Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
इदं तु खलु कौन्तेय श्रुतमासीत् पुरा मया । मार्कण्डेयस्य वदतो ये दोषा मांसभक्षणे,कुन्तीनन्दन! मांसभक्षणमें जो दोष हैं, उन्हें बतलाते हुए मार्कण्डेयजीके मुखसे मैंने पूर्वकालमें ऐसा सुन रखा है--
idaṃ tu khalu kaunteya śrutam āsīt purā mayā | mārkaṇḍeyasya vadataḥ ye doṣā māṃsabhakṣaṇe ||
ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಓ ಕೌಂತೇಯಾ! ಇದು ನಾನು ಪುರಾಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೇಳಿದ್ದೆ; ಮಾರ್ಕಂಡೇಯನು ಮಾಂಸಭಕ್ಷಣದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ದೋಷಗಳನ್ನು ವಿವರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಗ।
भीष्म उवाच
Bhīṣma introduces an authoritative tradition: he once heard sage Mārkaṇḍeya enumerate the ethical faults (doṣas) connected with eating meat, framing the discussion as a dharma-based evaluation of dietary conduct.
In response to Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as Kaunteya), Bhīṣma begins citing an earlier discourse by Mārkaṇḍeya; this verse serves as a transition into a teaching on the moral implications of meat consumption.