The Cause of the Rise of Violent Sacrifice

Verse 1 (skanda.2.198.1)

स्कन्द उवाच । भाविधर्मविपर्यासकालवेगवशोऽथ सः । नाहं क्षमिष्य इत्युक्त्वा कैलासं प्रययौ मुने

skanda uvāca bhāvidharmaviparyāsakālavegavaśo'tha saḥ nāhaṁ kṣamiṣya ityuktvā kailāsaṁ prayayau mune

Skanda said: O sage, he, under the sway of the force of time destined to reverse dharma, having said, 'I shall not forgive,' departed for Kailasa.

Verse 2 (skanda.2.198.2)

त्रैलोक्याच्छ्रीरपि तदा समुद्रेन्तर्द्धिमाययौ । इन्द्रं विहायाप्सरसः सर्वशः श्रियमन्वयुः

trailokyācchrīrapi tadā samudrentarddhimāyayau indraṁ vihāyāpsarasaḥ sarvaśaḥ śriyamanvayuḥ

Then Shri too vanished from the three worlds into the ocean; and the apsaras, abandoning Indra, followed Shri in every way.

Verse 3 (skanda.2.198.3)

तपः शौचं दया सत्यं पादः सद्धर्मऋद्धयः । सिद्धयश्च बलं सत्त्वं सर्वतः श्रियमन्वयुः

tapaḥ śaucaṁ dayā satyaṁ pādaḥ saddharmaṛddhayaḥ siddhayaśca balaṁ sattvaṁ sarvataḥ śriyamanvayuḥ

Austerity, purity, compassion, truth, the very foot of true dharma, prosperity, the yogic powers, strength, and goodness — all these followed Shri away from everywhere.

Verse 4 (skanda.2.198.4)

गजादीनि च यानानि स्वर्णाद्याभूषणानि च । चिक्षिपुर्मणिरत्नानि धातूपकरणानि च

gajādīni ca yānāni svarṇādyābhūṣaṇāni ca cikṣipurmaṇiratnāni dhātūpakaraṇāni ca

Elephants and other vehicles, ornaments of gold and the like, jewels and gems, and implements of metal — all these too lost their worth.

Verse 5 (skanda.2.198.5)

अन्नान्यौषधयः स्नेहाः कालेनाल्पेन चिक्षियुः । न क्षीरं धेनुमहिषीप्रमुखानां स्तनेष्वऽभूत्

annānyauṣadhayaḥ snehāḥ kālenālpena cikṣiyuḥ na kṣīraṁ dhenumahiṣīpramukhānāṁ staneṣva'bhūt

Food-grains, herbs, and oils of nourishment perished within a short time; no milk remained in the udders of cows, buffaloes, and the like.

Verse 6 (skanda.2.198.6)

नवापि निधयो नष्टाः कुबेरस्यापि मन्दिरात । इन्द्रः सहामरगणैरासीत्तापससन्निभः

navāpi nidhayo naṣṭāḥ kuberasyāpi mandirāta indraḥ sahāmaragaṇairāsīttāpasasannibhaḥ

Even the nine treasures were lost from the very palace of Kubera; Indra, together with the hosts of the immortals, became like a destitute ascetic.

Verse 7 (skanda.2.198.7)

सर्वाणि भोगद्रव्याणि नाशमीयुस्त्रिलोकतः । देवा दैत्या मनुष्याश्च सर्वे दारिद्यपीडिताः

sarvāṇi bhogadravyāṇi nāśamīyustrilokataḥ devā daityā manuṣyāśca sarve dāridyapīḍitāḥ

All objects of enjoyment perished from the three worlds; gods, daityas, and men — all were afflicted by poverty.

Verse 8 (skanda.2.198.8)

कान्त्या हीनस्ततश्चन्द्रः प्रापाम्बुत्वं महोदधौ । अनावृष्टिर्महत्यासीद्धान्यबीजक्षयंकरी

kāntyā hīnastataścandraḥ prāpāmbutvaṁ mahodadhau anāvṛṣṭirmahatyāsīddhānyabījakṣayaṁkarī

The moon, deprived of its splendor, became pale as water in the great ocean; a great drought arose, destroying grain and seed.

Verse 9 (skanda.2.198.9)

क्वान्नं क्वान्नेति जल्पन्तः क्षुत्क्षामाश्च निरोजसः । त्यक्त्वा ग्रामान्पुरश्चोषुर्वनेषु च नगेषु च

kvānnaṁ kvānneti jalpantaḥ kṣutkṣāmāśca nirojasaḥ tyaktvā grāmānpuraścoṣurvaneṣu ca nageṣu ca

Crying out, 'Where is food, where is food?', emaciated by hunger and without vigor, they abandoned villages and towns and dwelt in forests and mountains.

Verse 10 (skanda.2.198.10)

क्षुधार्त्तास्ते पशून्हत्वा ग्राम्यानारण्यकांस्तथा । पक्त्वाऽपक्त्वापि वा केचित्तेषां मांसान्यभुञ्जत

kṣudhārttāste paśūnhatvā grāmyānāraṇyakāṁstathā paktvā'paktvāpi vā kecitteṣāṁ māṁsānyabhuñjata

Tormented by hunger, having killed animals both domestic and wild, some, whether cooking them or not, ate their flesh.

Verse 11 (skanda.2.198.11)

विद्वांसो मुनयश्चाऽथ ये वै सद्धर्मचारिणः । म्रियमाणाः क्षुधाऽथापि नाश्नन्त पललानि तु

vidvāṁso munayaścā'tha ye vai saddharmacāriṇaḥ mriyamāṇāḥ kṣudhā'thāpi nāśnanta palalāni tu

But the learned, and the sages who indeed followed true dharma, even while dying of hunger, would not eat flesh.

Verse 12 (skanda.2.198.12)

तदा तु वृद्धा ऋषयस्तान्दृष्ट्वाऽनशनादृतान् । मनुभिः सह वेदोक्तमापद्धर्ममबोधयन्

tadā tu vṛddhā ṛṣayastāndṛṣṭvā'naśanādṛtān manubhiḥ saha vedoktamāpaddharmamabodhayan

Then the aged sages, seeing them honoring their fast rather than eating flesh, together with the Manus, taught them the emergency-dharma declared in the Veda.

Verse 13 (skanda.2.198.13)

मुनयः प्रायशस्तत्र क्षुधा व्याकुलितेन्द्रियाः । परोक्षवादवेदार्थान्विपरीतान्प्रपेदिरे

munayaḥ prāyaśastatra kṣudhā vyākulitendriyāḥ parokṣavādavedārthānviparītānprapedire

The sages there, mostly with their senses disturbed by hunger, arrived at reversed misunderstandings of the Veda's indirect statements.

Verse 14 (skanda.2.198.14)

अर्थं चाजादिशब्दानां मुख्यं छागादिमेव ते । बुबुधुश्चाऽथ ते प्राहुर्यज्ञान् कुरुत भो द्विजाः

arthaṁ cājādiśabdānāṁ mukhyaṁ chāgādimeva te bubudhuścā'tha te prāhuryajñān kuruta bho dvijāḥ

They took the primary meaning of words like 'aja' and the rest to be simply 'goat' and the like, and then said: 'Perform sacrifices, O brahmins!'

Verse 15 (skanda.2.198.15)

या वेदविहिता हिंसा न सा हिंसास्ति दोषदा । उद्दिश्य देवान्पितॄंश्च ततो घ्नत पशूञ्छुभान्

yā vedavihitā hiṁsā na sā hiṁsāsti doṣadā uddiśya devānpitṝṁśca tato ghnata paśūñchubhān

'Violence enjoined by the Veda is not violence that incurs fault; therefore, dedicating them to the gods and ancestors, slay auspicious animals.'

Verse 16 (skanda.2.198.16)

प्रोक्षितं देवताभ्यश्च पितृभ्यश्च निवेदितम् । भुञ्जत स्वेप्सितं मांसं स्वार्थं तु घ्नत मा पशून्

prokṣitaṁ devatābhyaśca pitṛbhyaśca niveditam bhuñjata svepsitaṁ māṁsaṁ svārthaṁ tu ghnata mā paśūn

'Eat the meat you desire, once it has been consecrated and offered to the gods and ancestors — but do not kill animals for your own selfish purpose.'

Verse 17 (skanda.2.198.17)

ततो देवर्षिभूपाला नराश्च स्वस्वशक्तितः । चक्रुस्तैर्बोधिता यज्ञानृते ह्येकान्तिकान्हरेः

tato devarṣibhūpālā narāśca svasvaśaktitaḥ cakrustairbodhitā yajñānṛte hyekāntikānhareḥ

Then the gods, sages, kings, and men, each according to their own capacity, thus instructed, performed sacrifices — all except the single-minded devotees of Hari.

Verse 18 (skanda.2.198.18)

गोमेधमश्वमेधं च नरमेधमुखान्मखान् । चक्रुर्यज्ञावशिष्टानि मांसानि बुभुजुश्च ते

gomedhamaśvamedhaṁ ca naramedhamukhānmakhān cakruryajñāvaśiṣṭāni māṁsāni bubhujuśca te

They performed sacrifices beginning with the Gomedha, Ashvamedha, and Naramedha, and ate the meat left over from the sacrifice.

Verse 19 (skanda.2.198.19)

विनष्टायाः श्रियः प्राप्त्यै केचिद्यज्ञांश्च चक्रिरे । स्त्रीपुत्रमंदिराद्यर्थं केचिच्च स्वीयवृत्तये

vinaṣṭāyāḥ śriyaḥ prāptyai kecidyajñāṁśca cakrire strīputramaṁdirādyarthaṁ kecicca svīyavṛttaye

Some performed sacrifices for the sake of regaining lost fortune; others for the sake of wife, sons, home and the like, and for their own livelihood.

Verse 20 (skanda.2.198.20)

महायज्ञेष्वशक्तास्तु पितॄनुदिश्य भूरिशः । निहत्य श्राद्धेषु पशून्मांसान्यादंस्तथाऽऽदयन्

mahāyajñeṣvaśaktāstu pitṝnudiśya bhūriśaḥ nihatya śrāddheṣu paśūnmāṁsānyādaṁstathā''dayan

Those unable to perform great sacrifices, dedicating offerings extensively to the ancestors, killed animals in the shraddha rites, and ate and served their flesh.

Verse 21 (skanda.2.198.21)

केचित्सरित्समुद्राणां तीरेष्वेवावसञ्जनाः । मत्स्याञ्जालैरुपादाय तदाहारा बभूविरे

kecitsaritsamudrāṇāṁ tīreṣvevāvasañjanāḥ matsyāñjālairupādāya tadāhārā babhūvire

Some, dwelling on the banks of rivers and seas, took fish with nets and lived on them as food.

Verse 22 (skanda.2.198.22)

स्वगृहागतशिष्टेभ्यः पशूनेव निहत्य च । निवेदयामासुरेते गोछागप्रमुखान्मुने

svagṛhāgataśiṣṭebhyaḥ paśūneva nihatya ca nivedayāmāsurete gochāgapramukhānmune

O sage, these people, killing cows, goats, and other animals, served them to the virtuous guests who came to their homes.

Verse 23 (skanda.2.198.23)

सजातीयविवाहानां नियमश्च तदा क्वचित् । नाभवद्धर्मसांकर्याद्वित्तवेश्माद्यभावतः

sajātīyavivāhānāṁ niyamaśca tadā kvacit nābhavaddharmasāṁkaryādvittaveśmādyabhāvataḥ

Then, in some places, even the rule of marrying within one's own caste ceased to hold, because of the confusion of dharma and the lack of wealth and dwellings.

Verse 24 (skanda.2.198.24)

ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रियादीनां क्षत्राद्या ब्रह्मणां सुताः । उपयेमिरे कालगत्या स्वस्ववंशविवृद्धये

brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyādīnāṁ kṣatrādyā brahmaṇāṁ sutāḥ upayemire kālagatyā svasvavaṁśavivṛddhaye

Brahmins married the daughters of kshatriyas and others, and kshatriyas married the daughters of brahmins, through the course of time, for the increase of their own lineages.

Verse 25 (skanda.2.198.25)

इत्थं हिंसामया यज्ञाः संप्रवृत्ता महापदि । धर्मस्त्वाभासमात्रोऽस्थात्स्वयं तु श्रियमन्वगात्

itthaṁ hiṁsāmayā yajñāḥ saṁpravṛttā mahāpadi dharmastvābhāsamātro'sthātsvayaṁ tu śriyamanvagāt

Thus, in that great calamity, sacrifices full of violence came into practice; dharma remained only a semblance, while true dharma itself followed after Shri into hiding.

Verse 26 (skanda.2.198.26)

अधर्मः सान्वयो लोकांस्त्रीनपि व्याप्य सर्वतः । अवर्द्धताऽल्पकालेन दुर्निवार्यो बुधैरपि

adharmaḥ sānvayo lokāṁstrīnapi vyāpya sarvataḥ avarddhatā'lpakālena durnivāryo budhairapi

Adharma, together with its offspring, pervading all three worlds entirely, grew within a short time, impossible to check even by the wise.

Verse 27 (skanda.2.198.27)

दरिद्राणामथैतेषामपत्यानि तु भूरिशः । तेषां च वंशविस्तारो महाँल्लोकेष्ववर्द्धत

daridrāṇāmathaiteṣāmapatyāni tu bhūriśaḥ teṣāṁ ca vaṁśavistāro mahā~llokeṣvavarddhata

Then the children of these impoverished people multiplied greatly, and the vast spread of their lineage increased throughout the world.

Verse 28 (skanda.2.198.28)

विद्वांसस्तत्र ये जातास्ते तु धर्मं तमेव हि । मेनिरे मुख्यमेवाऽथ ग्रन्थांश्चक्रुश्च तादृशान्

vidvāṁsastatra ye jātāste tu dharmaṁ tameva hi menire mukhyamevā'tha granthāṁścakruśca tādṛśān

The learned ones who were born among them regarded that very practice as the principal dharma, and composed texts of that same kind.

Verse 29 (skanda.2.198.29)

ते परम्परया ग्रन्थाः प्रामाण्यं प्रतिपेदिरे । आद्ये त्रेतायुगे हीत्थमासीद्धर्मस्य विप्लवः

te paramparayā granthāḥ prāmāṇyaṁ pratipedire ādye tretāyuge hītthamāsīddharmasya viplavaḥ

Those texts, through tradition, came to be regarded as authoritative. Thus, indeed, in the first Treta Yuga, this overturning of dharma occurred.

Verse 30 (skanda.2.198.30)

ततःप्रभृति लोकेषु यज्ञादौ पशुहिंसनम् । बभूव सत्ये तु युगे धर्म आसीत्सनातनः

tataḥprabhṛti lokeṣu yajñādau paśuhiṁsanam babhūva satye tu yuge dharma āsītsanātanaḥ

From then onward, the slaying of animals in sacrifices and the like came to exist in the world; but in the Satya Yuga before it, dharma had remained ever eternal and unbroken.

Verse 31 (skanda.2.198.31)

कालेन महता सोपि सह देवैः सुराधिपः । आराध्य संपदं प्राप वासुदेवं प्रभुं मुने

kālena mahatā sopi saha devaiḥ surādhipaḥ ārādhya saṁpadaṁ prāpa vāsudevaṁ prabhuṁ mune

O sage, after a great length of time, the lord of the gods too, together with the gods, having worshipped the Lord Vasudeva, regained his lost prosperity.

Verse 32 (skanda.2.198.32)

ततो धर्मनिकेतस्य श्रीपतेः कृपया हरेः । यथापूर्वं च सद्धर्मस्त्रिलोक्यां संप्रवर्त्तत

tato dharmaniketasya śrīpateḥ kṛpayā hareḥ yathāpūrvaṁ ca saddharmastrilokyāṁ saṁpravarttata

Then, by the grace of Hari, the Lord of Shri, the very abode of dharma, true dharma again came to prevail in the three worlds just as before.

Verse 33 (skanda.2.198.33)

तत्रापि केचिन्मुनयो नृपा देवाश्च मानुषाः । कामक्रोधरसास्वादलोभोपहतसद्धियः । तमापद्धर्ममद्यापि प्राधान्येनैव मन्वते

tatrāpi kecinmunayo nṛpā devāśca mānuṣāḥ kāmakrodharasāsvādalobhopahatasaddhiyaḥ tamāpaddharmamadyāpi prādhānyenaiva manvate

Even so, some sages, kings, gods, and men, their right understanding damaged by desire, anger, the taste for pleasure, and greed, still even today regard that emergency-dharma as the principal one.

Verse 34 (skanda.2.198.34)

एकान्तिनो भागवता जितकामादयस्तु ये । आपद्यपि न तेऽगृह्णंस्तं तदा किमुताऽन्यदा

ekāntino bhāgavatā jitakāmādayastu ye āpadyapi na te'gṛhṇaṁstaṁ tadā kimutā'nyadā

But the single-minded Bhagavatas, who have conquered desire and the rest — even in calamity they did not accept it; how much less at any other time?

Verse 35 (skanda.2.198.35)

इत्थं ब्रह्मन्नादिकल्पे हिंस्रयज्ञप्रवर्त्तनम् । यथासीत्तन्मयाख्यातमापत्कालवशाद्भुवि

itthaṁ brahmannādikalpe hiṁsrayajñapravarttanam yathāsīttanmayākhyātamāpatkālavaśādbhuvi

Thus, O brahmin, I have told you how, in the first kalpa, the introduction of violent sacrifice came about on earth, under the sway of a time of calamity.