Karma Yoga Sastra -Tilak
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CHAPTER II
THE DESIRE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ACTION
(KARMA-JIJNASA) On these occasions, self-protection is considered to be of higher importance than Harmlessness. The killing of tender infants (bhruna-hatya) is considered to be the most objectionable of murders; but, if the child is being born by transverse presentation, is it not necessary to cut the child and deliver the mother? The slaughter of animals for the purposes of ritualistic sacrifice (yajna) is considered blameless even by the Vedas [1] ; yet, that at least can be avoided by making an animal of flour for purposes of sacrifice [2]. But how are you going to stop the killing of the numerous micro-organisms with which the air, water, fruit etc., and all other places are filled ? Arjuna in the Maha- bharata says:- suksmayomni bhutani tarkagamyani kanicit I paksmano 'pi nipatena yesam syat skandha-paryayah II [3] i.e., " there are in this world so many micro-organisms invisible to the naked eye, of which the existence can, however, he imagined, that merely by the moving of one's eye-lids, their limbs will be destroyed " ! Then, where is the sense of repeat- ing orally : ' Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not kill " ? It is on the basis of this discrimination, that hunting has been justified in the Anusasanaparva [4] In the Vana-parva, there is a story that a Brahmin, being urged by anger to destroy a virtuous woman, and heing unsuccessful, surrendered himself to that woman ; then, that woman sent him to a hunter in order to learn from him the true import of one's duties. This hunter earned his living by selling flesh and he was extremely devoted to his parents. Seeing the way in which the hunter was earning his living, this Brahmin was filled with intense surprise and sorrow. Then the hunter explained to him the true principle of Harmlessness and opened his eyes ! Does not everybody eat everybody else in this world ? " Jivo jivasya jivanam ' [5] i.e., " life is the life of life ", is an eternal truth; and it is stated not only in the Smrtis [6] but also in the Upanisads [7] that in times of distress " pranasyan- nam idain sarvam", i.e., " all this is the food for life ". If every one becomes harmless, how is warriorship to continue ? And when once warriorship has come to an end, subject-people will have no protectors and anybody will he in a position to destroy anybody else. In short, the ordinary rules of morality are not always sufficient, and even the most principle maxim of Ethics, namely that of Harmlessness, does not escape the necessity of discrimination between the duty and the non-duty.
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