Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 34
Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
स्वमांसं परमांसेन यो वर्धयितुमिच्छति । उद्विग्नवासो वसति यत्र यत्राभिजायते,जो दूसरोंके मांससे अपना मांस बढ़ाना चाहता है, वह जहाँ कहीं भी जन्म लेता है, चैनसे नहीं रहने पाता है
svamāṁsaṁ paramāṁsena yo vardhayitum icchati | udvignavāso vasati yatra yatrābhijāyate ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “Ang sinumang nagnanais palakihin ang sariling laman sa pamamagitan ng laman ng iba—nabubuhay sa pananakit sa kapwa para sa sariling pakinabang—saan man siya muling isilang, mamumuhay siya sa pagkabalisa at hindi magkakaroon ng kapayapaan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Gaining one’s benefit by injuring others (symbolized as ‘feeding on another’s flesh’) leads to inner unrest and karmic consequences; such a person, in any birth, lacks peace.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and right conduct. Here he gives a pointed ethical maxim: exploitation and violence for self-growth result in perpetual anxiety rather than well-being.