Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 26
Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
कान्तारेष्वथ घोरेषु दुर्गेषु गहनेषु च । रात्रावहनि संध्यासु चत्वरेषु सभासु च
bhīṣma uvāca | kāntāreṣv atha ghoreṣu durgeṣu gahaneṣu ca | rātrāv ahani sandhyāsu catvareṣu sabhāsu ca, rājan | yo manuṣyo māṃsaṃ na khādati, tasya saṅkaṭapūrṇasthāneṣu bhayaṃ na prāpnoti; yady api tasya viruddhaṃ śastrāṇy udyatāni syuḥ athavā hiṃsrā mṛgāḥ sarpāś ca bhayāni samupasthitāni syuḥ, tathāpi sa parebhyo na bibheti ||
Bhishma said: “O King, a man who does not eat meat does not incur fear from others even in perilous places—terrible wilderness tracts, hard-to-pass strongholds, and dense forests; by night and by day, at the twilight hours, at crossroads, and even in public assemblies. Even if weapons are raised against him, or if the dangers of violent beasts and serpents confront him, he still does not fear others.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that abstaining from meat—symbolizing non-violence and restraint—reduces enmity and karmic/social causes of harm, so the practitioner becomes comparatively fearless even in dangerous settings.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) and praises the ethical and practical benefits of avoiding meat, describing how such a person remains unafraid amid threats like weapons, wild beasts, serpents, and risky public or lonely places.