e, like a Rakshasa, any
meat that has been obtained by means not sanctioned by the ordinance.
Indeed, one should never eat flesh obtained from useless slaughter and
that has not been sanctified by the ordinance. That man who wishes to
avoid calamity of every kind should abstain from the meat of every living
creature. It is heard that in the ancient Kalpa, persons, desirous of
attaining to regions of merit hereafter, performed sacrifices with seeds,
regarding such animals as dedicated by them. Filled with doubts
respecting the propriety of eating flesh, the Rishis asked Vasu the ruler
of the Chedis for solving them. King Vasu, knowing that flesh is
inedible, answered that is was edible, O monarch. From that moment Vasu
fell down from the firmament on the earth. After this he once more
repeated his opinion, with the result that he had to sink below the earth
for it. Desirous of benefiting all men, the high-souled Agastya, by the
aid of his penances, dedicated, once for all, all wild animals of the
deer species to the deities. Hence, there is no longer any necessity of
sanctifying those animals for offering them to the deities and the
Pitris. Served with flesh according to the ordinance, the Pitris become
gratified. Listen to me, O king of kings, as I tell thee this, O sinless
one. There is complete happiness in abstaining from meat, O monarch. He
that undergoes severe austerities for a hundred years and he that
abstains from meat, are both equal in point of merit. Even this is my
opinion, In the lighted fortnight of the month of Karttika in especial,
one should abstain from honey and meat. In this, it has been ordained,
there is great merit. He who abstains from meat for the four months of
the rains acquires the four valued blessings of achievements, longevity,
fame and might. He who abstains for the whole month of Karttika from meat
of every kind, transcends all kinds of woe and lives in complete
happiness. They who abstain from flesh by either months or fortnights at
a stretch have the region of Brahma ordained for them in consequence of
their abstention from cruelty. Many kings in ancient days, O son of
Pritha, who had constituted themselves the souls of all creatures and who
were conversant with the truths of all things, viz., Soul and Not-soul,
had abstained from flesh either for the whole of the month of Karttika or
for the whole of the lighted fortnight in that month. They were Nabhaga
and Amvarisha and the high-soul