Shloka 21
Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
कि पुनर्हन्यमानानां तरसा जीवितार्थिनाम् | अरोगाणामपापानां पापैर्मासोपजीविभि:
ki punar hanyamānānāṁ tarasā jīvitārthinām | arogāṇām apāpānāṁ pāpair māṁsopajīvibhiḥ ||
कि पुनर्हन्यमानानां तरसा जीवितार्थिनाम् । अरोगाणामपापानां पापैर्मासोपजीविभिः ॥ अतः स बुद्धिमान् पुण्यात्मा च सर्वभूतानि स्वात्मवत् पश्येत्, तेषां हिते च प्रवर्तेत। यदा स्वकल्याणकामानामपि विदुषां मृत्युभयं वर्तते, तदा जीवितुमिच्छतां निरामयानामनपराधिनां प्राणिनां, ये पापैर्मांसोपजीविभिर्बलाद् हन्यन्ते, कथं न भयमुत्पद्येत?
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma underscores empathy and non-violence: a wise person should see all beings as oneself and recognize that forcibly killing innocent, healthy creatures—especially by those who profit from flesh—is a grave ethical wrong that naturally generates fear and suffering.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma. Here he argues from the reality of death-fear: if even learned people fear death, then innocent beings who are violently killed by meat-dependent sinners will fear all the more—supporting a broader exhortation toward compassion and restraint from harm.