Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 7
Nārada’s Instructions: Śrāddha, True Dharma, Contentment, Yoga, and Devotion-Centered Renunciation
न दद्यादामिषं श्राद्धे न चाद्याद्धर्मतत्त्ववित् । मुन्यन्नै: स्यात्परा प्रीतिर्यथा न पशुहिंसया ॥ ७ ॥
na dadyād āmiṣaṁ śrāddhe na cādyād dharma-tattvavit muny-annaiḥ syāt parā prītir yathā na paśu-hiṁsayā
A person fully aware of religious principles should never offer anything like meat, eggs or fish in the śrāddha ceremony, and even if one is a kṣatriya, he himself should not eat such things. When suitable food prepared with ghee is offered to saintly persons, the function is pleasing to the forefathers and the Supreme Lord, who are never pleased when animals are killed in the name of sacrifice.
FAQs
This verse says a knower of dharma should not offer meat in śrāddha, because the forefathers are better pleased by pure foods suitable for sages, not by animal violence.
In Canto 7, Chapter 15, Nārada gives Yudhiṣṭhira practical guidance on righteous conduct for householders and rulers, emphasizing nonviolence and purity even in ancestral rites.
Choose nonviolent, sattvic offerings and meals—especially during rituals and remembrance of ancestors—prioritizing compassion and purity over customs that involve harm.