वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा शरतल्पे पितामहम्। पुनरेव महातेजाः पप्रच्छ वदतां वरः॥
Vaishampayana said After this, king, Yudhishthira gifted with great energy, and the foremost of eloquent men, addressed his grandfather lying on his bed of arrows, in the following words.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच ऋषयो ब्राह्मणा देवाः प्रशंसन्ति महामते। अहिंसालक्षणं धर्म वेदप्रामाण्यदर्शनात्॥
Yudhishthira said O You of great intelligence, the Rishi and Brahmanas and the celestials led by the authority of the Vedas, all speak highly of the religion of mercy.
कर्मणा मनुजः कुर्वन् हिंसा पार्थिवसत्तम। वाचा च मनसा चैव कथं दुःखात् प्रमुच्यते॥
But, o king, what I ask you is this how does a man who has perpetrated acts of injury to others in word, thought and deed, succeed in purifying himself from misery.
भीष्म उवाच चतुर्विधेयं निर्दिष्टा ह्यहिंसा ब्रह्मवादिभिः। एकैकतोऽपि विभ्रष्टा न भवत्यरिसूदन॥
Bhishma said Brahmavadins have said that there are four kinds of mercy or abstention from injury. If even one of those four kinds be not observed. The religion of mercy, it is said, is not observed.
यथा सर्वश्चतुष्याद् वै त्रिभिः पादै तिष्ठति। तथैवेयं महीपाल कारणैः प्रोच्यते त्रिभिः॥
As all quadruped animals are incapable of standing on three legs so the religion of mercy cannot stand if any of those four divisions or parts be wanting.
यथा नागपदेऽन्यानि पदानि पदगामिनाम्। सर्वाण्येवापिधीयन्ते पदजातानि कौञ्जरे॥ एवं लोकेष्वहिंसा तु निर्दिष्टा धर्मतः पुरा। कर्मणा लिप्यते जन्तुर्वाचा च मनसापि च॥
As the footprints of all other animals are sunk in those of the elephant, so all other religions are said to be contained in that of mercy. A person becomes guilty of injury through acts, words, and thoughts.
पूर्वं तु मनसा त्यक्त्वा तथा वाचाऽथ कर्मणा। न भक्षयति सो मांसं त्रिविधं स विमुच्यते॥
Discarding it mentally in the beginning, one should next discard it in word and thought. He who according to this rule, abstains from eating meat is said to be purified in a three fold way.
विकारणं तु निर्दिष्टं श्रूयते ब्रह्मवादिभिः। मनो वाचि तथाऽऽस्वादे दोषा ह्येषु प्रतिष्ठिताः॥
It is heard that Brahmavadins point out three causes (for the sin of eating meat). That sin may attach to the mind, to words, and to deeds.
न भक्षयन्त्यतो मांसं तपोयुक्ता मनीषिणः। दोषांस्तु भक्षणे राजन् मांसस्येह निबोध मे॥
It is therefore, that wise men who are gifted with penances refrain from eating meat. Listen to me, O king, as tell you what the faults are which attach to the eating of meat.
पुत्रमांसोपमं जानन् खादते योऽविचक्षणः। मांसं मोहसमायुक्तः पुरुषः सोऽधमः स्मृतः॥
The meat of other animals is like the flesh of one's son. That foolish person, stupefied by folly, who eats meat is considered as the vilest of human beings.
पितृमातृसमायोगे पुत्रत्वं जायते यथा। हिंसां कृत्वावशः पापो भूयिष्ठं जायते तथा॥
The union of father and mother produces children, Similarly the cruelty that a helpless and sinful wretch commits, produces its progeny of repeated rebirths fraught with great misery.
रसं च प्रतिजिह्वाया ज्ञानं प्रज्ञायते यथा। तथा शास्त्रत्रेषु नियतं रागो ह्यास्वादिताद् भवेत्॥
As the tongue is the cause of sensation of taste, so, the scriptures declare, attachment proceeds from taste.
संस्कृतासंस्कृताः पक्वा लवणालवणास्तथा। प्रजायन्ते यथा भावास्तथा चित्तं निरुध्यते॥
Well-dressed, cooked with salt or without salt, meat, in whatever form one may take it, by and by attracts the mind and enslaves it.
भेरीमृदङ्गशब्दांश्च तन्त्रीशब्दांश्च पुष्कलान्। निषेविष्यन्ति वै मन्दा मांसभक्षाः कथं नराः॥
How will those foolish men who live upon meat succeed in listening to the sweet music of celestial drums and cymbals and lyres and harps?
अचिन्तितमनिर्दिष्टमसंकल्पितमेव च। रसवृद्ध्याभिभूता ये प्रशंसन्ति फलार्थिनः॥
They who eat meat highly speak of it, allowing themselves to be stupefied by its taste which they declare be something inconceivable, undesirable, and unimaginable.
प्रशंसा ह्येव मांसस्य दोषकर्मफलान्विता॥ जीवितं हि परित्यज्य बहवः साधवो जनाः। स्वमासैः परमांसानि परिपाल्य दिवं गताः॥
Such pradise even of meat is sinful. Formerly, many pious men, by giving the flesh of their own bodies, protected the flesh of other creatures and as a result of such deeds of merit, have proceeded to the celestial region.
एवमेषा महाराज चतुर्भिः कारणैर्वृता। अहिंसा तव निर्दिष्टा सर्वधर्मानुसंहिता॥
In this way, O king, the religion of mercy is surrounded by four considerations. I have thus declared to you that religion which contains all other religions within it. to