential ritual. Shaktism and Shaivite traditions mention animal sacrifices as prominent in worship; Kali puja and Durga puja often involve the practice. There are regional differences across the Indian subcontinent as practitioners maintain local customs and beliefs, offering bali to Ishata devatas, highlighting the pluralism in Hinduism.
Despite this initial decline, animal sacrifice found its way back into Hinduism in later periods as it amalgamated with indigenous cultures. Presently, regions like Bali, Indonesia, Nepal, and India – the Himalayas, northeastern India, parts of Orissa and Bengal, Maharashtra, and Southern India still uphold the practice of animal sacrifice. Usually, young male animals – full of life – are chosen for bali. In some outlier cases, people have chosen to sacrifice their young or even themselves as bali to the divine. However, it was common practice for warriors to sacrifice themselves to Ma Durga to ensure victory. The brave warriors did not doubt they would take a higher birth in the next cycle. Stone carvings outside ancient temples attest to this practice. The same concept is believed to be true for the pashu chosen for bali – the atman will skip cycles of rebirth, and the deity ensures a high birth for the one sacrificed.
For instance, at the Kali temple in Dakshineshwar, animal sacrifice provides the life energy required to sustain the deity. I witnessed this ritual as a child during a visit to Dakshineshwar decades ago and being trained by the non-dharmic education system, and I, too, was mortified. It took years to understand that yogis created and consecrated specific deities in a certain way that required “life” energies to sustain them. Renowned saints like Sri Ramakrishna from the region did not advocate for stopping animal sacrifices at such temples; they recognized that animals would be slaughtered regardless of food consumption. Hence, utilizing this life energy from sacrifices to sustain the temple’s spiritual energies was seen as a pragmatic approach.
The worship of Goddess Kali entails invoking specific energy forms crafted by yogis for various intentions. Kali is portrayed as both fierce and approachable, yet her intense energy demands adept handling. Animal sacrifices in Kali temples are viewed as rituals linked to particular sounds and energies aimed at extracting life energy for specific purposes. These sacrifices, such as breaking coconuts or cutting lemons, are intended to unleash fresh energy. The tradition of animal sacrifice in Kali temples is thought to be a means of pleasing Mother Kali by presenting her with the life energy of animals – though it is not Ma Kali who consumes the flesh post-sacrifice.
Balidanam vs. Butchering
It should be noted that bali does not entail sacrificing in the hundreds or thousands, as seen in non-dharmic traditions. Nowhere in the Vedas or Tantra or local traditions does anyone call for mass murder or butchering of animals. The universal value of respecting life, whether it involves harvesting a tree for commercial purposes or preparing an animal for sacrifice, is reflected in how they treat the trees or animals before their lives are taken. There is a ritual of prayer and gratitude, acknowledging the importance of their sacrifice. They are prepared, revered, and thanked before their life is sacrificed. It seems like a paradox, but sacrificing and tyaga is a way to propel spiritual growth, and sacrificing is not just limited to animals. Seekers of Truth often need to undergo the process of letting go and sacrifice in order to continue on the spiritual path.
While creating deities and temples does not inherently require animal or human sacrifice, some form of life energy transformation is essential, especially when a deity is consecrated in that manner. It is important to understand the releasing and transforming energy to maintain the vitality of these deities and sacred spaces. If the bali system is not maintained in temples, the deity becomes a “withdrawing life force,” and such energies will be lost for the upcoming generations. It must be in everyone’s best interest to maintain the practices regularly, even if one does not understand the physical and tangible benefits perceived. In some extreme cases, it may be more beneficial to eliminate these withdrawing energy forms rather than allow them to negatively impact individuals for generations just because humans fail to understand the importance and thereby succumb to misunderstood ideologies.
“Reformation”
While some Hindus view animal sacrifices as a means for the sacrificed animals to attain a human birth, others opt for offerings like fruits, fire-walking, or offering of coconuts as alternatives. The Vedas also mention yajnas or sacrifices that were more spiritual, focusing on sacrificing one’s negative tendencies rather than animals. Gurus who came out of the Hindu system – figures such as Buddha and Mahavir- stood against cruel animal sacrifices, advocating for non-violence towards all living beings as outlined in the fundamental Vedic scriptures.
However, Vedic scriptures include both sacrificing and ideas of the oneness of all life. There is nuance in understanding sacrificing or bali versus slaughter for pleasurable consumption. It is not like the deities come alive to eat the bali; humans consume the flesh after the sacrifice. Thus, Vedic philosophy speaks about universality and love towards all – insects, bacteria, soil, water, animals, birds, and humans- and the need for sacrifice.
The Bhakti Movement
Temples that house deities are created through yogic processes that necessitate transforming life force to serve larger objectives, though many have lost the rituals and, therefore, diminishing the deity’s power. After the rise of the bhakti or devotional movement, individuals sought to honor their chosen deity by constructing temples nationwide across the Indian subcontinent. This led to many temples not following Vaastu Shashtra or consecration of deities. This form of temple construction trend resulted in a decline in the ancient practice of creating temples as energy centers – i.e., only some temple deities were consecrated and, therefore, did not require certain rituals to keep up energies.
In Hinduism today, there are various alternative forms of worship that do not involve animal sacrifice or where bali has been replaced. Alternative practices include offering fruits, fire-walking rituals, and symbolic gestures like breaking coconuts or cutting lemons. For instance, the royalty in Bhaktapur, Nepal, used to prepare bali of goats, which has now been replaced with pumpkins or turnips. Additionally, devotees are choosing to focus on sacrificing likes and dislikes and various other materials vs. animal sacrifices. While animal sacrifice has historical roots in Hindu rituals, there was a shift towards more humane and non-violent forms of worship in modern times. However, there is a visible surge in attempts to understand the importance of the Vedic bali practices, and therefore, the practice is finding more mention on social media than ever. Bali, for the specific maintenance of a deity, is not considered cruel, and there is no shame in accepting established practices and rituals that are beyond our physical or mental understanding. There is no need for apologies for centuries-old ritualistic and purposeful balidanam.
References: Sadhguru discourses
Further reading: Indonesia: On Animal Sacrifices in Bali and the Mythological Origins – https://earthstoriez.com/animal-sacrifices-bali-myths
Image: daijiworld.com – a young goat worshiped and prepared for bali.