Egg; Fertilized and Non Fertilized ?

Vahiguru Jee Kaa Khalsa
Vahiguru Jee Kee Fateh

Humble Bentee to Gurmukhs on this Forum to write there veechar on Eggs, We all know to consume any form of egg is Bujjer Kurehat, to do business in it is also a Kurehat.

What is the best veechar way to go about answering the question of unfertilized egg. Sikhs and strict Vegan followers have asked the question. See below question.

Almost all commercially sold eggs (esp overseas) are unfertilized. They are the normal by products of a hen's reproductive cycle. There is no actual loss of life (i.e. the hen) and there is no potential loss of life (i.e. there is no embryo as the egg is not fertilized). Also in free range eggs there is usually little other harm done to the hen.

So why do most Sikhs who do not eat meat, fish also don't eat eggs? Sikhs are not vegans. We eat animal products (eg. cheese, milk, honey) as long as it does not cause any loss of life. So technically how is it any different from drinking milk?


I hope Gursikhs can answer this in a detailed post, as this has been a grey area which needs a good response.

Gurpreet Singh

Could it be because it has the potenial to become a form of life should the egg have been fertilized? Since the purpose of an egg is to be fertilized to aid the progession of life.

Also you mentioned that Almost all commercially sold eggs (esp overseas) are unfertilized.. how is it possible to tell which ones aren't?

Perhaps others have other points of view.

VAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, VAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

It would be good to couple that question with the typical, "But when you eat plants, you are also killing them in many cases. What's the difference between meat and vegetables if both require life to be taken?" This would present a more comprehensive answer to the topic of meat vs. vegetarian.

ms514 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> VAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, VAHEGURU JI KI FATEH
>
> It would be good to couple that question with the
> typical, "But when you eat plants, you are also
> killing them in many cases. What's the difference
> between meat and vegetables if both require life
> to be taken?" This would present a more
> comprehensive answer to the topic of meat vs.
> vegetarian.

Plants have no nervous system hence cannot feel or experience pain.
Killing an animals puts them under stress, fear and is usually painful. To survive without consuming some form of living organism is impossible, there are bacteria in our mouth all the time that are living, however we should try and commit those actions which are the least harmful.

Whereas subject demands academic study and articles; however, a simple answer for a Sikh is if it's prohibited by Panj Piyare then its prohibitive, period. There is no room for if and buts. People who wants to eat these they will do it no matter how good articles are written. But a Sikh who abide by Guru's Hukam doesn't even pay attention towards these kinds of food.

ms514 jio,

Daas thinks there is no such issue "meat vs. vegetarian" because there are some vegetation types which are prohibited also like Opium, Bhang and others of this class.

The Hukam is:

ਬਾਬਾ ਹੋਰੁ ਖਾਣਾ ਖੁਸੀ ਖੁਆਰੁ ॥ ਜਿਤੁ ਖਾਧੈ ਤਨੁ ਪੀੜੀਐ ਮਨ ਮਹਿ ਚਲਹਿ ਵਿਕਾਰ ॥1॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

Meat, Eggs, Bhang and others are prohibited for this reason and as a Hukami Sikh we should strive to follow what Guru Jee asks us to do.

VAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, VAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

Valid point Bhai Jasjit Singh Jio. Exactly the intent of this point - to compile as much information as possible so a complete as an answer can be given to the questioner.

Vista Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Vahiguru Jee Kaa Khalsa
> Vahiguru Jee Kee Fateh
>
> Humble Bentee to Gurmukhs on this Forum to write
> there veechar on Eggs, We all know to consume any
> form of egg is Bujjer Kurehat, to do business in
> it is also a Kurehat.
>
> What is the best veechar way to go about answering
> the question of unfertilized egg. Sikhs and strict
> Vegan followers have asked the question. See below
> question.
>

WJKK WJKF

Best veechar in anything to do SIKH life is KISS -- which is KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID

Apologies not being disrespectful - SIKHe is the most natural form of dharm - We keep food intake simple , we look with eyes in a simple manner so that looking doesn't produce kaam vashana, we listen in a simple manner not take any note of nindyia.We talk in a simple sweet manner control the tongue so it doesn't speak vulgar language. Idea please look at Sikhe and rehenee bhenee of a Gursikh as whole concept as contextual and these sceintfic type questions fizzle out almost immediately.

secondly consider who is mass producing these hens in such a way - MAN - is that the right thing to do - there are parmaans in Gurbani which request us to treat everything on this earth with respect - plant animal whatever. So you have to ask yourself is makind doing that?
on Milk that's another one where the cow as we know is fed all sorts of stuff to mass produce milk -why buy the typical milk from the store - buy th one which is more expensive and more likely to be from cows which are treated natuarally or consume milk which is not dairy altogether plenty of choice out there.

my 2 cents

I remember going to my cousins house once and they asked me if I wanted a cookie. I didn't want to waste my time telling them about Bibek so I told them " no thanks it probably has egg in it". She responded " so what unfertilized egg has no embryo, so it has no life " . I said are you 100 percent sure that the egg used in this cookie was not fertilized. They couldn't respond. There is no proof that all eggs sold at stores are unfertilized . There have been cased when people brought " unfertilized eggs" but in fact they were fertilized eggs.

Another time I went to visit my cousin at his work. His dad who is supposedly Amritdhari offered us some cookies and we all refused the cookies telling him it might have egg. He responded " I don't know If it has egg. I don't look at these things. Everything has life in it even bacteria". I was stunned by this response from an Amritdhari Sikh. I think the problem we have is people regard Sikhs as vegetarians who don't eat meat because animals have life in them. Even some Sikhs think we are suppose to keep vegetarian diet because meat has life in it. This is not the reason why we keep a vegetarian diet.

Firstly , a Sikhs diet is not vegetarian a Sikhs diet is Bibek, and part of Bibek is being vegetarian. There are certain principles behind bibek. One of these principles include hygiene/ cleansiness. Unfertilized eggs have no level of sucham. For example, these hens who produce unfertilized eggs are often feed animal products or worms , and they are kept in unhygienic atmospheres. Also, much of the elements contained in the unfertilized egg is actually waste of the hen, and this its one of the reason why Hens produce unfertilized egg which is to let out some of its waste. A hen gets rid of its waste through two methods. The obvious method is crapping the second method is via unfertilized eggs. If you put this waste in your stomach its going to have an detrimental effect on your mind and concentration.

Secondly if eating eggs from female birds who can produce eggs without mating then why not eat eggs from other birds who produce unfertilized egg. Why not eat duck unfertilized egg or turtle unfertilized egg? If eating non flesh products is ok then why not eat insects as well. Where is the line? People who eat egg find any lame excuse to satisfy their tongue. Bibek is part of a Sikhs diet. For someone who keeps Bibek then egg is not even an issue its common sense.

Thinking of the egg as a period should be enough to put anyone off, why would you want to eat a period!? OLTEEE!

Many thanks for the posts so far jee. Very good points made by all Gursikhs.

Bh Kulbir Singh jee please can you respond jee


Gurpreet Singh

Another argument is based upon Satvic, Rajsic and Tamasic diets.
Sattvic foods are those that promote sattva element in mind and body. Eggs are rajasic.

From which custard is made of? The pack clearly labeled contains no eggs