Shloka 29
Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
यदि चेत् खादको न स्यान्न तदा घातको भवेत् | घातक: खादकार्थाय तद् घातयति वै नरः
yadi cet khādako na syān na tadā ghātako bhavet | ghātakaḥ khādakārthāya tad ghātayati vai naraḥ ||
ภีษมะกล่าวว่า “หากไม่มีผู้ใดบริโภคเนื้อเลย ก็ย่อมไม่มีผู้ฆ่า เพราะผู้ฆ่านั้นฆ่าสัตว์ทั้งหลายก็เพื่อสนองผู้กินเนื้อนั่นเอง.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links demand to violence: if people do not desire meat, the social incentive for slaughter disappears. Ethical responsibility is extended beyond the direct killer to the consumer whose appetite sustains killing.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he argues for non-violence by explaining the causal chain behind animal slaughter: the killer acts to supply those who eat flesh.