13.115
अहिंसाफलम्
The fruit of non-violence.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा शरतल्पे पितामहम्। पुनरेव महातेजाः पप्रच्छ वदतां वरम् ॥१३-११५-१॥
Then King Yudhishthira, on the bed of arrows, again asked the grandsire of great brilliance, the best among speakers. (13-115-1)
ऋषयो ब्राह्मणा देवाः प्रशंसन्ति महामते। अहिंसालक्षणं धर्मं वेदप्रामाण्यदर्शनात् ॥१३-११५-२॥
O great-minded one, seers, Brāhmaṇas, and gods praise the dharma characterized by non-violence, based on the authority of the Vedas. (13-115-2)
कर्मणा मनुजः कुर्वन्हिंसां पार्थिवसत्तम। वाचा च मनसा चैव कथं दुःखात्प्रमुच्यते ॥१३-११५-३॥
O best of kings, by action, speech, or mind, when a man causes injury, how can he be released from suffering? (13-115-3)
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhishma said;
चतुर्विधेयं निर्दिष्टा अहिंसा ब्रह्मवादिभिः। एषैकतोऽपि विभ्रष्टा न भवत्यरिसूदन ॥१३-११५-४॥
Non-injury, which is declared to be fourfold by the Vedic teachers— if even one aspect of this is abandoned, O slayer of enemies, it does not exist at all. (13-115-4)
यथा सर्वश्चतुष्पादस्त्रिभिः पादैर्न तिष्ठति। तथैवेयं महीपाल प्रोच्यते कारणैस्त्रिभिः ॥१३-११५-५॥
Just as no four-footed animal can stand on three feet, in the same way, O king, it is said that this earth stands by three causes. (13-115-5)
यथा नागपदेऽन्यानि पदानि पदगामिनाम्। सर्वाण्येवापिधीयन्ते पदजातानि कौञ्जरे ॥ एवं लोकेष्वहिंसा तु निर्दिष्टा धर्मतः परा ॥१३-११५-६॥
Just as all the footprints of other walking creatures are encompassed within the elephant’s footprint, so in the world, non-violence is declared by righteousness to be the highest (virtue). (13-115-6)
कर्मणा लिप्यते जन्तुर्वाचा च मनसैव च। पूर्वं तु मनसा त्यक्त्वा तथा वाचाथ कर्मणा। त्रिकारणं तु निर्दिष्टं श्रूयते ब्रह्मवादिभिः ॥१३-११५-८॥
A living being is tainted by action, and also by word and indeed by mind. But first, having renounced by mind, then by speech, and afterwards by action: this threefold cause is declared, as heard from those who teach Brahman. (13-115-8)
मनोवाचि तथास्वादे दोषा ह्येषु प्रतिष्ठिताः। न भक्षयन्त्यतो मांसं तपोयुक्ता मनीषिणः ॥१३-११५-९॥
Faults are established in the mind, speech, and taste. Therefore, the wise who are endowed with austerity do not eat meat. (13-115-9)
दोषांस्तु भक्षणे राजन्मांसस्येह निबोध मे। पुत्रमांसोपमं जानन्खादते यो विचेतनः ॥१३-११५-१०॥
O king, know from me the faults that pertain to eating flesh here. He who, knowing it to be like eating his own son's flesh, nevertheless eats, is unwise. (13-115-10)
मातापितृसमायोगे पुत्रत्वं जायते यथा। रसं च प्रति जिह्वायाः प्रज्ञानं जायते तथा ॥ तथा शास्त्रेषु नियतं रागो ह्यास्वादिताद्भवेत् ॥१३-११५-११॥
Just as sonship arises from the union of mother and father, and perception of taste arises in the tongue towards a flavor, so too, fixed attachment to the scriptures arises only after they are experienced. (13-115-11)
असंस्कृताः संस्कृताश्च लवणालवणास्तथा। प्रज्ञायन्ते यथा भावास्तथा चित्तं निरुध्यते ॥१३-११५-१२॥
Just as unrefined, refined, salty, and not salty are recognized as different states, so too is the mind restrained. (13-115-12)
भेरीशङ्खमृदङ्गाद्यांस्तन्त्रीशब्दांश्च पुष्कलान्। निषेविष्यन्ति वै मन्दा मांसभक्षाः कथं नराः ॥१३-११५-१३॥
How can foolish meat-eating men truly enjoy the abundance of sounds from drums, conches, mṛdaṅgas, and stringed instruments? (13-115-13)
अचिन्तितमनुद्दिष्टमसङ्कल्पितमेव च। रसं गृद्ध्याभिभूता वै प्रशंसन्ति फलार्थिनः ॥ प्रशंसा ह्येव मांसस्य दोषकर्मफलान्विता ॥१३-११५-१४॥
What is neither considered, nor prescribed, nor even conceived, yet the taste of it, overpowered by greed, is praised by those who desire results. But the praise of meat is indeed only attended by sin, action, and its fruit. (13-115-14)
जीवितं हि परित्यज्य बहवः साधवो जनाः। स्वमांसैः परमांसानि परिपाल्य दिवं गताः ॥१३-११५-१५॥
Indeed, many virtuous people, having abandoned their own lives, protected others' bodies with their own flesh and have gone to heaven. (13-115-15)
एवमेषा महाराज चतुर्भिः कारणैर्वृता। अहिंसा तव निर्दिष्टा सर्वधर्मार्थसंहिता ॥१३-११५-१६॥
O great king, thus, this non-violence, encompassed by four causes, has been explained to you as comprising all the aims of righteousness. (13-115-16)
