13.117
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said;
ime vai mānavā loke bhṛśaṃ māṃsasya gṛddhinaḥ। visṛjya bhakṣān vividhān yathā rakṣogaṇās tathā ॥13-117-1॥
These humans in this world are exceedingly greedy for flesh, having abandoned various kinds of other foods, just like the groups of rākṣasas (demons). (13-117-1)
nāpūpān vividhākārāñ śākāni vividhāni ca। ṣāḍavān rasayogāṃś ca tathecchanti yathāmiṣam ॥13-117-2॥
They do not desire cakes of various kinds, nor various vegetables, nor sours, nor mixed flavors, but desire all these things according as they desire meat. (13-117-2)
tatra me buddhir atraiva visarge parimuhyate। na manye rasataḥ kiñcin māṃsataḥ ’stīha kiñcana ॥13-117-3॥
There, my understanding, here itself at the moment of release, becomes completely bewildered. I do not think there is anything from taste or from flesh here at all. (13-117-3)
tadicchāmi guṇāñ śrotuṃ māṃsasyābhakṣaṇe'pi vā. bhakṣaṇe caiva ye doṣās tāṃś caiva puruṣarṣabha ॥13-117-4॥
O best of men, I desire to hear those qualities of abstaining from meat, or even (if you wish) (the qualities) and also those very faults associated with eating it. (13-117-4)
sarvaṁ tattvena dharmajña yathāvad iha dharmataḥ। kiṁ vā bhakṣyam abhakṣyaṁ vā sarvam etad vadasva me॥13-117-5॥
O knower of dharma, please tell me everything truly and properly here, according to dharma: what is edible or inedible—tell me all this. (13-117-5)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
evam etan mahā-bāho yathā vadasi bhārata। na māṁsāt param atra anyat rasataḥ vidyate bhuvi ॥13-117-6॥
It is indeed so, O mighty-armed one, just as you say, O Bharata. On earth, nothing else surpasses meat in taste. (13-117-6)
kṣatakṣīṇābhitaptānāṃ grāmyadharmaratāś ca ye | adhvanā karśitānāṃ ca na māṃsād vidyate param ||13-117-7||
For those who are wounded, exhausted, greatly afflicted, devoted to worldly duties, and for those emaciated by travel, there is nothing superior to meat. (13-117-7)
sadyo vardhayati prāṇān puṣṭim agryāṃ dadāti ca। na bhakṣo'bhadhikaḥ kaścin māṃsād asti parantapa॥13-117-8॥
It immediately increases vitality, gives excellent nourishment, and, O scorcher of foes, there is no food superior to flesh. (13-117-8)
vivarjane tu bahavo guṇāḥ kauravanandana। ye bhavanti manuṣyāṇāṃ tān me nigadataḥ śṛṇu ॥13-117-9॥
O joy of the Kauravas, hear from me the many qualities of men that arise from avoidance. (13-117-9)
svamāṁsaṁ paramāṁsair yo vivardhayitum icchati। nāsti kṣudrataraḥ tasmāt na nṛśaṁsataraḥ naraḥ ॥13-117-10॥
There is no man more wretched or more cruel than the one who desires to increase his own flesh by the flesh of others. (13-117-10)
na hi prāṇātpriyataraṃ loke kiñcana vidyate। tasmāddayāṃ naraḥ kuryādyathātmani tathā pare ॥13-117-11॥
There is nothing in the world dearer than life itself; therefore, one should show compassion to others just as to oneself. (13-117-11)
śukrāc ca tāta sambhūtir māṃsasya iha na saṃśayaḥ। bhakṣaṇe tu mahān doṣaḥ vadhen saha kalpate ॥13-117-12॥
Dear one, flesh undoubtedly originates from semen here. But in eating it, a great fault arises together with killing. (13-117-12)
ahiṁsālakṣaṇo dharma iti vedavido viduḥ। yada-hiṁsraṁ bhavet-karma tat-kuryād-ātmavān-naraḥ॥13-117-13॥
Those who know the Veda declare that non-injury is the characteristic of dharma; a self-controlled man should perform only those actions which are free from injury. (13-117-13)
pitṛdaivatayajñeṣu prokṣitaṃ havir ucyate. vidhinā vedadṛṣṭena tad bhuktveha na duṣyati ॥13-117-14॥
The oblation sprinkled with water in sacrifices to ancestors and gods is called 'havis'. When this is eaten according to the rule enjoined by the Veda, it does not cause impurity here. (13-117-14)
yajñārthe paśavaḥ sṛṣṭā ityapi śrūyate śrutiḥ। ato'nyathā pravṛttānāṃ rākṣaso vidhir ucyate ॥13-117-15॥
It is heard in the Veda that animals were created for sacrifice. Therefore, any other use (of animals) is said to be a demonic practice. (13-117-15)
kṣatriyāṇāṃ tu yo dṛṣṭo vidhistamapi me śṛṇu। vīryeṇopārjitaṃ māṃsaṃ yathā khādanna duṣyati ॥13-117-16॥
But the rule prescribed for kṣatriyas, hear that also from me. How one eating meat acquired by prowess does not become tainted. (13-117-16)
āraṇyāḥ sarvadaivatyaḥ prokṣitāḥ sarvaśo mṛgāḥ. agastyena purā rājan mṛgayā yena pūjyate ॥13-117-17॥
O King, all the animals of the forest, possessed by every deity, were once completely consecrated by Agastya; for this reason, hunting is honored. (13-117-17)
nātmānam aparityajya mṛgayā nāma vidyate। samatām upasaṅgamya rūpaṃ hanyān na vā nṛpa ॥13-117-18॥
Without abandoning oneself, there is no such thing as hunting. Whether or not one kills the prey after coming to level ground is up to the king. (13-117-18)
ato rājarṣayaḥ sarve mṛgayāṃ yānti bhārata। lipyante na hi doṣeṇa na caitatpātakaṃ viduḥ ॥13-117-19॥
Therefore, O Bhārata, all the royal sages go hunting; they are not tainted by any fault, nor do they regard this as a sin. (13-117-19)
na hi tatparamaṃ kiñcidiha loke paratra ca। yatsarveṣviha lokeṣu dayā kauravanandana ॥13-117-20॥
There is certainly nothing higher here in this world or the next, O joy of the Kauravas, than compassion in all worlds. (13-117-20)
na bhayaṃ vidyate jātu narasyeha dayāvataḥ। dayāvatām ime lokāḥ pare ca api tapasvinām॥13-117-21॥
There is never any fear here for a compassionate man; all these worlds belong to the compassionate, and the next to the ascetics as well. (13-117-21)
abhayaṃ sarvabhūtebhyo yo dadāti dayāparaḥ। abhayaṃ tasya bhūtāni dadatītyanuśuśrumaḥ ॥13-117-22॥
He who, full of compassion, grants fearlessness to all beings—fearlessness is granted to him by beings, thus we have heard. (13-117-22)
kṣataṃ ca skhalitaṃ caiva patitaṃ kliṣṭam āhatam। sarvabhūtāni rakṣanti sameṣu viṣameṣu ca॥13-117-23॥
All beings protect the wounded, the fallen, the stumbled, the afflicted, and the struck—both in times of ease and adversity. (13-117-23)
nainaṃ vyālamṛgā ghnanti na piśācā na rākṣasāḥ। mucyante bhayakāleṣu mokṣayanti ca ye parān ॥13-117-24॥
Serpents and wild beasts do not kill him, nor do piśācas, nor rākṣasas. In times of danger he is released and he also liberates others. (13-117-24)
prāṇadānāt paraṃ dānaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati। na hyātmanaḥ priyataraḥ kaścid asti iti niścitam ॥13-117-25॥
There has never been, nor will there be, a gift greater than the gift of life. Indeed, it is certain that no one is dearer to oneself than oneself. (13-117-25)
aniṣṭaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ maraṇaṃ nāma bhārata। mṛtyukāle hi bhūtānāṃ sadyo jāyati vepathuḥ ॥13-117-26॥
Death is called undesirable for all beings, O Bhārata. At the time of death, trembling immediately arises in beings. (13-117-26)
jātijarājanmaduḥkhe nityaṃ saṃsārasāgare| jantavaḥ parivartante maraṇādudvijanti ca ॥13-117-27॥
In the perpetual ocean of saṃsāra, living beings continually revolve in the suffering of birth, origin, and old age, and are distressed by death. (13-117-27)
garbhavāseṣu pacyante kṣārāmla-kaṭukaiḥ rasaiḥ। mūtra-śleṣma-purīṣāṇāṃ sparśaiś ca bhṛśa-dāruṇaiḥ॥13-117-28॥
In the womb, beings are cooked by salty, sour, and pungent juices, and by the extremely harsh contact with urine, phlegm, and feces. (13-117-28)
jātāś cāpy avaśās tatra bhidyamānāḥ punaḥ punaḥ । pāṭyamānāś ca dṛśyante vivaśā māṁsagṛddhinaḥ ॥13-117-29॥
There, beings are born helpless and are seen being shattered and torn apart again and again, powerless and greedy for flesh. (13-117-29)
kumbhīpāke ca pacyante tāṃ tāṃ yonim-upāgatāḥ। ākrāmya māryamāṇāś-ca bhrāmyante vai punaḥ punaḥ॥13-117-30॥
Those who have attained various different wombs are cooked in Kumbhīpāka (hell); having entered them, being tortured, they are made to wander again and again indeed. (13-117-30)
nātmano'sti priyataraḥ pṛthivyām anusṛtya ha. tasmāt prāṇiṣu sarveṣu dayāvān ātmavān bhavet ॥13-117-31॥
There is no one dearer than oneself to be found on earth. Therefore, one should be compassionate and self-possessed toward all living beings. (13-117-31)
sarvamāṁsāni yo rājanyāvajjīvaṁ na bhakṣayet। svarge sa vipulaṁ sthānaṁ prāpnuyānnātra saṁśayaḥ ॥13-117-32॥
O king, whoever does not eat any kind of flesh throughout his entire life would attain a great abode in heaven; there is no doubt about this. (13-117-32)
ye bhakṣayanti māṁsāni bhūtānāṁ jīvitaiṣiṇām। bhakṣyante te'pi tairbhūtairiti me nāsti saṁśayaḥ ॥13-117-33॥
Those who eat the flesh of living beings that desire life, they also will be eaten by those very beings; of this I have no doubt. (13-117-33)
māṁ sa bhakṣayate yasmādbhakṣayiṣye tamapyaham। etanmāṁsasya māṁsatvamato budhyasva bhārata ॥13-117-34॥
He eats me, therefore I will eat him also. This is the reason why it is called 'flesh'; know this, O Bhārata. (13-117-34)
ghātako vadhyate nityaṃ tathā vadhyeta bandhakaḥ। ākroṣṭākrushyate rājan dveṣṭā dveṣyatvam āpnute॥13-117-35॥
The killer is always killed, and in the same way, the captor is also slain; the reviler is reproached in return, O king, and the one who hates becomes the object of hatred. (13-117-35)
yena yena śarīreṇa yadyat karma karoti yaḥ। tena tena śarīreṇa tattat phalam upāśnute ॥13-117-36॥
Whatever action a person performs with whichever body, with that very body he experiences the respective results. (13-117-36)
ahiṁsā paramo dharmas tathāhiṁsā paro damaḥ। ahiṁsā paramaṁ dānam ahiṁsā paramaṁ tapaḥ॥13-117-37॥
Non-injury is the highest duty; likewise, non-injury is the highest restraint. Non-injury is the highest gift, and non-injury is the highest austerity. (13-117-37)
ahiṃsā paramo yajñas tathā ahiṃsā paraṃ balam। ahiṃsā paramaṃ mitram ahiṃsā paramaṃ sukham॥ ahiṃsā paramaṃ satyam ahiṃsā paramaṃ śrutam॥13-117-38॥
Non-injury is the highest sacrifice; likewise, non-injury is the highest strength. Non-injury is the greatest friend and the highest happiness. Non-injury is the highest truth and the highest knowledge. (13-117-38)
sarvayajñeṣu vā dānaṃ sarvatīrtheṣu cāplutam। sarvadānaphalaṃ vāpi naitat tulyam ahiṃsayā ॥13-117-39॥
Even a gift offered in all sacrifices, or after bathing at all sacred places, and the fruit of all gifts—even this does not equal non-violence. (13-117-39)
ahiṃsrasya tapo'kṣayyam ahiṃsro yajate sadā। ahiṃsraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ yathā mātā yathā pitā ॥13-117-40॥
For the non-violent person, austerity is inexhaustible; the non-violent one always performs sacrifice. The non-violent one is to all beings as a mother and a father. (13-117-40)
etat phalaṁ ahiṁsāyā bhūyaś ca kuru-puṅgava. na hi śakyā guṇā vaktum iha varṣaśatair api ॥13-117-41॥
O best of the Kurus, the benefits of non-violence are even greater; indeed, it is not possible to describe its qualities here even in hundreds of years. (13-117-41)
