Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Hinduism and Tribal Religions pp 1–2Cite as

Alcohol (Use of)

  • 124 Accesses

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

Introduction

Alcohol is the main offering to Kaal Bhairav deity of Ujjain in the present-day India. In Hinduism, however, refraining from the intoxicants is the basic requirement for attaining Moksha. Also in the Bhagavad Gita, it is mentioned that those who have demoniac mentality are attracted and attached to wine, women, gambling, and meat-eating. Interestingly, various sects in Hinduism have different prescriptions for the use of alcohol: for the followers of Vaishnavism, it is strictly prohibited to consume liquor; for Shaivism and Shaktism, it is generally restricted to use alcohol; however, in their subsects such as Tantra, worshipers consume liquor. Nath Sampradaya, Yantra, and Smarthism generally recommend no alcohol rituals. For Asgama Hindu or Balinese Hinduism, the use of alcohol is optional. For Shrautism and Arya Samaji, alcohol is strictly prohibited. The followers of Charvaka compulsorily consume alcohol as they believe in the worldly pleasures. In Ayurveda, the use of...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

References

  1. Badrul H (1922) The drink and drug evil in India. Ganesh & Co, Madras

    Google Scholar 

  2. Mitra R (1873) Spirituous drinks in ancient India. J Asiat Soc (Bengal) 43:1–23

    Google Scholar 

  3. Ragozin ZA (1899) Vedic India as embodied principally in the rig-Veda. GP Putnam’s Sons, New York

    Google Scholar 

  4. Wilson HH (1926) Rig-Veda-Sanhita – a collection of ancient Hindu hymns of the Rig Veda, vol II. Bangalore Print & Publishing Company, Bangalore

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Humanities & Social Sciences – Languages & Literature, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi

Authors
  1. Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Anthropology, The University of North Texas Dept of Anthropology, Denton, Texas, USA

    Pankaj Jain

  2. The Graduate Theological Union , Berkeley, California, USA

    Rita Sherma

  3. Jamia Millia Islamia, Centre for the Study of Comparative Reli Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

    Madhu Khanna

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Dwivedi, A.V. (2018). Alcohol (Use of). In: Jain, P., Sherma, R., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_281-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_281-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Alcohol (Use of)
    Published:
    19 June 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_281-2

  2. Original

    Alcohol (Use of)
    Published:
    23 March 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_281-1

Search

Navigation