Shloka 3
Kīṭopākhyāna: Prajā-pālana as Kṣatra-vrata and the Attainment of Brāhmaṇya
तदिच्छामि गुणान् श्रोतुं मांसस्याभक्षणे प्रभो । भक्षणे चैव ये दोषास्तांश्वैव पुरुषर्षभ,प्रभो! पुरुषप्रवर! अतः मैं मांस न खानेसे होनेवाले लाभ और उसे खानेसे होनेवाली हानियोंको पुनः सुनना चाहता हूँ
tad icchāmi guṇān śrotuṁ māṁsasyābhakṣaṇe prabho | bhakṣaṇe caiva ye doṣās tāṁś caiva puruṣarṣabha ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Tuan, aku ingin mendengar kembali kebajikan yang lahir dari pantang daging, dan juga cela yang menyertai memakan daging, wahai insan terbaik.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry: Yudhiṣṭhira seeks a clear comparison between the merits of abstaining from meat and the moral/spiritual faults associated with consuming it, emphasizing discernment in dharmic conduct.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instructional setting, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses an elder authority (implicitly Bhīṣma in this parva) and asks to hear again a detailed teaching on the ethical consequences of meat-eating versus abstention.