Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 30

Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda

Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni

Devanagari script

अभक्ष्यमेतदिति वै इति हिंसा निवर्तते । खादकार्थमतो हिंसा मृगादीनां प्रवर्तते

Transliteration

abhakṣyam etad iti vai iti hiṁsā nivartate | khādakārtham ato hiṁsā mṛgādīnāṁ pravartate ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“当人们坚定地认定：‘此物不宜入口’，暴力便会止息。因为猎杀鹿等诸兽，只是为满足食肉之人。若将肉视为不可食而弃之，屠戮众生自会自然终止。”

Word by Word

• अभक्ष्यम्: inedible, not to be eaten
• अभक्ष्यम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभक्ष्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus, saying/considering
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• हिंसा: violence, killing
• हिंसा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिंसा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• निवर्तते: ceases, stops
• Type: Verb
• Root: निवृत्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• खादक-अर्थम्: for the sake of the eater (consumer)
• खादक-अर्थम्: Prayojana
• Type: Noun
• Root: खादक + अर्थ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अतः: therefore, hence
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः

• हिंसा: violence, killing
• हिंसा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिंसा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मृग-आदीनाम्: of deer and other (animals)
• मृग-आदीनाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग + आदि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रवर्तते: arises, proceeds, is set in motion
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रवृत्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• mṛga (deer)
• mṛga-ādi (other animals/game)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma links demand to harm: if meat is regarded as ‘abhakṣya’ (not fit to eat) and people stop consuming it, the motive for killing animals disappears, and violence naturally declines.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instructions, Bhīṣma is advising on ethical conduct; here he argues that animal killing occurs primarily to satisfy meat-eaters, so renunciation of meat functions as a practical means to reduce hiṁsā.