Shloka 14
मांसपरिवर्जन-प्रशंसा (Praise of Abstention from Meat) / Ethics of Ahiṃsā in Diet and Rite
यस्य ह्ाान्नमुपाश्नन्ति ब्राह्मणानां शतं दश । हृष्टेन मनसा दत्तं न स तिर्यग्गतिर्भवेत्,जिस पुरुषके प्रसन्न चित्तसे दिये हुए अन्नको एक हजार ब्राह्मण खा लेते हैं, वह पशु- पक्षीकी योनिमें नहीं जन्म लेता
yasya hy annam upāśnanti brāhmaṇānāṁ śataṁ daśa | hṛṣṭena manasā dattaṁ na sa tiryaggatir bhavet ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: Jika seseorang menghadiahkan sedekah makanan dengan hati yang gembira, dan walaupun seratus sepuluh orang brāhmaṇa menikmati pemberian itu, maka dia tidak akan jatuh ke kelahiran sebagai binatang atau burung. Pemberian yang dilakukan dengan sukacita membawa pahala yang melindungi daripada turun ke rahim kelahiran yang rendah.
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Joyful, respectful giving of food (anna-dāna), especially to worthy recipients such as Brāhmaṇas, generates strong merit that prevents a fall into lower births (tiryag-yoni). The inner attitude—hṛṣṭa-manas, a glad heart—is emphasized as ethically decisive.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira states a principle about the फल (result) of food-giving: when many Brāhmaṇas partake of food offered with sincere happiness, the giver is protected from rebirth among animals and birds.