The example of sage kausika having learnt the lessons of dharma from a saintly and pious butcher of mithilA known as dharmavyAdha - has been often quoted (or misquoted as I now find) by the supporters of meatism.
So it happened a few days back that in an idle-argument this gentleman quoted the same example which prompted me to look up the original source.
The episode is from vana-parva the third book of mahAbharata.
Led by some strange incidents, Sage kausika in his youth was inspired by a housewife to travel to mithila and look for a certain butcher, and take him as his teacher. So he did, and located a butcher known as dharma-vyAdha. Finally a lengthy discourse follows and kausika stays for a few days in the house of this virtuous dharma-vyAdha and learns the lessons on dharma, ethics, morality, virtue and so on.
a few parts of the lengthy tale, which are relevant to what this great saintly butcher says about he himself eating meat.
~~~~~~~~
(KM Ganguly's translation
Continually reflecting upon that wonderful discourse
of the woman, Kausika ... said to himself, 'I should
accept with reverence what the lady hath said and should, therefore,
repair to Mithila.
And he traversed many forests and villages and towns and at last
reached Mithila that was ruled over by Janaka and he beheld the city
to be adorned with the flags of various creeds.
And there the Brahmana enquired about the virtuous fowler and was
answered by some twice-born persons. And repairing to the place indicated
by those regenerate ones, the Brahmana beheld the fowler seated in a
butcher's yard and the ascetic fowler was then selling venison and
buffalo meat and in consequence of the large concourse of buyers gathered
round that fowler, Kausika stood at a distance.
But the fowler, apprehending that the Brahmana had come to him,
suddenly rose from his seat and went to that secluded spot where the
Brahmana was staying and having approached him there,
the fowler said, 'I salute thee, O holy one!...Thou art now standing in
place that is scarcely proper for thee, O sinless one. If it pleasest
thee, let us go to my abode, O holy one!...
'So be it,' said the Brahmana unto him, gladly....
And thereupon, the fowler proceeded towards his home with the Brahmana
walking before him. And entering his abode that looked delightful, the
fowler reverenced his guest by offering him a seat. And he also gave him
water to wash his feet and face.
And accepting these, that best of
Brahmanas sat at his ease And he then addressed the fowler, saying, 'It
seems to me that this profession doth not befit thee. O fowler, I deeply
regret that thou shouldst follow such a cruel trade.'
At these words of the Brahmana the fowler said,
'This profession is that of my family, myself having inherited it from my
sires and grandsires. O regenerate one, grieve not for me owing to my
adhering to the duties that belong to me by birth. Discharging the duties
ordained for me beforehand by the Creator, I carefully serve my superiors
and the old. O thou best of Brahmanas! I always speak the truth, never
envy others; and give to the best of my power. I live upon what remaineth
after serving the gods, guests, and those that depend on me.
I never speak ill of anything, small or great.
O thou best of Brahmanas, the actions of a former life always
follow the doer.
<span style='color:red'>As regards myself, O Brahmana, I always
sell pork and buffalo meat without slaying those animals myself. I sell
meat of animals, O regenerate Rishi, that have been slain by others. I
never eat meat myself;</span> ...
...Even though the behaviour of his order is bad, a person may yet be
himself of good behaviour. So also a person may become virtuous,
although he may be slayer of animals by profession.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(after this there are many other very complex points of discussion about morality and ethics too - including dharma-vyAdha defending meat-eaters although he himself is not one of them.)
So it happened a few days back that in an idle-argument this gentleman quoted the same example which prompted me to look up the original source.
The episode is from vana-parva the third book of mahAbharata.
Led by some strange incidents, Sage kausika in his youth was inspired by a housewife to travel to mithila and look for a certain butcher, and take him as his teacher. So he did, and located a butcher known as dharma-vyAdha. Finally a lengthy discourse follows and kausika stays for a few days in the house of this virtuous dharma-vyAdha and learns the lessons on dharma, ethics, morality, virtue and so on.
a few parts of the lengthy tale, which are relevant to what this great saintly butcher says about he himself eating meat.
~~~~~~~~
(KM Ganguly's translation
Continually reflecting upon that wonderful discourse
of the woman, Kausika ... said to himself, 'I should
accept with reverence what the lady hath said and should, therefore,
repair to Mithila.
And he traversed many forests and villages and towns and at last
reached Mithila that was ruled over by Janaka and he beheld the city
to be adorned with the flags of various creeds.
And there the Brahmana enquired about the virtuous fowler and was
answered by some twice-born persons. And repairing to the place indicated
by those regenerate ones, the Brahmana beheld the fowler seated in a
butcher's yard and the ascetic fowler was then selling venison and
buffalo meat and in consequence of the large concourse of buyers gathered
round that fowler, Kausika stood at a distance.
But the fowler, apprehending that the Brahmana had come to him,
suddenly rose from his seat and went to that secluded spot where the
Brahmana was staying and having approached him there,
the fowler said, 'I salute thee, O holy one!...Thou art now standing in
place that is scarcely proper for thee, O sinless one. If it pleasest
thee, let us go to my abode, O holy one!...
'So be it,' said the Brahmana unto him, gladly....
And thereupon, the fowler proceeded towards his home with the Brahmana
walking before him. And entering his abode that looked delightful, the
fowler reverenced his guest by offering him a seat. And he also gave him
water to wash his feet and face.
And accepting these, that best of
Brahmanas sat at his ease And he then addressed the fowler, saying, 'It
seems to me that this profession doth not befit thee. O fowler, I deeply
regret that thou shouldst follow such a cruel trade.'
At these words of the Brahmana the fowler said,
'This profession is that of my family, myself having inherited it from my
sires and grandsires. O regenerate one, grieve not for me owing to my
adhering to the duties that belong to me by birth. Discharging the duties
ordained for me beforehand by the Creator, I carefully serve my superiors
and the old. O thou best of Brahmanas! I always speak the truth, never
envy others; and give to the best of my power. I live upon what remaineth
after serving the gods, guests, and those that depend on me.
I never speak ill of anything, small or great.
O thou best of Brahmanas, the actions of a former life always
follow the doer.
<span style='color:red'>As regards myself, O Brahmana, I always
sell pork and buffalo meat without slaying those animals myself. I sell
meat of animals, O regenerate Rishi, that have been slain by others. I
never eat meat myself;</span> ...
...Even though the behaviour of his order is bad, a person may yet be
himself of good behaviour. So also a person may become virtuous,
although he may be slayer of animals by profession.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(after this there are many other very complex points of discussion about morality and ethics too - including dharma-vyAdha defending meat-eaters although he himself is not one of them.)