Vedic Teachings on Violence and Non-Violence

[Guest guest]

"Krishnamurthy Ramakrishna" <puttakrishna

>DharmavyAdha - (4)

>

>Teachings on Violence and Non-Violence.

>

>Alluding to the earlier statement of brahmaNa, regarding the

>appropriateness

>of the vyAdha's occupation, he acknowledges that his job is very cruel, but

>

>" vidhistu balavAn Brahman dustaram hi purA kritam

>purA kritasya pApasya karma dOshO bhavatyayam

>dOshasyai tasya vy Brahman nighAtE yatnavAhanam "- the pressure of

>destiny is very strong; I am forced to this cruel karma, because of my

>past actions. No body can overcome fate and it forces us to act in

>a certain way. I have been trying very hard to overcome the sinful acts

>of my past life; still the fate is very powerful. Let me tell you

>its play.

>

>" vidhinA hi hatE pUrvam nimittam ghAtakO bhavEt " - the death of a

>being is pre-determined. The butcher is only an instrument.

>

>" nimitta bhUtA hi vayam karmaNO asya dvijOttama

>yEshAm hatAnAm mAmsAni vikriNAmIha vy dvija "

>"tEshAmapi bhavEt Dharma upayOgE na bhakshanE

>dEvatA-tithi-bhrytyAnAm pitruNAm cha api pUjanam " - We are also

>instruments for this karma. The dharma of these animals (whose

>meat I sell) is served by my karma of selling the meat of

>these animals. Consumption of this meat by men, releases those

>animals from their sinful acts. Meat has been known to be

>served in the worship of Gods, in treating guests and also in

>the observance of shrAddha karma of pitrus ( annual observation of

>death of parents/ancestors).

>

>"OshadhyO vIrudhaschaiva pashavO mriga-pakshiNah

>anAdhi bhUtA bhUtAnAm iti api shrUyatE shruthi " - Even the scriptures

>declare that plant products, deer, birds and other animals have been

>the food for men from time immemorial.

>

>" Atma mAmsa prasAdEna Shibhih AushInarO nripah

>svsrgam sudurgamam prAptah kshamavAn dvija-sattama " - Oh! Brahmin,

>UshInara's son, emperor Shibhi went to heaven by offering his own

>meat.

>

>" rAjynO mahAnasE pUrvam RantidEvasya vy dvija

>dvE sahasrE tu vadhyAtE dvE sahasrE gavAm tathA"

>"ahanyavani vadhyEtE dvE sahasrE gavAm tathA

>sa mAmsAm dadatOhi annam rantiDevasya nityashah "

>" atulA kIrtih abhavan nripasya dvija-sattama

>chAturmAsyE cha pashavO vadhyanta iti nischayah " - In the kitchen

>of king RantidEva, two thousand animals and cattle were being killed

>everyday. He was renowned for his daily feeding of meat. Animals

>were being killed everyday during the four months of declared

>ritual.

>

>" agnayO mAmsa-kAmascha itaypi shrUyatE shruthi

>yajnyEshu pashavO Brahman vadhyantE satatam dvijaih

>samskritAh kila mantraischa tEpi svargam avApnuvAn " - The scriptures

>declare that the ritual fires expect meat (yasyAgnayOh juhvatO

>mAmsa kAmAh - shruti).The brahmins offer animals in yajnya. These

>animals are cleansed by the mantras.

>

>" yadi naivAgnayO Brahman mAmsa-kAmA-bhavat purA

>bhakshyam naivA bhavan mAmsam kasyachit dvija-sattama " - If the

>three fires-dakshiNAgni, gArhapatya and AhavanIya - did not expect

>meat, meat would not have been the food of any. The sages have

>come to a conclusion in the consumption of meat.

>

>" dEvatAnAm pitruNAm cha bhunktE dattvApi yah sadA

>yathA vidhi yathAshrAAdham na pradushyati bhakshaNAt

>amAmsAshI bhavatyEvam ityapi shrUyatE shruthi " -A person eating the

>remainder of well cooked meat offerd to Gods and Pitrus ( ancestors) will

>not be corrupted. The shrutis declare that such a person

>will not be considered as a meat-eater(the commentators state that

>in Kaliyuga, offering and eating meat on the Pitru ceremony is prohibited;

>However, there is scope for offering well cooked meat

>to the Fire God in yajnya and yAga, then eating the fire cooked

>meat as prasAda).

>

>" bhAryAm gacchan brahmachAri Rthou bhavati brAhmanah

>satyAnRitE vinischitya atrApi vidhiruchyatE " - Just as a man, who

>meets with his wife at the Rthu time is called a celibate, so is a

>man who eats left over meat offered to Gods is not called a meat-eater.

>These determinations are made in accordance with jnyAna and karma.

>

>" SoudAsEna tadA rAjnYA mAnushA bhakshitA dvija

>shApAbhibhUtEna bhrishamatra kim pratibhAti mE " - SoudhAsana did not

>desire to eat meat; however he had to eat meat being under a curse.

>Likewise, I believe, I am a butcher as a consequence of my karma in

>the past.

>

>" sva-dharma iti kritvA tu na tyajAmi dvijOttama

>purA kritam iti jnyAtvA jIvAm EtEna karmanA " - I am a butcher by birth.

>Selling meat is the dharma for my varNa. I therefore will not abandon

>the karma of my birth. Realizing that I am born a butcher as a result

>of my past Karma, I will live this life doing this karma.

>

>" sva-karma tyajatO Brahman adharma iha drishyatE

>sva-karma niratO yastu dharmah sa iti nischayah " - Abandoning the

>said sva-karma is regarded as adharma. Staying put in the sva-varNa

>karma is really the path of dharma.

>

>" pUrvam hi vihitam karma dEhinam na vimunchati

>dhAtrA vidhih ayam drishTo bahudhA karma-nirNayE " - The fruits of past

>karma will not unburden the dEhi (the jIva). The creator largely

>tallies the karma of past lives in determining the current life.

>

>" drishTavyA tu bhavEt prAjnyA krUrE karmaNi vartatA

>katham karma shubham kuryAm katham muchyE parAbhavAt " - Therefore, a

>person landed in cruel karma as a result of past karma, should ponder

>on how to overcome cruel karma and how to practice good karma.

>

>" karmaNah tasya ghOrasya bahudA nirNayO bhavEt

>dAnE cha satya vAkyE cha guru-shshrUshaNe tathA "

>" dvijAti pUjanE cha aham dharmE cha niratah sadA

>abhimAnAti vAdAbhyAm nivrittO asmi dvijOttama " - The dreadful karmas

>can be neutralized by good karma, which I am following. I offer

>charities, do not tell a lie, even as a joke. I always tell the

>truth and serve my parents and teacher. I practice my varNa dharma.

>I have discarded pride. I will not engage in unnecessary arguments.

>

>" krishim sAdhviti manyantE tatra himsA parA smritA

>karshantO langalai pumsO gnnanti bhUmi shayAn bahUn

>jIvanm anyAmscha bahushah tatra kim pratibhAti tE "

>dhAnya bIjAni yAnYahuh vrIhyAdIni dvijOttama

>sarvAn EtAni jIvAni tatra kim pratibhAti tE " - Oh! Brahmin, you

>challenged me earlier saying I am engaged in cruel karma. It is said

>that life depends on agriculture and agriculture is sAtvik karma.

>Don't you think that one kills hundreds of insects and worms during

>preparation of soil for growing plants. Do you think vegetarian

>food is void of any cruelty? Are not seeds filled with life?

>

>" adhyAkramya pashUn cha api ghnanti vai bhakshayanti cha

>vrikshAm tathA oushadhI cha api chindanti purushA dvija "

>" jIvA hi bahavO Brahman vrikshEshu cha phalEshu cha

>udakE bahavah cha api tatra kim pratibhAti tE " - Hunters kill animals

>and consume their meat. Likewise some people cut plants and trees.

>Are not plants and trees life bearing? The fruits of those trees

>are filled with many small living cells. There are several bacteria

>in the water we drink. Don't you think drinking water and eating

>fruits is an act of cruelty?

>

>" sarvam vyAptam idam Brahman prANibhih prANi-jIvanaih

>matsyAn grasantE matsyAscha tatra kim pratibhAti tE " - The universe

>is full of life depending on life. Big fishes eat small fishes. The

>life of all living beings is possible by eating other living beings.

>Don't you think so?

>

>" satvaih satvAni jIvanti bahudhA dvija-sattama

>prANinO anyOnya bhakshAscha tatra kim pratibhAti tE " - One life is

>another life's food. The living beings mutually live on other living

>beings. Don't you think so?

>

>" ChankramyamANA jIvAmscha dharaNI samshritAn bahUn

>padbhyAm ghnanti narA vipra tatra him pratibhAti tE " - People kill

>hundreds of smaller lives supported by earth, when they walk around.

>Oh! Brahmin, is this not violence?

>

>" upacvishTAh shayanAscha ghnanti jIvAn anEkashah

>jnyAna-vijnyAna-vantascha tatra kim pratibhAti tE " - Knowledgeable

>people or ignorant, while sitting or sleeping kill many living

>beings. Is this not violence?

>

>" jIvaih grastamidam sarvam AkAsham prithivI tathA

>avijnyAnAccha himsanti taTRA KIM PRATIBHaTI Te " - Several living

>beings dwell in this space between the sky and the earth. Unaware,

>they cause violence to several of these beings. What is your opinion

>on this ?

>

>" ahimsEti yaduktam hi purushaih vismitaih purA

>kE na himsanti jIvAnaih lOkEsmin dvija-sattama

>bahu sanchintya iti vai nAsti kaschit ahimsakah " - Who in this world

>has not committed violence? I believe there is no non-violent person

>in this world, based on what I have described.

>

>" ahimsAyAm tu niratA yatayO dvija-sattama

>kurvantyEva hi himsAm tE yatnAt alpatarA bhavEt " - Even committed

>non-violent people do kill smaller beings while going about their life

>activities. Being conscious and aware, they could minimize the

>violence, but can not eliminate completely.

>

>alakshyAh chaiva purushAh kulE jatA mahA-guNAh

>mahA ghOrANI karmANI kritvA lajjanti vai dvija " - Oh! Brahmin, learned

>and well intended people, carry their family karma without hesitation. They

>revere this family karma as cruel as it may be!

>

>" suhridah suhridO anyAmscha dur-hridaschApi dur-hridah

>samyak privruttAn purushAnna samyak anupashyatah "- Even good people don't

>have one opinion. They differ in their opinions. So does

>bad people. There are often differences in activities. Even good

>people are looked down, if they are not friendly to each other (these

>are also a form of violence).

>

>" samriddyascha nandanti bAndhavA bAndavaih api

>gurUmschyaiva vivindanti mUDAh panditamAninah " - Relatives fight against

>each other and are jealous of accomplished persons. The fools

>disparage their own teachers(these are also a form of violence).

>

>" bahu lOkE viparyastam drishyatE dvija-sattama

>dharmayuktam adharmam cha tatra kim pratibhAti tE " - The world thus

>witnesses contrariety everywhere. Non-righteousness(adharma) is seen

>as righteousness (dharma). What do you think?

>

>" vaktum bahuvidham shakyam dharma adharmEshu karmasu

>sva-karma niratO yO hi sa yashah prApnuyAt mahat " - Oh! Kaushika,

>one may discuss dharma and adharma in great detail; however, it is

>my opinion that following the sva-karma appropriate to his family is the

>only factor in the attainment of glory for an individual.