Shloka 29
पाण्डोः प्रेतकार्य-सम्पादनम्
Pāṇḍu’s Funeral Rites and Public Mourning
मृगो भूत्वा मृगैः सार्थ चरामि गहने वने । नतुते ब्रह्महत्येयं भविष्यत्यविजानत:,मेरा नाम किंदम है। मैं तपस्यामें संलग्न रहनेवाला मुनि हूँ, अतः मनुष्योंमें--मानव- शरीरसे यह काम करनेमें मुझे लज्जाका अनुभव हो रहा था। इसीलिये मृग बनकर अपनी मृगीके साथ मैथुन कर रहा था। मैं प्रायः इसी रूपमें मृगोंके साथ घने वनमें विचरता रहता हूँ। तुम्हें मुझे मारनेसे ब्रह्महत्या तो नहीं लगेगी; क्योंकि तुम यह बात नहीं जानते थे (कि यह मुनि है)
mṛgo bhūtvā mṛgaiḥ sārthaṁ carāmi gahane vane | na tu te brahmahatyeyaṁ bhaviṣyaty avijānataḥ ||
“Having become a deer, I roam together with other deer in the dense forest. For you, who did not know (my true identity), this will not become the sin of brahma-slaughter (brahmahatyā).”
मृग उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral culpability is linked to knowledge and intention: an act done without knowing the true identity of the victim is presented here as not incurring the specific grave sin of brahmahatyā.
A speaker who is actually a muni (sage) explains that he has assumed the form of a deer and lives among deer in the forest; he reassures the other party that killing him unknowingly will not bring the charge of brahmahatyā.