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## Violent and Condemnable
**Yoga Shastra, Second Light, Verses 23-26**
**Explanation:** Even if a dying being is offered mountains of gold or kingdoms, it will not accept them, considering them undesirable. It only desires to live. Therefore, the sin of violence arising from killing beings who cherish life cannot be atoned for even by donating the entire earth. The scriptures also say, "Among all donations, the donation of safety is the most important." (22)
How condemnable is the life of those who commit violence? This is explained in the next four verses.
**Verse 23:**
**Meaning:** In the forest, what is the difference between a man who kills deer for meat and a dog, when both are consuming air, water, and grass?
**Explanation:** Can creatures living in the forest, not on land owned by anyone, ever be criminals? Therefore, it is said that these forest-dwelling deer are free from crimes like stealing wealth, breaking into others' homes, killing, and looting. There are further reasons for their innocence: they consume air, water, and grass. Since these three things do not belong to anyone else, those who consume them are not criminals. The term "meat-seeker" here should be understood as "greedy for deer meat" in the context. The word "deer" should be taken to include all creatures that roam the forest, eating grass and other vegetation. In this way, how can a man who is eager to kill innocent deer be considered any less than a dog that is greedy for meat? In other words, he should be considered even worse than a dog. (23)
**Verse 24:**
**Meaning:** If even a small thorn pricks any part of his body, a man is distressed. How then can he kill innocent creatures with sharp weapons? Why doesn't he consider the pain he would experience himself at that time?
**Explanation:** Indeed, one who does not recognize the suffering of others as equal to his own suffering is considered condemnable in the world. Those warriors who are addicted to hunting animals have been clearly told, "Your valor in violence will lead you to hell." How unjust is it for one who is stronger to kill the helpless, innocent, and extremely weak? What kind of immorality is this? What injustice is this against innocent beings? It is a great pity that the whole world has become lawless.
**Verse 25:**
**Meaning:** Those who commit cruel deeds, seeking only momentary satisfaction for themselves, destroy all the births of the embodied being.
**Explanation:** Those who commit violent acts like hunting, etc., for the momentary satisfaction of their tongue, for the sake of a little desire of the tongue, end the births of other beings. This means that their momentary satisfaction from the meat of other beings ends the entire life of that other being. This is a great cruelty. The Smriti-kar also says, "Consider the difference between the creature whose flesh the cruel man eats and that cruel man. One is satisfied for a moment, while the other is completely deprived of life." (25)
**Verse 26:**
**Meaning:** Even just saying "Die!" makes a being sorrowful. How much pain does a creature experience when it is being killed with terrible weapons?
**Explanation:** Not only by killing, but even by simply saying "Die!", a being experiences suffering like death.