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violence and nonviolence, on a full belly! But my belly is empty. I suffer the pangs of hunger and your philosophy does not allay them.”.
And who can gainsay the truth of this argument? Is not hunger the root of evil: It destroys beauty and youth. It leads to feuds among kith and kin. Hunger makes man forget his culture, his humanity.
Encouraged by the effect that his argument had obviously produced, the hawk continued with greater vehemence, “My Lord, manners and modesty, honour and shame, affection and tolerance, even morality and religion, stand unshaken only so long as they are not ground in the mill of hunger."
Meghrath replied calmly, “I do not deny the validity of your argument. Hunger is indeed a terrible monster; the pangs it causes are unbearable. I am ready to offer you any food you wish. You have only to order what you like, and I assure you, you shall have it."
“Flesh! Nothing but flesh!" screamed the hawk eagerly.
"I can give you any food but flesh,” pleaded the Raja. “How can I, pledged to nonviolence, take the life of any living creature to satisfy your hunger: It would be against my religion.”
The hawk replied with impatience, “I've told you plainly that nothing but flesh will satisfy me-living
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