Shloka 26
The Fall of Purañjana and the Supersoul as the Eternal Friend
Purañjana-Upākhyāna Culmination
तं यज्ञपशवोऽनेन संज्ञप्ता येऽदयालुना । कुठारैश्चिच्छिदु: क्रुद्धा: स्मरन्तोऽमीवमस्य तत् ॥ २६ ॥
taṁ yajña-paśavo ’nena saṁjñaptā ye ’dayālunā kuṭhāraiś cicchiduḥ kruddhāḥ smaranto ’mīvam asya tat
El cruel rey Purañjana había matado muchos animales en diversos yajñas. Ahora, aprovechando la ocasión, aquellos animales del sacrificio, airados y recordando su aflicción, lo atravesaron con sus cuernos; como si hachas lo despedazaran.
Those who are very enthusiastic about killing animals in the name of religion or for food must await similar punishment after death. The word māṁsa, “meat,” indicates that those animals whom we kill will be given an opportunity to kill us. Although in actuality no living entity is killed, the pains of being pierced by the horns of animals will be experienced after death. Not knowing this, rascals unhesitatingly go on killing poor animals. So-called human civilization has opened many slaughterhouses for animals in the name of religion or food. Those who are a little religious kill animals in temples, mosques or synagogues, and those who are more fallen maintain various slaughterhouses. Just as in civilized human society the law is a life for a life, no living entity can encroach upon another living entity as far as the Supreme Lord is concerned. Everyone should be given freedom to live at the cost of the supreme father, and animal-killing — either for religion or for food — is always condemned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Bhagavad-gītā (16.19) Lord Kṛṣṇa says:
FAQs
This verse states that violence done to animals returns as severe reaction—those harmed later become the cause of the sinner’s suffering, illustrating inexorable karmic justice.
Within the Purañjana allegory, Śukadeva explains how hidden sins mature into future misery; the image of animals cutting him down dramatizes the return of remembered injury as karmic consequence.
Practice compassion grounded in dharma—avoid needless harm and hypocrisy—because actions, especially cruelty masked as virtue, create future suffering for oneself.