Shloka 15
Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances
भवन्तः स्वार्थलोभेन केवलं भक्षणे रता: । अनुबन्धे त्रयो दोषास्तान् न पश्यन्ति मोहिता:,“तुमलोग केवल स्वार्थके लोभसे मांसभक्षणमें रचे-पचे रहते हो। उसके परिणामस्वरूप जो तीन दोष प्राप्त होते हैं, उनकी ओर मोहवश तुम्हारी दृष्टि नहीं जाती
bhavantaḥ svārthalobhena kevalaṁ bhakṣaṇe ratāḥ | anubandhe trayo doṣās tān na paśyanti mohitāḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Didorong oleh ketamakan demi kepentingan sendiri, kamu hanya tenggelam dalam memakan daging. Dalam khayal dan kebutaan, kamu tidak melihat tiga keburukan yang pasti menyusul sebagai akibatnya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma criticizes meat-eating motivated by selfish greed, warning that it carries inevitable moral and practical harms (“three faults”) that people overlook due to delusion; the verse urges ethical reflection, restraint, and awareness of consequences.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhīṣma addresses his listeners directly, rebuking their attachment to flesh-eating and stating that their infatuation prevents them from recognizing the harmful consequences that follow from it.