nÄrada kahe, — "ardha mÄrile jÄ«va pÄya vyathÄ
jÄ«ve duḥkha ditecha, tomÄra ha-ibe aiche avasthÄ

 nÄrada kahe - NÄrada Muni replied; ardha mÄrile - by half-killing the animals; jÄ«va pÄya vyathÄ - the living beings suffer too much pain; jÄ«ve duḥkha ditecha - you are giving troubles to the living beings; tomÄra - your; ha-ibe - there will be; aiche avasthÄ - the same suffering in retaliation.


Text

“NÄrada Muni replied, ‘If you leave the animals half-dead, you are purposefully giving them pain. Therefore you will have to suffer in retaliation.’

Purport

This is an authoritative statement given by the greatest authority, NÄrada Muni. If one gives another living entity unnecessary pain, one will certainly be punished by the laws of nature with a similar pain. Although the hunter Má¹›gÄri was uncivilized, he still had to suffer the results of his sinful activities. However, if a civilized man kills animals regularly in a slaughterhouse to maintain his so-called civilization, using scientific methods and machines to kill animals, one cannot even estimate the suffering awaiting him. So-called civilized people consider themselves very advanced in education, but they do not know about the stringent laws of nature. According to nature’s law, it is a life for a life. We can hardly imagine the sufferings of one who maintains a slaughterhouse. He endures suffering not only in this life, but in his next life also. It is said that a hunter, murderer or killer is advised not to live and not to die. If he lives, he accumulates even more sins, which bring about more suffering in a future life. He is advised not to die because his dying means that he immediately begins to endure more suffering. Therefore he is advised not to live and not to die.

As followers of the Vedic principles, we accept the statements of NÄrada Muni in this regard. It is our duty to see that no one suffers due to sinful activities. Foolish rascals are described in the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ as mÄyayÄpahá¹›ta-jñÄnÄḥ, which indicates that although they are superficially educated, mÄyÄ has taken their real knowledge away. Such people are presently leading human society. In ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam they are described as andhÄ yathÄndhair upanÄ«yamÄnÄḥ. These rascals are themselves blind, and yet they are leading others who are blind. When people follow such leaders, they suffer unlimited pains in the future. Despite so-called advancement, all this is happening. Who is safe? Who is happy? Who is without anxiety?