Shloka 14
Jñāna-yoga and Karma-phala: Manu–Bṛhaspati on Akṣara and the Limits of Mantra
यजुषा संस्कृतं मांसं निवृत्तो मांसभक्षणात् | न भक्षयेद् वृथामांसं पृष्ठमांसं च वर्जयेत्,जो मांस-भक्षण न करता हो, वह यजुर्वेदके मन्त्रोंद्वारा संस्कार किया हुआ मांस भी न खाय;। व्यर्थ मांस और श्राद्धशेष मांस भी वह त्याग दे
yajuṣā saṃskṛtaṃ māṃsaṃ nivṛtto māṃsabhakṣaṇāt | na bhakṣayed vṛthāmāṃsaṃ pṛṣṭhamāṃsaṃ ca varjayet |
Bhīṣma sprach: Wer dem Fleischgenuss entsagt hat, soll nicht einmal Fleisch essen, das rituell durch Mantras des Yajurveda geweiht wurde. Auch Fleisch, das ohne rechten Zweck genommen wurde, und Fleisch, das von śrāddha-Gaben übrig blieb, soll er meiden.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
If one has adopted abstinence from meat, one should maintain consistency and not make exceptions even for ritually sanctified meat; one should also avoid meat eaten without necessity and meat remaining from śrāddha/ritual contexts. The verse emphasizes integrity in ethical vows over loopholes.
In the Śānti Parva’s dharma instruction, Bhishma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on conduct and restraint. Here he addresses dietary discipline, distinguishing between ritual sanction and personal renunciation, and urges the renouncer to avoid all forms of meat consumption.