Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
एतत्ते कथितं राजन् मांसस्य परिवर्जने । प्रवृत्ती च निवृत्ती च विधानमृषिनिर्मितम्
etatte kathitaṃ rājan māṃsasya parivarjane | pravṛttī ca nivṛttī ca vidhānam ṛṣinirmitam ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ! ຂ້າໄດ້ອະທິບາຍແກ່ພະອົງແລ້ວເຖິງການງົດເນື້ອ—ພ້ອມທັງຫຼັກການທີ່ຄຸ້ມຄອງທັງ “ປະວັດຕິ” ແລະ “ນິວັດຕິ” (ການເຂົ້າຮ່ວມແລະການຖອນຕົວ) ອັນເປັນຂໍ້ບັນຍັດທີ່ພວກລຶສີສ້າງຂຶ້ນ. ໃນຄຳສອນນີ້ ຄວາມສຳລວມບໍ່ແມ່ນພຽງການຫ້າມທົ່ວໄປ ແຕ່ເປັນວິໄນແຫ່ງທຳ ທີ່ຕັ້ງຢູ່ເທິງຂໍ້ບັນຍັດໂບຮານຂອງລຶສີ.»
भीष्म उवाच
Bhishma summarizes that the dharmic rationale for abstaining from meat has been explained, along with the broader framework of pravṛtti (engaged life) and nivṛtti (withdrawal/renunciation). The point is that ethical restraint is grounded in an authoritative, sage-formulated code rather than personal preference.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs the king (Yudhishthira) on dharma while lying on the bed of arrows. Here he concludes a segment on avoiding meat and situates it within the larger rishi-sanctioned system that distinguishes duties of active worldly life and duties of renunciatory withdrawal.