Anushasanika Parva — Ordinances about meat-eating

Yudhishthira said You have told it many times that abstention from injury is the highest Religion. In Shraddhas, however, that are performed in honour of the departed Manes, persons for their own behoof, should make offerings of various kinds of meat. A doubt has, therefore, sprung in our mind about the duty of abstaining from meat. What are the sins that one commits by eating meat, and what are the merits that one acquires?

You have said SO So while discoursing formerly upon the ordinances about Shraddhas. How can meat, however, be procured without killing a living creature? Your declarations, therefore, appear to me to be contradictory.

What are the demerits of him who eats meat by himself slaying a living creature? What are the merits of him who eats the meat of animals, slain by others? What the merits or demerits of hini who kills a living creature for another? Or of him who eats meat buying it of others? I wish, O sinless one, that you should describe to me this subject in full. I wish to ascertain this eternal Religion with certainty.

How does one acquire longevity? How does onc acquire strength? How does one acquire faultlessness of limbs? Indeed, how does one become gifted with excellent marks?

Bhishma said Listen to me, O scion of Kuru's race, what the merit is of abstention from meat. Listen to me as I declare to you what the excellent ordinances, in sooth, are on this subject.

Those great inen who desire beauty, faultessness of limbs, long life, understanding mental and physical strength, and memory should abstain from acts of injury.

Numberless discourses took place. between the Rishis on this subject, O scion of Kuru's race. Listen, O Yudhishthira, what their opinion was.

The merit acquired by that person, O Yudhishthira, who, with the steadiness of a vow, worship the celestials every month in Horse sacrifices, is equal to him who discards honey and meat.

The highly wise seven celestial Rishis, the Valakhillyas, and those Rishi, who drink the rays of the sun, all speak highly of abstention from ineat.

The self-create Manu has said that man who does not eat meat, or who does not kill living creatures, or who does not cause them to be killed, is a friend of all creatures.

Such a man is incapable of being oppressed by any creature. He enjoys the confidence of all living beings. He always enjoys, besides, the praise of the pious.

The virtuous Narada has said that that man who wishes to multiply his own flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures, meet with disaster.

Brihaspati has said that that man who abstains from honey and meat, gains the merit of gifts and sacrifices and penances.

In my view, these two persons are equal viz.hc who worships the celestials every month in a Horse-sacrifice for a century and he who abstains from honey and meat.

On account of abstention from meat, one is considered as one who always worships the celestials in sacrifices, or as one who always makes gifts to others, or as one who always practises the severest austerities.

That inan who having eaten meal, gives it up afterwards, wins merit by such a deed that is so great that a study of all the Vedas or a performance, O Bharata, of all the sacrifices, cannot give its like.

It is very difficult to abstain from meat after one has known itstaste. Indeed, it is extremely difficult for such a person to observe the great vow abstention from meat, a vow that assures every creature by removing all fear.

That learned person who gives to all living creatures the gift of complete assurance, is forsooth, regarded as the giver of lifc-breaths in this world.

This is the high Religion which wise men esteem very highly. The vital airs of other creatures are as dear to them as those of his own self.

Men gifted with intelligence and purified souls should always treat others as they theinselves wish to be treated. It is seen that even those men who are endued with learning and who seek to acquire the greatest good in the shape of Liberation, are not free from of the fear of death.

What necessity there be said those innocent and healthy creatures gifted with love of life, when they are sought to be killed by sinful wretches living by slaughter?

Therefore, O king, know that the discarding of meat is the highest refuge of Religion, of the celestial region, and of happiness.

Abstention from injury is the highest Religion. It is, again, the highest penance. It is also the highest truth from which all duty emanates.

Flesh cannot be had from grass or wood or stone. Unless a living creature is killed it cannot be procured. Hence is the fault in eating flesh.

The celestials, who live upon Svaha, Svadha, and nectar, are given to truth and sincerity. Those persons, however, who are for satisfying the sensation of taste, should be known as Rakshasas pervaded by the quality of Darkness.

That man who abstains from meat, is never put in fear, O king, by any creature, wherever hic may be, viz., in terrible forest or inaccessible fastnesses, by day or by night, or at the two twilight's, in the open squares of towns or in conclaves of men, from upraised weapons or in places where there is great fright from wild animals or snakes.

All creatures seek his protection. He is trusted by all. He never causes any anxiety in others, and himself has never to become anxious,

If there were nobody who ate flesh there would then be nobody to slay living creatures. The man who slays living creatures kills them for the sake of the person who eats flesh.

If flesh were not considered as food, there would then be no destruction of living creatures. It is for the sake of the eater that the destruction of living creatures is carried on in the world.

Since, O you of great splendour, the period of life is shortened of persons who kills living creatures or cause them to be killed, it is clear that the person who seeks his own, behoof, I should give up meat altogether.

Those dreadful persons who are engaged in the destruction of living creatures never find protectors when they are in need. Such persons should always be molested and punished even as beasts of prey.

Through cupidity or stupefaction of sense, for the sake of strength and energy, or through association with the sinful, men show tendency for committing sin.

That man who seeks to multiply his own flesh by (eating) the flesh of others has to live in this world in great anxiety and after death has to take birth in indifferent races and families.

High Rishis given to the observance of vows and self control have said that abstention from meat is worthy of praise, productive of fame and Heaven and a great satisfaction itself.

This I heard forinerly, O son of Kunti, from Markandeya when that Rishi discoursed on the sins of eating flesh.

He who eats the flesh of animals are who desirous of living but who have been slain by either himself or others, commits the sin of slaughter for his this act of cruelty.

He who purchases flesh, kills living crcatures through his money. He who eats flesh, kills living creatures through such act of caling. He who binds or seizes and actually kilis living creatures, is the slaughterer. These are the three sorts of slaughter, each of these three acts being so.

He who does not himself eat flesh but approves of an act of slaughter, becomes stained with the sin of slaughter.

By abstaining from meat and showing mercy to all creatures one becomes incapable of being molested by any creature, and acquires longevity perfect health and happiness.

The merit won by abstaining from meat, we have heard is superior to that of one who makes presents of gold, of kine, and of land.

If ong cats the meat that has been sanctified on account of its having been procured from animals dedicated in sacrifices and that have been killed for the purpose of feeding Brahmanas, one incurs a little fault. By behaving otherwise, one becomes stained with sin. That wretched man who kills living creatures for the sake of those who would eat them commits great sin. The eater's sin is not so great.

That wretched man who following the path of religious rites and sacrifices laid down in the Vedas, would kill a living creature from desire of eating its flesh, would certainly go to Hell. One should never eat meat of animals not dedicated in sacrifices and that are, therefore, killed uselessly, and that has not been offered to the gods and departed Manes with the help of the ordinances. There is not the least doubt that a person by eating such meat goes to Hell.

That man who having eaten flesh abstains from it afterwards acquires great merit on account of such abstention from sin.

He who arranges for obtaining flesh, he who approves of those arrangements, he who kills, he who, buys or sells, he who cooks, and he who eats, are all considered as caters of flesh.

I shall now cite another authority, depending upon the saying of the ordainer himself, that is ancient, worshipped by the Rishis, and established in the Vedas.

It has been said that religion which has acts for its marks, has been ordained for householders O chief of kings, and not for those men who are desirous of Liberation.

That man who wishes to avoid disaster should abstain from the meat of every living creature.

It is heard that in the former Aeon persons, desirous of acquiring regions of merit hereafter, celebrated sacrifices with seeds, regarding such animals as dedicated by them.

Doubtful about the propriety of eating flesh, the Rishis asked Vasu the king of the Chedis, for removing their doubt. King Vasu, knowing that flesh should not be taken, answered that it was edible, O king.

From that moment Vasu dropped down from the sky on the Earth. After this he once more repeated his opinion, with the result that he had to go down below the earth for it.

Listen to me, O king of kings, as I tell you this, O sinless one, There is absolute happiness ! in abstaining from meat, O king.

He who practises severe austerities for a century, and he who abstains from ineat, are both equally meritorious. This is my opinion.

In the light half of the month of Kartika in especial, one should abstain from honey and mcat. It has been ordained, that there is great merit in it.

He who abstains from meat for the four months of the rainy season, acquires the blessed achievements, viz., longevity, fame and power.

He who abstains for the whole month of Kartika from meat of every kind, gets over all sorts of woe and lives in complete happiness.

They who abstain from flesh by either months or fortnights, have the region of Brahma ordained for them on account of their abstention from cruelty.

Formerly many kings, O son of Pritha who had forined themselves the souls of all creatures and who has known the truths of all things viz., Soul and Not Soul, had abstained from flesh either for the whole of the month of Kartika or for the whole of the light fortnight in that month.

They were Nabhaga, Ambarisha, the great Gaya, Ayu Anaranya, and Dilipa, Raghu, Pura, Kartavirya, Aniruddha, Nahusha, Yayati, Nriga, Vishvaksena, Shasabindu, Yunanashva, Shibi the son of Ushinara, Muchukunda, Mandhatri, and Harishchandra.

Do you always speak the truth. Never speak an untruth. Truth is an cternal duty. It is by truth that Harishchandra roves through the sky like a second Moon.

These other kings also viz.,. Shyenchitra, O monarch, and Somaka, Vrika Raivata, Rantideva, Vasu, Srinjaya, Dushmanta, Karushma, Rama, Alarka, Nala, Virupashva, Nimi, intelligent Janaka, Aila, Prithu, Virasena, Ikshvaku, Shambhu, Shveta, Sagara Aja, Dhundhu, Subahu, Haryashva, Kashypa and Bharata, O monarch, did not eat flesh for the month of Kartika and therefore attained to the celestial region and gifted with prosperity, blaze forth with effulgence in the region of Brahmana, worshipped by Gandharvas and surrounded by a thousand beautiful ladies.

Those great men who practise this excellent Religion which is marked out by abstention from injury, succeed in living in the celestial region.

Those pious inen who from the time of birth abstain from honey and meat and wine are considered as ascetics.

That man who practises this religion consisting of abstention from meat or who recites it for making others hear it, will never have to go to Hell even if he be a great wicked man.

He, O king, who always reads these ordinances about abstention from meat, that are sacred and worshipped by the Rishis or hears it read becomes purged off of every sin and acquire a great happiness on account of the fruition of every desire. Forsooth, he acquires an eminent position among kinsmen.

When afflicted with calanity, he immediately gets over it. When obstructed with obstacles, he succeeds in freeing himself from them with the utmost case. When suffering from a disease, he becomes quickly cured, and afflicted with sorrow he becomes liberated from it with greatest ease.

Such a man has never to take birth in the intermediate order of animals or birds. Born in the order of men, he attains to great personal beauty. Gifted with great prosperity, O chief of Kuru's race, he acquires great fame as well.

I have thus told you, O king, all that should be said about the subject of abstention from meat, together with the ordinances about both the religion of action and inaction as framed by the Rishis.