Foolish (Kshatriyas) alone, restraining wrath and joy take refuge in the
woods. The very ascetics cannot support their lives without killing
creatures. In water, on earth, and fruits, there are innumerable
creatures. It is not true that one does not slaughter them. What higher
duty is there than supporting one's life?[36] There are many creatures
that are so minute that their existence can only be inferred. With the
failing of the eyelids alone, they are destroyed. There are men who
subduing wrath and pride betake themselves to ascetic courses of life and
leaving village and towns repair to the woods. Arrived there, those men
may be seen to be so stupefied as to adopt the domestic mode of life once
more. Others may be seen, who (in the observance of domesticity) tilling
the soil, uprooting herbs, cutting off trees and killing birds and
animals, perform sacrifices and at last attain to heaven. O son of Kunti,
I have no doubt in this that the acts of all creatures become crowned
with success only when the policy of chastisement is properly applied. If
chastisement were abolished from the world, creatures wood soon be
destroyed. Like fishes in the water, stronger animals prey on the weaker.
This truth was formerly spoken by Brahmana himself, viz., that
chastisement, properly applied upholds creatures. Behold, the very fires,
when extinguished, blaze up again, in fright, when blown. This is due to
the fear of force or chastisement. If there were no chastisement in the
world distinguishing the good from the bad, then the whole world would
have been enveloped in utter darkness and all things would have been
confounded.
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