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
yajuṣā saṃskṛtaṃ māṃsaṃ nivṛtto māṃsabhakṣaṇāt | na bhakṣayed vṛthāmāṃsaṃ pṛṣṭhamāṃsaṃ ca varjayet |
Bhishma said: One who has renounced the eating of meat should not partake even of meat that has been ritually consecrated with Yajurvedic mantras. He should also abstain from meat taken without proper purpose and from the meat left over from śrāddha offerings.
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.