Hinduism, Sattvic Āhāra, Ahimsa, and Meat Consumption: A Detailed Guide

In the yogic and Hindu‑philosophical tradition, foods are often classified according to the three guṇas (qualities): sattva, rajas, and tamas. (Wikipedia)
A sattvic diet (sattvic āhāra) is characterized by foods that promote clarity, purity, calmness, and spiritual growth — such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, milk, ghee, and simple natural foods. (SATYAVEDISM)
According to many yogic and spiritual traditions, meat (and other foods obtained via violence) is generally considered non-sattvic, often classified as rajasic (stimulating) or tamasic (dulling, heavy) because of the violence involved in obtaining it, and the emotional/energetic “load” of suffering, fear, or death associated with animals. (Hinduism Today)
Many modern Hindu and yoga practitioners promote a vegetarian (or lacto-vegetarian) diet as more aligned with a sattvic lifestyle. (MDPI)

Ahimsa (अहिंसा) — the principle of non-violence — is central in many Hindu traditions. It means avoiding harm to all living beings, not just humans, in thought, word, and deed. (Wikipedia)
The connection between ahimsa and vegetarianism: Many Hindus believe that eating meat involves participating in violence (killing), which contradicts ahimsa. (BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha)
Swami Vivekananda, in a discussion on ahimsa and meat-eating, said: as one’s sattva (purity) increases, the desire to eat meat goes away. (ശ്രേയസ്)
From a karmic/spiritual perspective, supporting meat consumption (even indirectly) can generate negative consequences: the act of killing, preparing, and eating meat is part of a chain of violence. (Hinduism Today)

Manu Smriti (one of the Dharmashāstras) contains verses that link non-vegetarian diet with negative moral qualities. For example, some verses critique those who kill or eat animals. (Hindu Janajagruti Samiti)
According to some interpretations, meat‑eating is spiritually problematic because the “fear, pain, and terror” experienced by animals at the time of death may be carried (energetically) by the person who eats it. (Hinduism Today)
In certain sects (like the Swaminarayan Sampradāya), vegetarianism is explicitly prescribed based on ahimsa and purity. (Swaminarayan Vadtal Gadi - SVG)

This is more complex: classical Hindu scriptures (like the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas) do not consistently lay out a specific “diet prescription for each Yuga” in the way modern popular discourse sometimes suggests. There is no unified, authoritative text that explicitly says “in Satya Yuga everyone should eat sattvic food and never meat” in the exact modern sense.
That said, many spiritual traditions idealize Satya Yuga (the first Yuga) as a time of great virtue, purity, and non-violence. Some modern interpretations or devotional teachings extrapolate from this that in Satya Yuga, people would or did live in harmony with all life, possibly implying a vegetarian (or at least non-violent) diet.
However, these are interpretive and philosophical ideas rather than strict scriptural dietary laws tied to Yugas. Scholarly sources note that Hindu dietary ethics have evolved over time, and historical practices varied significantly. (Wikipedia)
Also, as Devdutt Pattanaik (a well-known mythologist) points out, ideas about diet and “pure food” have social and historical dimensions (including caste, identity, politics), not just purely spiritual. (Devdutt Pattanaik)

From a Hindu spiritual-ethical viewpoint:
- Choosing a sattvic diet is aligned with cultivating purity, clarity, and spiritual growth.
- Following ahimsa supports vegetarianism because it minimizes harm to other beings.
- Diet is not just about health, but also consciousness, karma, and how we treat life.
From a practical/historical viewpoint:
- Hindu dietary practice is not uniform: different sects and traditions have different norms.
- Some Hindus eat meat, others do not; some emphasize ahimsa more strictly, others less so.
- Moral ideals (like ahimsa) influence many but are interpreted in diverse ways.

Sameer Naik