Shloka 12
Rukmāṅgada–Vāmadeva Saṃvāda: Ahimsa, Hunting, and the Fruit of Dvādaśī-Bhakti
तस्माद्दुष्टं हि तन्मन्ये यत्र मृगपातनम् । दया वरा मृगेराज्ञां धर्मिणामपि दृश्यते ॥ १२ ॥
tasmādduṣṭaṃ hi tanmanye yatra mṛgapātanam | dayā varā mṛgerājñāṃ dharmiṇāmapi dṛśyate || 12 ||
Karena itu aku menganggap tempat itu sungguh jahat, tempat di mana rusa-rusa dibunuh. Sebab bahkan di antara raja para binatang tampak welas asih yang lebih mulia, dan itu pun terlihat bahkan pada mereka yang mengaku saleh.
Narada (contextual moral instruction within Uttara-Bhaga narratives)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
FAQs
It elevates ahiṃsā (non-violence) as a core mark of dharma, condemning hunting as spiritually degrading and highlighting compassion as a higher virtue than mere social claims of righteousness.
Bhakti in the Purāṇic sense is inseparable from dayā; devotion to Viṣṇu is supported by compassionate conduct, so cruelty like hunting contradicts the devotional temperament even in a sacred (tīrtha) setting.
No specific Vedāṅga technique is taught in this line; the practical takeaway is dharma-śikṣā (ethical discipline) aligned with Purāṇic injunctions—cultivating dayā and avoiding हिंसा as part of sādhana and tīrtha observance.