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O scorcher of foes, that is superior to flesh. But, O delighter of the Kurus, the merits are great that attach to men that abstain |
from it. Listen to me as I discourse to thee on it. That man who wished to increase his own flesh by the flesh of another living |
creature is such that there is none meaner and more cruel than he. In this world there is nothing that is dearer to a creature than |
his life. Hence (instead of taking that valuable possession), one should show compassion to the lives of others as one does to |
one's own life. Without doubt, O son, flesh has its origin in the vital seed. There is great demerit attaching to its eating, as, |
indeed, there is merit in abstaining from it. One does not, however, incur any fault by eating flesh sanctified according to the |
ordinances of the Vedas. The audition is heard that animals were created for sacrifice. They who eat flesh in any other way are |
said to follow the Rakshasa practice. Listen to me as I tell thee what the ordinance is that has been laid down for the |
Kshatriyas. They do not incur any fault by eating flesh that has been acquired by expenditure of prowess. All deer of the |
wilderness were dedicated to the deities and the Pitris in days of old, O king, by Agastya. Hence, the hunting of deer is not |
censured. There can be no hunting without risk of one's own life. There is equality of risk between the slayer and the slain. |
Either the animal is killed or it kills the hunter. Hence, O Bharata, even royal sages betake themselves to the practice of |
hunting. By such conduct they do not become stained with sin. Indeed, the practice is not regarded as sinful. There is nothing, |
O delighter of the Kurus, that is equal in point of merit, either here or hereafter, to the practice of compassion to all living |
creatures. The man of compassion has no fear. Those harmless men that are endued with compassion have both this world and |
the next. Persons conversant with duty say that that Religion is worthy of being called Religion which has abstention from |
cruelty for its indication. The man of cleansed soul should do only such acts as have compassion for their soul. That flesh |
which is dedicated in sacrifices performed in honour of the deities and the Pitris is called Havi (and, as such, is worthy of being |
eaten). That man who is devoted to compassion and who behaves with compassion towards others, has no fear to entertain |
from any creature. It is heard that all creatures abstain from causing any fear unto such a creature. Whether he is wounded or |
fallen down or prostrated or weakened or bruised, in whatever state he may be, all creatures protect him. Indeed, they do so, |
under all circumstances, whether he is on even or uneven ground. Neither snakes nor wild animals, neither Pisachas nor |
Rakshasas, ever slay him. When circumstances of fear arise, he becomes freed from fear who frees others from situations of |
fear. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a gift that is superior to the gift of life. It is certain that there is nothing |
dearer to oneself than one's life. Death, O Bharata, is a calamity or evil unto all creatures. When the time comes for Death, a |
trembling of the whole frame is seen in all creatures. Enduring birth in the uterus, decrepitude and afflictions of diverse kinds, |
in this ocean of the world, living creatures may be seen to be continually going forward and coming back. Every creature is |
afflicted by death. While dwelling in the uterus, all creatures are cooked in the fluid juices, that are alkaline and sour and bitter, |
of urine and phlegm and faeces,--juices that produce painful sensations and are difficult to bear. There in the uterus, they have |
to dwell in a state of helplessness and are even repeatedly torn and pierced. They that are covetous of meat are seen to be |
repeatedly cooked in the uterus in such a state of helplessness. Attaining to diverse kinds of birth, they are cooked in the hell |
called Kumbhipaka. They are assailed and slain, and in this way have to travel repeatedly. There is nothing so dear to one as |
one's life when one comes to this world. Hence, a person of cleansed soul should be compassionate to all living creatures. That |
man, O king, who abstains from every kind of meat from his birth, without doubt, acquires a large space in Heaven, They who |
eat the flesh of animals who are desirous of life, are themselves eaten by the animals they eat, without doubt. Even this is my |
opinion. Since he hath eaten me, I shall eat him in return,--even this, O Bharata, constitutes the character as Mansa of |
Mansa.[525] The slayer is always slain. After him the eater meets with the same fate. He who acts with hostility towards |
another (in this life) becomes the victim of similar acts done by that other. Whatever acts one does in whatever bodies, one has |
to suffer the consequences thereof in those bodies.[526] Abstention from cruelty is the highest Religion. Abstention from |
cruelty is the highest self-control. Abstention from cruelty is the highest gift. Abstention from cruelty is the highest penance. |
Abstention from cruelty is the highest sacrifice. Abstention from cruelty is the highest puissance. Abstention from cruelty is the |
highest friend. Abstention from cruelty is the highest happiness. Abstention from cruelty is the highest truth. Abstention from |
cruelty is the highest Sruti. Gifts made in all sacrifices, ablutions performed in all sacred waters, and the merit that one acquires |
from making all kinds of gifts mentioned in the scriptures,--all these do not come up to abstention from cruelty (in point of the |
merit that attaches to it). The penances of a man that abstains from cruelty are inexhaustible. The man that abstains from |
cruelty is regarded as always performing sacrifices. The man that abstains from cruelty is the father and mother of all creatures. |
Even these, O chief of Kuru's race, are some of the merits of abstention from cruelty. Altogether, the merits that attach to it are |
so many that they are incapable of being exhausted even if one were to speak for a hundred years." |
SECTION CXVII |
"Yudhishthira said, 'Desiring to die or desiring to live, many persons give up their lives in the great sacrifice (of battle). Tell |
me, O grandsire, what is the end that these attain to. To throw away life in battle is fraught with sorrow for men. O thou of |
great wisdom, thou knowest that to give up life is difficult for men whether they are in prosperity, or adversity, in felicity or |
calamity. In my opinion, thou art possessed of omniscience. Do thou tell me the reason of this.' |
"Bhishma said, 'In prosperity or adversity, in happiness or woe, living creatures, O lord of the earth, coming into this world, |
live according to a particular tenor. Listen to me as I explain the reason to thee. The question thou hast asked me is excellent, O |
Yudhishthira! In this connection, O king, I shall explain to thee the old narrative of the discourse that took place in former |
times between the Island-born Rishi and a crawling worm. In days of old, when that learned Brahmana, viz., the Island-born |
Krishna, having identified himself with Brahma, roamed over the world, he beheld, on a road over which cars used to pass, a |
worm moving speedily. The Rishi was conversant with the course of every creature and the language of every animal. |
Possessed of omniscience, he addressed the worm he saw in these words.' |
"Vyasa said, 'O worm, thou seemest to be exceedingly alarmed, and to be in great haste. Tell me, whither dost thou run, and |
whence hast thou been afraid.' |
"The worm said, 'Hearing the rattle of yonder large car I am filled with fear. O thou of great intelligence, fierce is the roar it |
makes. It is almost come! The sound is heard. Will it not kill me? It is for this that I am flying away. The sound, as it is heard |
from a near point, I catch, of the bulls I hear. They are breathing hard under the whip of the driver, as they are drawing the |
heavy burden. I hear also the diverse sounds made by the men who are driving the bulls. Such sounds are incapable of being |
heard by a creature that like us has taken his birth in the order of worms. It is for this reason that I am flying from this situation |
of great fright. Death is felt by all creatures to be fraught with pain. Life is an acquisition difficult to make. Hence, I fly away |
in fear, I do not wish to pass from a state of happiness to one of woe.' |
"Bhishma continued, 'Thus addressed, the Island-born Vyasa said, 'O worm, whence can be thy happiness? Thou belongest to |
the inter-mediate order of being. I think, death would be fraught with happiness to thee! Sound, touch, taste, scent, and diverse |
kinds of excellent enjoyments are unknown to thee, O worm! I think, death will prove a benefit to thee!' |
"The worm said, 'A living creature, in whatever situation he may be placed, becomes attached to it. In even this order of being I |
am happy, I think, O thou of great wisdom! It is for this that I wish to live. In even this condition, every object of enjoyment |
exists for me according to the needs of my body. Human beings and those creatures that spring from immobile objects have |
different enjoyments. In my former life I was a human being. O puissant one, I was a Sudra possessed of great wealth. I was |
not devoted to the Brahmanas. I was cruel, vile in conduct, and a usurer. I was harsh in speech. I regard cunning as wisdom. I |
hated all creatures. Taking advantage of pretexts in compacts made between myself and others. I was always given to taking |
away what belonged to others. Without feeding servants and guests arrived at my house, I used to fill, when hungry, my own |
stomach, under the impulse of pride, covetous of good food. Greedy I was of wealth, I never dedicated, with faith and |
reverence, any food to the deities and the Pitris although duty required me to dedicate food unto them. Those men that came to |
me, moved by fear, for seeking my protection, I sent adrift without giving them any protection. I did not extend my protection |
to those that came to me with prayers for dispelling their fear. I used to feel unreasonable envy at seeing other people's wealth, |
and corn, and spouses held dear by them, and articles of drink, and good mansions. Beholding the happiness of others, I was |
filled with envy and I always wished them poverty, Following that course of conduct which promised to crown my own wishes |
with fruition, I sought to destroy the virtue, wealth, and pleasures of other people. In that past life of mine, I committed diverse |
deeds largely fraught with cruelty and such other passions. Recollecting those acts I am filled with repentance and grief even as |
one is filled with grief at the loss of one's dear son. In consequence of these acts of mine I do not know what the fruits are of |
good deeds. I, however, worshipped my old mother and on one occasion worshipped a Brahmana. Endued with birth and |
accomplishments, that Brahmana, in course of his wanderings, came to my house once as a guest. I received him with reverent |
hospitality. In consequence of the merit attaching to that act, my memory has not forsaken me. I think that in consequence of |
that act I shall once more succeed in regaining happiness. O thou of ascetic wealth, thou knowest everything. Do thou in |
kindness tell me what is for my good." |
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