Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
हर्यश्वेन च राजेन्द्र क्षुपेण भरतेन च । एतैश्नान्यैश्व राजेन्द्र पुरा मांसं न भक्षितम्
haryaśvena ca rājendra kṣuṣeṇa bharatena ca | etaiś cānyaiś ca rājendra purā māṃsaṃ na bhakṣitam ||
毗湿摩说道:“王中之王啊,往昔之时并不食肉——哈利耶湿瓦(Haryaśva)、克苏沙(Kṣuṣa)、婆罗多(Bharata),以及这些与其他诸王皆然。”
भीष्म उवाच
Bhīṣma appeals to the authority of exemplary ancient kings to commend restraint—specifically abstention from eating meat—as a dharmic standard associated with purity and self-control.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction to the king (Yudhiṣṭhira), he cites named rulers of old—Haryaśva, Kṣuṣa, and Bharata—along with others, stating that they did not eat meat in former times, using their conduct as precedent for ethical guidance.