Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 24

Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda

Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni

Devanagari script

न हि मांसं तृणात्‌ काष्ठादुपलाद्‌ वापि जायते । हत्वा जन्तुं ततो मांसं तस्माद्‌ दोषस्तु भक्षणे

Transliteration

na hi māṁsaṁ tṛṇāt kāṣṭhād upalād vāpi jāyate | hatvā jantuṁ tato māṁsaṁ tasmād doṣas tu bhakṣaṇe ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“肉并非出自草木，也非出自木材，甚至不是从石头里生出。它唯有在杀害有情之后才得以获得；因此，食肉确有道德之过。”

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• मांसम्: meat
• मांसम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• तृणात्: from grass
• तृणात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण
• Form: neuter, ablative, singular

• काष्ठात्: from wood
• काष्ठात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठ
• Form: neuter, ablative, singular

• उपलात्: from a stone
• उपलात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपल
• Form: masculine, ablative, singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• जायते: is born/arises
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: present, indicative, ātmanepada, third, singular

• हत्वा: having killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: absolutive (क्त्वा), parasmaipada (root sense)

• जन्तुम्: a living being/creature
• जन्तुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• ततः: thereupon/from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• मांसम्: meat
• मांसम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that reason
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात्

• दोषः: fault/sin
• दोषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• भक्षणे: in eating/consumption
• भक्षणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्षण
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• jantu (living creature)
• māṁsa (meat)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Meat is inseparable from violence because it is obtained only by killing a living being; therefore, consuming it carries ethical fault (doṣa) and stands opposed to the ideal of ahiṁsā.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction, Bhīṣma is teaching principles of righteous conduct; here he argues against meat-eating by pointing out its causal link to the killing of creatures.