Varaha Purana 8.28: Adhyaya 8, Shloka 28
Dialogue on the Ethical Limits of Subsistence and the Five Great Sacrifices
Dharmavyādha, Mātaṅga, and Prasanna
त्वं तु जीवान् बहून् हत्वा स्वकुटुम्बेन सानुगः । भुञ्जन्नेतेन सततमभो्ज्यं तन्मतं मम ॥ ८.२८ ॥
tvaṁ tu jīvān bahūn hatvā svakuṭumbena sānugaḥ | bhuñjann etena satatam abhojyaṁ tan-mataṁ mama || 8.28 ||
लेकिन तुम बहुत सारे जीवों को मार के, अपने परिवार और नौकरों के साथ रोज़ उसी का खाना खाते हो। मेरे हिसाब से वो खाना खाने लायक नहीं है।
Varāha (default dialogic instructor framework)
FAQs
It reflects Purāṇic-era ethical discourse on the moral status of food acquisition and consumption, aligning personal conduct (ācāra) with broader dharma norms in classical Sanskrit literature.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it is a general ethical statement rather than a tīrtha (sacred site) description.
Food obtained through killing many living beings is characterized as ethically/ritually improper to consume, especially when done habitually and normalized within one’s household.
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