Having well considered the origin of flesh foods and the cruelty of fettering and slaying corporeal beings let man entirely abstain from eating flesh. - Manusmriti 5.49

Non-injury, truthfulness, freedom from theft, lust, anger and greed, and an effort to do what is agreeable and beneficial to all creatures - this is the common duty of all castes...To be non-violent to human beings and to be a killer or enemy of the poor animals is Deamon's philosophy. In this age there is always enmity against poor animals and therefore the poor creatures are always anxious. The reaction of the poor animals is being forced on human society and therefore there is always the strain of cold or hot war between men, individually, collectively or nationally. - Srimad Bhagavatam 1.10.6, Oldest human sacred text

Good men extend their pity, even unto the most despicable animals. The moon does not withhold the light, even from the cottage of a Chandala (outcast)...Those who have forsaken the killing of all; those who are helpmates to all; those who are a sanctuary to all; those men are in the way of heaven...Not to kill is a supreme duty...What is religion? Compassion for all things which have life. - Hitopadesa

He who desires to augment his own flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures lives in misery in whatever species he may take his birth. - Mahabharat

Meat cannot be obtained without injury to animals, and the slaughter of animals obstructs the way to Heaven; let him therefore shun the use of meat...He who injures harmless beings from a wish to give himself pleasure, never finds happiness, neither living nor dead. He who does not seek to cause the sufferings of bonds and death to living creatures, but desires the good of all, obtains endless bliss. He who does not injure any creature, obtains without an effort what he thinks of, what he undertakes, and what he fixes his mind on. He who does not eat meat becomes dear to men, and will not be tormented by diseases. He who permits the slaughter of an animal, he who kills it, he who cuts it up, he who buys or sells meat, he who cooks it, he who serves it up, and he who eats it, are all slayers. There is no greater sinner than that man who seeks to increase the bulk of his own flesh by the flesh of other beings...Thus having well considered the disgusting origin of meat and the cruelty of fettering and slaying of corporeal beings, let him entirely abstain from eating flesh. - The Laws of Manu

One is dearest to God who has no enemies among the living beings, who is nonviolent to all creatures. - Bhagavad Gita

We worship and pray to the Supreme Lord for the welfare of all beings. May all medicinal herbs grow in potency so that all diseases may be cured. May the gods rain peace on us. May all the two-legged creatures be happy, and may all the four-legged creatures also be happy. May there be peace in the hearts of all beings...in all realms. - Purusha Sukta, hymn 10.90 of the Rigveda

Kumbipaka is destroying innocent lives for food and is punishable in hell by roasting in hot oil tank by yama kingaras. - Garuda Purana, Smriti.

Anthakoopa is torturing lives and inhumane activities and is punishable in hell by biting by wild animals; run over by animals. - Garuda Purana, Smriti.

Prayanyoga is torturing lives and killing them and is punishable in hell by spanking the life organs with arrows by Yama Kinkaras. - Garuda Purana, Smriti.

Pasusava is torturing of cows (all devatas are in cows) and is punishable in hell by slashing by canes. - Garuda Purana, Smriti.

Rakshogana is performing narametha yaga, eating non vegetarian dishes and torturing soft animals and is punishable in hell by getting tortured by the same victims. - Garuda Purana, Smriti.

Vadaroga is severely torturing living beings and is punishable in hell by burning in fire while handcuffed - Garuda Purana, Smriti.

Gambling, eating meat, wine-bibbing, adultery, hunting, thieving, debauchery - these seven things in this world lead to the hells. - Sanskrit Shloka

I know of no more beautiful prayer than that which the Hindus of old used in closing: May all that have life be delivered from suffering. - Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher, from On the Basis of Morality

We manage to swallow flesh only because we do not think of the cruel and sinful thing that we do. Cruelty is a fundamental sin, and admits of no arguments or nice distinctions. If only we do not allow our heart to grow callous, it protests against cruelty, is always clearly heard; and yet we go on perpetrating cruelties easily, merrily, all of us - in fact, anyone who does not join in is dubbed a crank. - Rabindranath Tagore, Bengali educator, Poet, composer of India's National Anthem, Nobel Prize winner 1913

Therefore a person fully absorbed in the bodily concept of life is surely killing himself by not making spiritual progress. Such a person is called pasu-ghna. Especially excluded from spiritual life are the animal hunters, who are not interested in hearing and chanting the holy name of the Lord. Such hunters are always unhappy, both in this life and in the next. It is therefore said that a hunter should neither die nor live because for such persons both living and dying are troublesome. - Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta

I want to realize brotherhood or identity not merely with the beings called human, but I want to realize identity with all life, even with such things as crawl upon earth.- Mahatma Gandhi

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated...I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by people from the cruelty of human kind - Mahatma Gandhi

To my mind the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being. I should be unwilling to take the life of a lamb for the sake of the human body. I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to the protection by man from the cruelty of man. - Mahatma Gandhi.

I abhor vivisection with my whole soul. All the scientific discoveries stained with innocent blood I count as of no consequence. - Mahatma Gandhi

I do not regard flesh food as necessary for us. I hold flesh food to be unsuited to our species. We err in copying the lower (supposedly lower) animal world if we are superior to it. The only way to live is to let live. - Mahatma Gandhi

We should be able to refuse to live if the price of living be the torture of sentient beings. - Mahatma Gandhi

Life is life - whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man's own advantage. - Sri Aurobindo

Non vegetarians should become vegetarian as soon as possible. They must understand that vegetarianism is ultimately for the benefit of the human race. - Jashu Shah

If you want to be spiritually higher you must be a vegetarian. In India It is said that what ever you eat It is reflected in your mind, so if you eat vegetarian you become purer and purer, and It is reflected in your mind. Those who want to go to spiritualism have to ultimately go to vegetarianism because if you are not a vegetarian your thoughts are disturbing and you can not achieve the higher things you want to achieve. Even in yoga, It is sometimes said that It is not necessary to change your diet but ultimately It is the change of the diet which starts the ball rolling. - Jashu Shah

At Ramana's ashram, he established the rule that first would be fed the animals, then the beggars, next the visitors, succeeded by the ashram residents. Finally when all else had eaten, Ramana took food. - Ramana Maharshi

Which religion gives the greatest joy to God? That which inspires human beings to practice Ahimsa and compassion to all creatures. - Vallabha Acharya

Let us pray that our food should not be colored with animal blood and human suffering. - Chitrabhanuji

No nation is truly free until the animal; man's younger brother is free and happy. - T. L. Vaswani, Indian philosopher

• Garuda Purana is one of the Puranas which are part of the Hindu body of texts known as smriti. It lays down the punishments for Animal Abusers.