together with the ordinances respecting both the
religion of Pravritti and Nivritti as framed by the Rishis."'"

SECTION CXVI

"'Yudhishthira said, "Alas, those cruel men, who, discarding diverse kinds
of food, covet only flesh, are really like great Rakshasas! Alas, they do
not relish diverse kinds of cakes and diverse sorts of potherbs and
various species of Khanda with juicy flavour so much as they do flesh! My
understanding, for this reason, becomes stupefied in this matter. I
think, when such is the case, that, there is nothing which can compare
with flesh in the matter of taste. I desire, therefore, O puissant one,
to hear what the merits are of abstention from flesh, and the demerits
that attach to the eating of flesh, O chief of Bharata's race. Thou art
conversant with every duty. Do thou discourse to me in full agreeably to
the ordinances on duty, on this subject. Do tell me what, indeed, is
edible and what inedible. Tell me, O grandsire, what is flesh, of what
substances it is, the merits that attach to abstention from it, and what
the demerits are that attach to the eating of flesh."

"'Bhishma said, "It is even so, O mighty-armed one, as thou sayest. There
is nothing on earth that is superior to flesh in point of taste. There is
nothing that is more beneficial then flesh to persons that are lean, or
weak, or afflicted with disease, or addicted to sexual congress or
exhausted with travel. Flesh speedily increases strength. It produces
great development. There is no food, O scorcher of foes, that is superior
to flesh. But, O delighter of the Kurus, the merits are great that attach
to men that abstain from it. Listen to me as I discourse to thee on it.
That man who wished to increase his own flesh by the flesh of another
living creature is such that there is none meaner and more cruel than he.
In this world there is nothing that is dearer to a creature than his
life. Hence (instead of taking that valuable possession), one should show
compassion to the lives of others as one does to one's own life. Without
doubt, O son, flesh has its origin in the vital seed. There is great
demerit attaching to its eating, as, indeed, there is merit in abstaining
from it. One does not, however, incur any fault by eating flesh
sanctified according to the ordinances of the Vedas. The audition is
heard that animals were created for sacrifice. They who eat flesh in any
other way are said to follow the Rakshasa practice. Listen