Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 46
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
उनका रूप सूर्यके समान तेजसे प्रकाशित हो रहा था। उन्होंने धर्मके रहस्योंको सुनकर इन्द्रसे पूछा-- ।।
devadūta uvāca |
tiryagyoni-gatān sattvān martyā hiṃsanti mohitāḥ |
kīṭān pipīlikān sarpān meṣān sa-mṛga-pakṣiṇaḥ ||
Wika ng banal na sugo: “Ang mga taong nalilinlang ng kamangmangan ay gumagawa ng karahasan sa mga nilalang na isinilang sa di-taong sinapupunan—pinapatay ang mga insekto, langgam, ahas, tupa, at pati mga hayop at ibon. Matapos kong marinig ang maseselang lihim ng dharma, itinatanong ko kay Indra: bakit ang mga mortal na dinaig ng kawalan ng kaalaman ay nananakit sa mga marurupok na nilalang na ito?”
देवदूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames violence toward animals and small creatures as a product of moha (delusion). By questioning Indra, it highlights an ethical ideal central to dharma: restraint from harming living beings (ahiṃsā) and awareness that all creatures are moral subjects within the karmic order.
A divine messenger, radiant like the sun, has heard teachings on the ‘secrets of dharma’ and then poses a pointed question to Indra: why do humans, though capable of moral understanding, still harm non-human beings—ranging from insects and ants to snakes, sheep, animals, and birds.