Chapter 116

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
ahiṃsā paramo dharma ityuktaṃ bahuśastvayā |
śrāddheṣu ca bhavānāha pitṝnāmiṣakāṅkṣiṇaḥ || 1 ||
[Analyze grammar]

māṃsairbahuvidhaiḥ proktastvayā śrāddhavidhiḥ purā |
ahatvā ca kuto māṃsamevametadvirudhyate || 2 ||
[Analyze grammar]

jāto naḥ saṃśayo dharme māṃsasya parivarjane |
doṣo bhakṣayataḥ kaḥ syātkaścābhakṣayato guṇaḥ || 3 ||
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hatvā bhakṣayato vāpi pareṇopahṛtasya vā |
hanyādvā yaḥ parasyārthe krītvā vā bhakṣayennaraḥ || 4 ||
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etadicchāmi tattvena kathyamānaṃ tvayānagha |
niścayena cikīrṣāmi dharmametaṃ sanātanam || 5 ||
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kathamāyuravāpnoti kathaṃ bhavati sattvavān |
kathamavyaṅgatāmeti lakṣaṇyo jāyate katham || 6 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
māṃsasya bhakṣaṇe rājanyo'dharmaḥ kurupuṃgava |
taṃ me śṛṇu yathātattvaṃ yaścāsya vidhiruttamaḥ || 7 ||
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rūpamavyaṅgatāmāyurbuddhiṃ sattvaṃ balaṃ smṛtim |
prāptukāmairnarairhiṃsā varjitā vai kṛtātmabhiḥ || 8 ||
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ṛṣīṇāmatra saṃvādo bahuśaḥ kurupuṃgava |
babhūva teṣāṃ tu mataṃ yattacchṛṇu yudhiṣṭhira || 9 ||
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yo yajetāśvamedhena māsi māsi yatavrataḥ |
varjayenmadhu māṃsaṃ ca samametadyudhiṣṭhira || 10 ||
[Analyze grammar]

saptarṣayo vālakhilyāstathaiva ca marīcipāḥ |
amāṃsabhakṣaṇaṃ rājanpraśaṃsanti manīṣiṇaḥ || 11 ||
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na bhakṣayati yo māṃsaṃ na hanyānna ca ghātayet |
taṃ mitraṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ manuḥ svāyaṃbhuvo'bravīt || 12 ||
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adhṛṣyaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ viśvāsyaḥ sarvajantuṣu |
sādhūnāṃ saṃmato nityaṃ bhavenmāṃsasya varjanāt || 13 ||
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svamāṃsaṃ paramāṃsena yo vardhayitumicchati |
nāradaḥ prāha dharmātmā niyataṃ so'vasīdati || 14 ||
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dadāti yajate cāpi tapasvī ca bhavatyapi |
madhumāṃsanivṛttyeti prāhaivaṃ sa bṛhaspatiḥ || 15 ||
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māsi māsyaśvamedhena yo yajeta śataṃ samāḥ |
na khādati ca yo māṃsaṃ samametanmataṃ mama || 16 ||
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sadā yajati satreṇa sadā dānaṃ prayacchati |
sadā tapasvī bhavati madhumāṃsasya varjanāt || 17 ||
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sarve vedā na tatkuryuḥ sarvayajñāśca bhārata |
yo bhakṣayitvā māṃsāni paścādapi nivartate || 18 ||
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duṣkaraṃ hi rasajñena māṃsasya parivarjanam |
cartuṃ vratamidaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ sarvaprāṇyabhayapradam || 19 ||
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sarvabhūteṣu yo vidvāndadātyabhayadakṣiṇām |
dātā bhavati loke sa prāṇānāṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ || 20 ||
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evaṃ vai paramaṃ dharmaṃ praśaṃsanti manīṣiṇaḥ |
prāṇā yathātmano'bhīṣṭā bhūtānāmapi te tathā || 21 ||
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ātmaupamyena gantavyaṃ buddhimadbhirmahātmabhiḥ |
mṛtyuto bhayamastīti viduṣāṃ bhūtimicchatām || 22 ||
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kiṃ punarhanyamānānāṃ tarasā jīvitārthinām |
arogāṇāmapāpānāṃ pāpairmāṃsopajīvibhiḥ || 23 ||
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tasmādviddhi mahārāja māṃsasya parivarjanam |
dharmasyāyatanaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ svargasya ca sukhasya ca || 24 ||
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ahiṃsā paramo dharmastathāhiṃsā paraṃ tapaḥ |
ahiṃsā paramaṃ satyaṃ tato dharmaḥ pravartate || 25 ||
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na hi māṃsaṃ tṛṇātkāṣṭhādupalādvāpi jāyate |
hatvā jantuṃ tato māṃsaṃ tasmāddoṣo'sya bhakṣaṇe || 26 ||
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svāhāsvadhāmṛtabhujo devāḥ satyārjavapriyāḥ |
kravyādānrākṣasānviddhi jihmānṛtaparāyaṇān || 27 ||
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kāntāreṣvatha ghoreṣu durgeṣu gahaneṣu ca |
rātrāvahani saṃdhyāsu catvareṣu sabhāsu ca |
amāṃsabhakṣaṇe rājanbhayamante na gacchati || 28 ||
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yadi cetkhādako na syānna tadā ghātako bhavet |
ghātakaḥ khādakārthāya taṃ ghātayati vai naraḥ || 29 ||
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abhakṣyametaditi vā iti hiṃsā nivartate |
khādakārthamato hiṃsā mṛgādīnāṃ pravartate || 30 ||
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yasmādgrasati caivāyurhiṃsakānāṃ mahādyute |
tasmādvivarjayenmāṃsaṃ ya icchedbhūtimātmanaḥ || 31 ||
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trātāraṃ nādhigacchanti raudrāḥ prāṇivihiṃsakāḥ |
udvejanīyā bhūtānāṃ yathā vyālamṛgāstathā || 32 ||
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lobhādvā buddhimohādvā balavīryārthameva ca |
saṃsargādvātha pāpānāmadharmarucitā nṛṇām || 33 ||
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svamāṃsaṃ paramāṃsena yo vardhayitumicchati |
udvignavāse vasati yatratatrābhijāyate || 34 ||
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dhanyaṃ yaśasyamāyuṣyaṃ svargyaṃ svastyayanaṃ mahat |
māṃsasyābhakṣaṇaṃ prāhurniyatāḥ paramarṣayaḥ || 35 ||
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idaṃ tu khalu kaunteya śrutamāsītpurā mayā |
mārkaṇḍeyasya vadato ye doṣā māṃsabhakṣaṇe || 36 ||
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yo hi khādati māṃsāni prāṇināṃ jīvitārthinām |
hatānāṃ vā mṛtānāṃ vā yathā hantā tathaiva saḥ || 37 ||
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dhanena krāyako hanti khādakaścopabhogataḥ |
ghātako vadhabandhābhyāmityeṣa trividho vadhaḥ || 38 ||
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akhādannanumodaṃśca bhāvadoṣeṇa mānavaḥ |
yo'numanyeta hantavyaṃ so'pi doṣeṇa lipyate || 39 ||
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adhṛṣyaḥ sarvabhūtānāmāyuṣmānnīrujaḥ sukhī |
bhavatyabhakṣayanmāṃsaṃ dayāvānprāṇināmiha || 40 ||
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hiraṇyadānairgodānairbhūmidānaiśca sarvaśaḥ |
māṃsasyābhakṣaṇe dharmo viśiṣṭaḥ syāditi śrutiḥ || 41 ||
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aprokṣitaṃ vṛthāmāṃsaṃ vidhihīnaṃ na bhakṣayet |
bhakṣayannirayaṃ yāti naro nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ || 42 ||
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prokṣitābhyukṣitaṃ māṃsaṃ tathā brāhmaṇakāmyayā |
alpadoṣamiha jñeyaṃ viparīte tu lipyate || 43 ||
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khādakasya kṛte jantuṃ yo hanyātpuruṣādhamaḥ |
mahādoṣakarastatra khādako na tu ghātakaḥ || 44 ||
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ijyāyajñaśrutikṛtairyo mārgairabudho janaḥ |
hanyājjantuṃ māṃsagṛddhrī sa vai narakabhāṅnaraḥ || 45 ||
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bhakṣayitvā tu yo māṃsaṃ paścādapi nivartate |
tasyāpi sumahāndharmo yaḥ pāpādvinivartate || 46 ||
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āhartā cānumantā ca viśastā krayavikrayī |
saṃskartā copabhoktā ca ghātakāḥ sarva eva te || 47 ||
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idamanyattu vakṣyāmi pramāṇaṃ vidhinirmitam |
purāṇamṛṣibhirjuṣṭaṃ vedeṣu pariniścitam || 48 ||
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pravṛttilakṣaṇe dharme phalārthibhirabhidrute |
yathoktaṃ rājaśārdūla na tu tanmokṣakāṅkṣiṇām || 49 ||
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haviryatsaṃskṛtaṃ mantraiḥ prokṣitābhyukṣitaṃ śuci |
vedoktena pramāṇena pitṝṇāṃ prakriyāsu ca |
ato'nyathā vṛthāmāṃsamabhakṣyaṃ manurabravīt || 50 ||
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asvargyamayaśasyaṃ ca rakṣovadbharatarṣabha |
vidhinā hi narāḥ pūrvaṃ māṃsaṃ rājannabhakṣayan || 51 ||
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ya icchetpuruṣo'tyantamātmānaṃ nirupadravam |
sa varjayeta māṃsāni prāṇināmiha sarvaśaḥ || 52 ||
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śrūyate hi purākalpe nṛṇāṃ vrīhimayaḥ paśuḥ |
yenāyajanta yajvānaḥ puṇyalokaparāyaṇāḥ || 53 ||
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ṛṣibhiḥ saṃśayaṃ pṛṣṭo vasuścedipatiḥ purā |
abhakṣyamiti māṃsaṃ sa prāha bhakṣyamiti prabho || 54 ||
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ākāśānmedinīṃ prāptastataḥ sa pṛthivīpatiḥ |
etadeva punaścoktvā viveśa dharaṇītalam || 55 ||
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prajānāṃ hitakāmena tvagastyena mahātmanā |
āraṇyāḥ sarvadaivatyāḥ prokṣitāstapasā mṛgāḥ || 56 ||
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kriyā hyevaṃ na hīyante pitṛdaivatasaṃśritāḥ |
prīyante pitaraścaiva nyāyato māṃsatarpitāḥ || 57 ||
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idaṃ tu śṛṇu rājendra kīrtyamānaṃ mayānagha |
abhakṣaṇe sarvasukhaṃ māṃsasya manujādhipa || 58 ||
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yastu varṣaśataṃ pūrṇaṃ tapastapyetsudāruṇam |
yaścaikaṃ varjayenmāṃsaṃ samametanmataṃ mama || 59 ||
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kaumude tu viśeṣeṇa śuklapakṣe narādhipa |
varjayetsarvamāṃsāni dharmo hyatra vidhīyate || 60 ||
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caturo vārṣikānmāsānyo māṃsaṃ parivarjayet |
catvāri bhadrāṇyāpnoti kīrtimāyuryaśo balam || 61 ||
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atha vā māsamapyekaṃ sarvamāṃsānyabhakṣayan |
atītya sarvaduḥkhāni sukhī jīvennirāmayaḥ || 62 ||
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ye varjayanti māṃsāni māsaśaḥ pakṣaśo'pi vā |
teṣāṃ hiṃsānivṛttānāṃ brahmaloko vidhīyate || 63 ||
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māṃsaṃ tu kaumudaṃ pakṣaṃ varjitaṃ pārtha rājabhiḥ |
sarvabhūtātmabhūtaistairvijñātārthaparāvaraiḥ || 64 ||
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nābhāgenāmbarīṣeṇa gayena ca mahātmanā |
āyuṣā cānaraṇyena dilīparaghupūrubhiḥ || 65 ||
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kārtavīryāniruddhābhyāṃ nahuṣeṇa yayātinā |
nṛgeṇa viṣvagaśvena tathaiva śaśabindunā |
yuvanāśvena ca tathā śibinauśīnareṇa ca || 66 ||
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śyenacitreṇa rājendra somakena vṛkeṇa ca |
raivatena rantidevena vasunā sṛñjayena ca || 67 ||
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duḥṣantena karūṣeṇa rāmālarkanalaistathā |
virūpāśvena niminā janakena ca dhīmatā || 68 ||
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silena pṛthunā caiva vīrasenena caiva ha |
ikṣvākuṇā śaṃbhunā ca śvetena sagareṇa ca || 69 ||
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etaiścānyaiśca rājendra purā māṃsaṃ na bhakṣitam |
śāradaṃ kaumudaṃ māsaṃ tataste svargamāpnuvan || 70 ||
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brahmaloke ca tiṣṭhanti jvalamānāḥ śriyānvitāḥ |
upāsyamānā gandharvaiḥ strīsahasrasamanvitāḥ || 71 ||
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tadetaduttamaṃ dharmamahiṃsālakṣaṇaṃ śubham |
ye caranti mahātmāno nākapṛṣṭhe vasanti te || 72 ||
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madhu māṃsaṃ ca ye nityaṃ varjayantīha dhārmikāḥ |
janmaprabhṛti madyaṃ ca sarve te munayaḥ smṛtāḥ |
viśiṣṭatāṃ jñātiṣu ca labhante nātra saṃśayaḥ || 73 ||
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āpannaścāpado mucyedbaddho mucyeta bandhanāt |
mucyettathāturo rogādduḥkhānmucyeta duḥkhitaḥ || 74 ||
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tiryagyoniṃ na gaccheta rūpavāṃśca bhavennaraḥ |
buddhimānvai kuruśreṣṭha prāpnuyācca mahadyaśaḥ || 75 ||
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etatte kathitaṃ rājanmāṃsasya parivarjane |
pravṛttau ca nivṛttau ca vidhānamṛṣinirmitam || 76 ||
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