Chapter 117

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
ime vai mānavā loke bhṛśaṃ māṃsasya gṛddhinaḥ |
visṛjya bhakṣānvividhānyathā rakṣogaṇāstathā || 1 ||
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nāpūpānvividhākārāñśākāni vividhāni ca |
ṣāḍavānrasayogāṃśca tathecchanti yathāmiṣam || 2 ||
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tatra me buddhiratraiva visarge parimuhyate |
na manye rasataḥ kiṃcinmāṃsato'stīha kiṃcana || 3 ||
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tadicchāmi guṇāñśrotuṃ māṃsasyābhakṣaṇe'pi vā |
bhakṣaṇe caiva ye doṣāstāṃścaiva puruṣarṣabha || 4 ||
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sarvaṃ tattvena dharmajña yathāvadiha dharmataḥ |
kiṃ vā bhakṣyamabhakṣyaṃ vā sarvametadvadasva me || 5 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
evametanmahābāho yathā vadasi bhārata |
na māṃsātparamatrānyadrasato vidyate bhuvi || 6 ||
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kṣatakṣīṇābhitaptānāṃ grāmyadharmaratāśca ye |
adhvanā karśitānāṃ ca na māṃsādvidyate param || 7 ||
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sadyo vardhayati prāṇānpuṣṭimagryāṃ dadāti ca |
na bhakṣo'bhyadhikaḥ kaścinmāṃsādasti paraṃtapa || 8 ||
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vivarjane tu bahavo guṇāḥ kauravanandana |
ye bhavanti manuṣyāṇāṃ tānme nigadataḥ śṛṇu || 9 ||
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svamāṃsaṃ paramāṃsairyo vivardhayitumicchati |
nāsti kṣudratarastasmānna nṛśaṃsataro naraḥ || 10 ||
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na hi prāṇātpriyataraṃ loke kiṃcana vidyate |
tasmāddayāṃ naraḥ kuryādyathātmani tathā pare || 11 ||
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śukrācca tāta saṃbhūtirmāṃsasyeha na saṃśayaḥ |
bhakṣaṇe tu mahāndoṣo vadhena saha kalpate || 12 ||
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ahiṃsālakṣaṇo dharma iti vedavido viduḥ |
yadahiṃsraṃ bhavetkarma tatkuryādātmavānnaraḥ || 13 ||
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pitṛdaivatayajñeṣu prokṣitaṃ havirucyate |
vidhinā vedadṛṣṭena tadbhuktveha na duṣyati || 14 ||
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yajñārthe paśavaḥ sṛṣṭā ityapi śrūyate śrutiḥ |
ato'nyathā pravṛttānāṃ rākṣaso vidhirucyate || 15 ||
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kṣatriyāṇāṃ tu yo dṛṣṭo vidhistamapi me śṛṇu |
vīryeṇopārjitaṃ māṃsaṃ yathā khādanna duṣyati || 16 ||
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āraṇyāḥ sarvadaivatyāḥ prokṣitāḥ sarvaśo mṛgāḥ |
agastyena purā rājanmṛgayā yena pūjyate || 17 ||
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nātmānamaparityajya mṛgayā nāma vidyate |
samatāmupasaṃgamya rūpaṃ hanyānna vā nṛpa || 18 ||
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ato rājarṣayaḥ sarve mṛgayāṃ yānti bhārata |
lipyante na hi doṣeṇa na caitatpātakaṃ viduḥ || 19 ||
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na hi tatparamaṃ kiṃcidiha loke paratra ca |
yatsarveṣviha lokeṣu dayā kauravanandana || 20 ||
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na bhayaṃ vidyate jātu narasyeha dayāvataḥ |
dayāvatāmime lokāḥ pare cāpi tapasvinām || 21 ||
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abhayaṃ sarvabhūtebhyo yo dadāti dayāparaḥ |
abhayaṃ tasya bhūtāni dadatītyanuśuśrumaḥ || 22 ||
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kṣataṃ ca skhalitaṃ caiva patitaṃ kliṣṭamāhatam |
sarvabhūtāni rakṣanti sameṣu viṣameṣu ca || 23 ||
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nainaṃ vyālamṛgā ghnanti na piśācā na rākṣasāḥ |
mucyante bhayakāleṣu mokṣayanti ca ye parān || 24 ||
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prāṇadānātparaṃ dānaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati |
na hyātmanaḥ priyataraḥ kaścidastīti niścitam || 25 ||
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aniṣṭaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ maraṇaṃ nāma bhārata |
mṛtyukāle hi bhūtānāṃ sadyo jāyati vepathuḥ || 26 ||
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jātijanmajarāduḥkhe nityaṃ saṃsārasāgare |
jantavaḥ parivartante maraṇādudvijanti ca || 27 ||
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garbhavāseṣu pacyante kṣārāmlakaṭukai rasaiḥ |
mūtraśleṣmapurīṣāṇāṃ sparśaiśca bhṛśadāruṇaiḥ || 28 ||
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jātāścāpyavaśāstatra bhidyamānāḥ punaḥ punaḥ |
pāṭyamānāśca dṛśyante vivaśā māṃsagṛddhinaḥ || 29 ||
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kumbhīpāke ca pacyante tāṃ tāṃ yonimupāgatāḥ |
ākramya māryamāṇāśca bhrāmyante vai punaḥ punaḥ || 30 ||
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nātmano'sti priyataraḥ pṛthivyāmanusṛtya ha |
tasmātprāṇiṣu sarveṣu dayāvānātmavānbhavet || 31 ||
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sarvamāṃsāni yo rājanyāvajjīvaṃ na bhakṣayet |
svarge sa vipulaṃ sthānaṃ prāpnuyānnātra saṃśayaḥ || 32 ||
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ye bhakṣayanti māṃsāni bhūtānāṃ jīvitaiṣiṇām |
bhakṣyante te'pi tairbhūtairiti me nāsti saṃśayaḥ || 33 ||
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māṃ sa bhakṣayate yasmādbhakṣayiṣye tamapyaham |
etanmāṃsasya māṃsatvamato budhyasva bhārata || 34 ||
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ghātako vadhyate nityaṃ tathā vadhyeta bandhakaḥ |
ākroṣṭākruśyate rājandveṣṭā dveṣyatvamāpnute || 35 ||
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yena yena śarīreṇa yadyatkarma karoti yaḥ |
tena tena śarīreṇa tattatphalamupāśnute || 36 ||
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ahiṃsā paramo dharmastathāhiṃsā paro damaḥ |
ahiṃsā paramaṃ dānamahiṃsā paramaṃ tapaḥ || 37 ||
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ahiṃsā paramo yajñastathāhiṃsā paraṃ balam |
ahiṃsā paramaṃ mitramahiṃsā paramaṃ sukham |
ahiṃsā paramaṃ satyamahiṃsā paramaṃ śrutam || 38 ||
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sarvayajñeṣu vā dānaṃ sarvatīrtheṣu cāplutam |
sarvadānaphalaṃ vāpi naitattulyamahiṃsayā || 39 ||
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ahiṃsrasya tapo'kṣayyamahiṃsro yajate sadā |
ahiṃsraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ yathā mātā yathā pitā || 40 ||
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etatphalamahiṃsāyā bhūyaśca kurupuṃgava |
na hi śakyā guṇā vaktumiha varṣaśatairapi || 41 ||
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