“Markandeya continued, ‘The pious fowler, O Yudhishthira, then said to
that Brahmana, ‘Undoubtedly my deeds are very cruel, but, O Brahmana,
Destiny is all-powerful and it is difficult to evade the consequence of
our past actions. And this is the karmic evil arising out of sin
committed in a former life. But, O Brahmana, I am always assiduous in
eradicating the evil. The Deity takes away life, the executioner acts
only as a secondary agent. And we, O good Brahmana, are only such agents
in regard to our karma. Those animals that are slain by me and whose meat
I sell, also acquire karma, because (with their meat), gods and guests
and servants are regaled with dainty food and the manes are propitiated.
It is said authoritatively that herbs and vegetables, deer, birds and
wild animals constitute the food of all creatures. And, O Brahmana, king
Sivi, the son of Usinara, of great forbearance attained to heaven, which
is hard to reach, giving away his own flesh. And in days of yore, O
Brahmana, two thousand animals used to be killed every day in the kitchen
of king Rantideva; and in the same manner two thousand cows were killed
every day; and, O best of regenerate beings, king Rantideva acquired
unrivalled reputation by distributing food with meat every day. For the
performance of the fourmonthly rites animals ought to be sacrificed
daily. ‘The sacred fire is fond of animal food,’ this saying has come
down to us. And at sacrifices animals are invariably killed by regenerate
Brahmanas, and these animals being purged of sin, by incantation of
hymns, go to heaven. If, O Brahmana, the sacred fire had not been so fond
of animal food in ancient times, it could never have become the food of
any one. And in this matter of animal food, this rule has been laid down
by Munis:--Whoever partakes of animal food after having first offered it
duly and respectfully to the gods and the manes, is not polluted by the
act. And such a man is not at all considered to have partaken of animal
food, even, as a Brahmacharin having intercoursed with his wife during
the menstrual period, is nevertheless considered to be a good Brahmana.
After consideration of the propriety and impropriety of the matter, this
rule has been laid down. King Saudasa, O Brahmana, when under a curse,
often used to prey upon men; what is thy opinion of this matter? And, O
good Brahmana, knowing this to be the consequence of my own actions, I
obtain my livelihood from this profession. The forsaking of one’s own
occupation is considered, O Brahmana, to be a sin, and the act of
sticking to one’s own profession is without doubt a meritorious act. The
Karma of a former existence never forsakes any creature. And in
determining the various consequences of one’s Karma, this rule was not
lost sight of by the Creator. A person having his being under the
influence of evil Karma, must always consider how he can atone for his
Karma, and extricate himself from an evil doom, and the evil Karma may be
expiated in various ways. Accordingly, O good Brahmana, I am charitable,
truthful, assiduous in attending on my superior, full of respect towards
regenerate Brahmanas, devoted to and free from pride and (idle) excessive
talk. Agriculture is considered to be a praiseworthy occupation, but it
is well-known that even there, great harm is done to animal life; and in
the operation of digging the earth with the plough, numberless creatures
lurking in the ground as also various other forms of animal life are
destroyed. Dost thou not think so? O good Brahmana, Vrihi and other seeds
of rice are all living organisms. What is thy opinion on this matter?
Men, O Brahmana, hunt wild animals and kill them and partake of their
meat; they also cut up trees and herbs; but, O Brahmana, there are
numberless living organisms in trees, in fruits, as also in water; dost
thou not think so? This whole creation, O Brahmana, is full of animal
life, sustaining itself with food derived from living organisms. Dost
thou not mark that fish preys upon fish, and that various species of
animals prey upon other species, and there are species the members of
which prey upon each other? Men, O Brahmana, while walking about hither
and thither, kill numberless creatures lurking in the ground by trampling
on them, and even men of wisdom and enlightenment destroy animal life in
various ways, even while sleeping or reposing themselves. What hast thou
to say to this?--The earth and the air all swarm with living organisms,
which are unconsciously destroyed by men from mere ignorance. Is not this
so? The commandment that people should not do harm to any creature, was
ordained of old by men, who were ignorant of the true facts of the case.
For, O Brahmana, there is not a man on the face of this earth, who is
free from the sin of doing injury to creatures. After full consideration,
the conclusion is irresistible that there is not a single man who is free
from the sin of doing injury to animal life. Even the sage, O good
Brahmana, whose vow is to do harm to no creature, doth inflict injury to
animal life. Only, on account of greater needfulness, the harm is less.
Men of noble birth and great qualities perpetrate wicked acts in defiance
of all, of which they are not at all ashamed. Good men acting in an
exemplary way are not commended by other good men; nor are bad men acting
in a contrary way praised by their wicked compeers; and friends are not
agreeable to friends, albeit endowed with high qualities; and foolish
pedantic men cry down the virtues of their preceptors. This reversal of
the natural order of things, O good Brahmana, is seen everywhere in this
world. What is thy opinion as to the virtuousness or otherwise of this
state of things? There is much that can be said of the goodness or
badness of our actions. But whoever is addicted to his own proper
occupation surely acquires great reputation.