।।2.31।।अपि च इदं प्रारब्धं युद्धं प्राणिमारणम् अपि अग्नीषोमीयादिवत् स्वधर्मम् अवेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुम् अर्हसि धर्म्यात् न्यायतः प्रवृत्तात् युद्धाद् अन्यत् न हि क्षत्रियस्य श्रेयो विद्यते। शौर्यं तेजो धृतिर्दाक्ष्यं युद्धे चाप्यपलायनम्। दानमीश्वरभावश्च क्षात्रं कर्म स्वभावजम्।।(गीता 18।43) इति हि वक्ष्यते।अग्नीषोमीयादिषु च न हिंसा पशोः निहीनतरच्छागादिदेहपरित्यागपूर्वककल्याणदेहस्वर्गादिप्रापकत्वश्रुतेः संज्ञपनस्य।न वा उ वेतन्म्रियसे न रिष्यसि देवाँ इदेषि पथिभिः सुगेभिः। यत्र यान्ति सुकृतो नापि दुष्कृतस्तत्र त्वा देवः सविता दधातु (यजुर्वेद 4।6।9।43) इति हि श्रूयते।इह च युद्धे मृतानां कल्याणतरदेहादिप्राप्तिः उक्ता वासांसि जीर्णानि (गीता 2।22) इत्यादिना। अतः चिकित्सककर्म आतुरस्थ इव अस्य रक्षणम् एव अग्नीषोमीयादिषु संज्ञपनम्।
2.31 Further, even though there is killing of life in this war which has begun, it is not fit for you to waver, considering your own duty, as in the Agnisomiya and other sacrifices involving slaughter. To a Ksatriya, there is no greater good than a righteous war, begun for a just cause. It will be declared in the Gita: 'Valour, non-defeat (by the enemies), fortitude, adroitness and also not fleeing from battle, generosity, lordliness - these are the duties of the Ksatriya born of his very nature.' (18.43).
In Agnisomiya etc., no injury is caused to the animal to be immolated; for, according to the Vedic Text, the victim, a he-goat, after abandoning an inferior body, will attain heaven etc., with a beautiful body. The Text pertaining to immolation declares: 'O animal, by this (immolation) you will never die, you are not destroyed. You will pass through happy paths to the realm of the gods, where the virtuous only reach and not the sinful. May the god Savitr give you a proper place.' (Yaj. 4.6.9.46). Likewise the attainment of more beautiful bodies by those who die here in this war has been declared in the Gita, 'As a man casts off worn-out garments and takes others that are new ৷৷.' (2.22). Hence, just as lancing and such other operations of a surgeon are for curing a patient, the immolation of the sacrificial animal in the Agnisomiya etc., is only for its good.
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