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॥ श्री ॥tantraFor reading

Mahānirvāṇa Tantra 11.131

Traditional

Ullāsas
14
Verses
2517
Minutes
1258
Level
advanced

Ullāsa 11 · Verse 131

चक्रार्पितनिषिद्धान्नभक्षणे दोषाभावःNo fault in forbidden food offered in the circle

Verse 131

अन्नाभावे च दौर्भिक्ष्ये विपदि प्राणसङ्कटे । निषिद्धेनाऽदनेनापि रक्षन् प्राणान्न पातकी ॥ १३१ ॥

annābhāvē ca daurbhikṣyē vipadi prāṇasaṅkaṭē | niṣiddhēnā’danēnāpi rakṣan prāṇānna pātakī || 131 ||

Translation

When there is no food, in famine, in disaster, when life is in danger, one who saves his life even by forbidden food is not a sinner.

Word by word

anna
food
abhāvē
when there is no
ca
and
daurbhikṣyē
in famine
vipadi
in disaster
prāṇa
life
saṅkaṭē
in danger
niṣiddhēna
forbidden
adanēna
by food
api
even
rakṣan
(rakṣan) saving
prāṇān
(prāṇān) life
na
not
pātakī
a sinner

Meaning

Necessity overrides the rules of diet.

Commentary

Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated

But does a person become a sinner who in famine and the like saves his life by eating forbidden things? To that doubt he says "anna" and the rest. Durbhikṣa: where alms are hard to get; in a time of famine, and in calamity, in flight from the troubles of the country and the like, when there is no food and life is in danger, one who saves his life even by eating forbidden food, food not to be eaten, is not a sinner.