Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच इमे वै मानवा लोके भृशं मांसस्य गृद्धिनः विसृज्य भक्षान्विविधान्यथा रक्षोगणास्तथा
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said Alas, those cruel men, who not caring for various other sorts of food, want only flesh, are really like great Rakshasa.
नापूपान्विविधाकाराञ्शाकानि विविधानि च षाडवान्रसयोगांश्च तथेच्छन्ति यथामिषम्
M. N. Dutt: Alas, they do not relish various kinds of cakes and diverse sorts of potherbs and various species of Khanda with juicy flavour so much as they do flesh.
तत्र मे बुद्धिरत्रैव विसर्गे परिमुह्यते न मन्ये रसतः किंचिन्मांसतोऽस्तीह किंचन
M. N. Dutt: I cannot understand this at all I think they feel that there is nothing so tasteful as mcat.
तदिच्छामि गुणाञ्श्रोतुं मांसस्याभक्षणेऽपि वा भक्षणे चैव ये दोषास्तांश्चैव पुरुषर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: I wish therefore, O powerful one, to hear what the merits are of abstention from flesh and the sin about the eating of flesh, O chief of Bharata's race.
सर्वं तत्त्वेन धर्मज्ञ यथावदिह धर्मतः किं वा भक्ष्यमभक्ष्यं वा सर्वमेतद्वदस्व मे
M. N. Dutt: You know every duty. Describe to me, in full according to the ordinances on duty, this subject. Do tell me what indeed is edible and what inedible ?
Supplementary Passages:
13.117.5 After 5, N (D3 missing) ins.: *593 यथैतद्यादृशं चैतद्गुणा ये चास्य वर्जने दोषा भक्षयतो ये च तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
भीष्म उवाच एवमेतन्महाबाहो यथा वदसि भारत न मांसात्परमत्रान्यद्रसतो विद्यते भुवि
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said O mighty armed one, O Bharata, It is the same as you submit. There is nothing on Earth that is superior to meat in taste.
क्षतक्षीणाभितप्तानां ग्राम्यधर्मरताश्च ये अध्वना कर्शितानां च न मांसाद्विद्यते परम्
M. N. Dutt: There is nothing that is more beneficial than meat to persons who are lean or weak, or afflicted with disease or addicted to sexual union or exhausted with travel.
सद्यो वर्धयति प्राणान्पुष्टिमग्र्यां ददाति च न भक्षोऽभ्यधिकः कश्चिन्मांसादस्ति परंतप
M. N. Dutt: Meat quickly increases strength. It ordains great development. There is no food. O scorcher of enemies, that is superior to meat.
Supplementary Passages:
13.117.8 After 8ab, T2.3 G M ins.: *594 नाशो भक्षणदोषस्य दानमेव सतां मतम् क्षुधितानां द्विजानां च सर्वेषां चैव जीवनम् दत्त्वा भवति पूतात्मा श्रद्धया लोभवर्जितः शिक्षयन्ति न याचन्ते दर्शयन्तः स्वमूर्तिभिः अवस्थेयमदानस्य मा भूदेवं भवानिति दानाद्यैः सुशुचिर्मांसं पुनर्नैव स भक्षयेत्
विवर्जने तु बहवो गुणाः कौरवनन्दन ये भवन्ति मनुष्याणां तान्मे निगदतः शृणु
M. N. Dutt: But, O delighter of Kurus, those who abstain from it win great merits. Listen to me as I describe it to you.
स्वमांसं परमांसैर्यो विवर्धयितुमिच्छति नास्ति क्षुद्रतरस्तस्मान्न नृशंसतरो नरः
M. N. Dutt: That man who wishes to increase his own flesh by the meat of another living creature is such that there is none meaner and more cruel than he.
न हि प्राणात्प्रियतरं लोके किंचन विद्यते तस्माद्दयां नरः कुर्याद्यथात्मनि तथा परे
M. N. Dutt: In this world there is nothing that is dearer to a creature than his life. Hence, one should show mercy to the lives of others as he does to his own life.
शुक्राच्च तात संभूतिर्मांसस्येह न संशयः भक्षणे तु महान्दोषो वधेन सह कल्पते
M. N. Dutt: Forsooth, O son, flesh has its origin in the vital seed. There is great sin attaching to its eating, as, indeed, there is merit in abstaining from it.
अहिंसालक्षणो धर्म इति वेदविदो विदुः यदहिंस्रं भवेत्कर्म तत्कुर्यादात्मवान्नरः
M. N. Dutt: Persons conversant with duty say that Religion is worthy of being called Religion which is characterised by abstention from cruelty. The man of purified soul should do only such acts as have mercy for their soul.
पितृदैवतयज्ञेषु प्रोक्षितं हविरुच्यते विधिना वेददृष्टेन तद्भुक्त्वेह न दुष्यति
AI Translation: The oblation offered to the Pitrs and the deities is called "prokṣita" (sprinkled). By eating it according to the method seen in the Veda, one does not become
यज्ञार्थे पशवः सृष्टा इत्यपि श्रूयते श्रुतिः अतोऽन्यथा प्रवृत्तानां राक्षसो विधिरुच्यते
AI Translation: It is also heard in the scriptures that animals were created for the purpose of sacrifice. Therefore, the rule of demons is said to be for those who act otherwise.
क्षत्रियाणां तु यो दृष्टो विधिस्तमपि मे शृणु वीर्येणोपार्जितं मांसं यथा खादन्न दुष्यति
AI Translation: Now hear me tell you the rule for the Kshatriyas. A Kshatriya does not become sinful by eating meat which he has acquired by his own valour.
आरण्याः सर्वदैवत्याः प्रोक्षिताः सर्वशो मृगाः अगस्त्येन पुरा राजन्मृगया येन पूज्यते
AI Translation: All the wild animals, all the gods, all the deer, have been sprinkled with water. O king, in ancient times, it was by Agastya that the hunt was worshipped.
Supplementary Passages:
13.117.17 After 17, S ins.: *595 रक्षणार्थाय भूतानां हिंस्रान्हन्यान्मृगान्पुनः
नात्मानमपरित्यज्य मृगया नाम विद्यते समतामुपसंगम्य रूपं हन्यान्न वा नृप
AI Translation: Without giving up the self, there is no hunting. Having attained equality, O king, one should kill or not kill.
अतो राजर्षयः सर्वे मृगयां यान्ति भारत लिप्यन्ते न हि दोषेण न चैतत्पातकं विदुः
AI Translation: Therefore, O descendant of Bharata, all the royal sages go hunting. They are not stained by sin, and they do not know this to be a sin.
न हि तत्परमं किंचिदिह लोके परत्र च यत्सर्वेष्विह लोकेषु दया कौरवनन्दन
AI Translation: For there is nothing greater in this world or the next than compassion for all beings in this world, O delight of the Kurus.
न भयं विद्यते जातु नरस्येह दयावतः दयावतामिमे लोकाः परे चापि तपस्विनाम्
AI Translation: There is no fear for a compassionate man in this world. These worlds and the other worlds are for the compassionate and the ascetics.
अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो यो ददाति दयापरः अभयं तस्य भूतानि ददतीत्यनुशुश्रुमः
AI Translation: He who, out of compassion, gives fearlessness to all beings, We have heard that the beings give him fearlessness.
क्षतं च स्खलितं चैव पतितं क्लिष्टमाहतम् सर्वभूतानि रक्षन्ति समेषु विषमेषु च
AI Translation: The wounded, the fallen, the fallen, the afflicted, the struck, All beings protect in the even and uneven.
नैनं व्यालमृगा घ्नन्ति न पिशाचा न राक्षसाः मुच्यन्ते भयकालेषु मोक्षयन्ति च ये परान्
AI Translation: Beasts of prey do not kill him, nor do demons or ogres. Those who liberate others in times of fear are liberated.
प्राणदानात्परं दानं न भूतं न भविष्यति न ह्यात्मनः प्रियतरः कश्चिदस्तीति निश्चितम्
AI Translation: There is no gift greater than the gift of life, nor will there be. For it is certain that there is no one dearer to oneself.
अनिष्टं सर्वभूतानां मरणं नाम भारत मृत्युकाले हि भूतानां सद्यो जायति वेपथुः
AI Translation: Death is unpleasant to all beings, O descendant of Bharata. At the time of death, trembling immediately arises in beings.
जातिजन्मजरादुःखे नित्यं संसारसागरे जन्तवः परिवर्तन्ते मरणादुद्विजन्ति च
AI Translation: In the ocean of saṃsāra, which is full of the sufferings of birth, old age, and death, Beings revolve and are frightened by death.
गर्भवासेषु पच्यन्ते क्षाराम्लकटुकै रसैः मूत्रश्लेष्मपुरीषाणां स्पर्शैश्च भृशदारुणैः
AI Translation: They are cooked in the wombs with acids, pungent and bitter tastes, and with the extremely harsh touches of urine, phlegm and feces.
जाताश्चाप्यवशास्तत्र भिद्यमानाः पुनः पुनः पाट्यमानाश्च दृश्यन्ते विवशा मांसगृद्धिनः
AI Translation: And those who are born there are helpless, being cut again and again, And are seen being torn apart, helpless, greedy for flesh.
कुम्भीपाके च पच्यन्ते तां तां योनिमुपागताः आक्रम्य मार्यमाणाश्च भ्राम्यन्ते वै पुनः पुनः
AI Translation: They are cooked in the Kumbhipaka hell and take birth in various wombs. They are trampled and killed and wander again and again.
नात्मनोऽस्ति प्रियतरः पृथिव्यामनुसृत्य ह तस्मात्प्राणिषु सर्वेषु दयावानात्मवान्भवेत्
AI Translation: There is no one dearer to me on earth than he. Therefore, one should be compassionate towards all beings, as if they were one's own self.
सर्वमांसानि यो राजन्यावज्जीवं न भक्षयेत् स्वर्गे स विपुलं स्थानं प्राप्नुयान्नात्र संशयः
AI Translation: One who does not eat meat for the rest of his life, O king, will attain a vast place in heaven, there is no doubt.
ये भक्षयन्ति मांसानि भूतानां जीवितैषिणाम् भक्ष्यन्ते तेऽपि तैर्भूतैरिति मे नास्ति संशयः
AI Translation: Those who eat the flesh of beings who are seeking life are themselves eaten by those beings. I have no doubt about this.
मां स भक्षयते यस्माद्भक्षयिष्ये तमप्यहम् एतन्मांसस्य मांसत्वमतो बुध्यस्व भारत
AI Translation: Since he eats me, I shall eat him. Know, O descendant of Bharata, that this is the nature of meat.
घातको वध्यते नित्यं तथा वध्येत बन्धकः आक्रोष्टाक्रुश्यते राजन्द्वेष्टा द्वेष्यत्वमाप्नुते
AI Translation: The killer is always killed, and the captor is captured. The reviler is reviled, O king, and the hater is hated.
येन येन शरीरेण यद्यत्कर्म करोति यः तेन तेन शरीरेण तत्तत्फलमुपाश्नुते
M. N. Dutt: He who acts with hostility towards another becomes the victim of similar deeds done by that other. Whatever acts one does in whatever bodies, he has to suffer the consequences thereof in those bodies.
अहिंसा परमो धर्मस्तथाहिंसा परो दमः अहिंसा परमं दानमहिंसा परमं तपः
AI Translation: Non-violence is the highest virtue, and non-violence is the highest self-control. Non-violence is the highest giving, and non-violence is the highest austerity.
अहिंसा परमो यज्ञस्तथाहिंसा परं बलम् अहिंसा परमं मित्रमहिंसा परमं सुखम् अहिंसा परमं सत्यमहिंसा परमं श्रुतम्
AI Translation: Non-violence is the highest sacrifice, non-violence is the highest strength, Non-violence is the highest friendship, non-violence is the highest happiness, Non-violence is the highest
सर्वयज्ञेषु वा दानं सर्वतीर्थेषु चाप्लुतम् सर्वदानफलं वापि नैतत्तुल्यमहिंसया
M. N. Dutt: Gifts made in all sacrifices, ablutions performed in all sacred waters, and the merit which one acquires from making all kinds of gifts mentioned in the scriptures all these do not equal abstention from cruelty in merit.
अहिंस्रस्य तपोऽक्षय्यमहिंस्रो यजते सदा अहिंस्रः सर्वभूतानां यथा माता यथा पिता
M. N. Dutt: The penances of a man who abstains from cruelty are endless. The man who abstains from cruelty is considered as always perforining sacrifices. The man who abstains from cruelty is the father and mother of all creatures.
Supplementary Passages:
13.117.40 After 40, D5.10 ins.: *596 अगस्त्येन पुरा राजन्मांसभक्षं तु जाङ्गले
एतत्फलमहिंसाया भूयश्च कुरुपुंगव न हि शक्या गुणा वक्तुमिह वर्षशतैरपि
M. N. Dutt: Even these, chief of Kuru's race, are some of the merits of abstention from cruelty. Altogether, the merits of it are so many that they are incapable of being exhausted even if one were to speak for a century.