एवं साधारणं देहमव्यक्तप्रभवाप्ययम् । को विद्वानात्मसात्कृत्वा हन्ति जन्तूनृतेऽसत: ॥ १२ ॥
evaṁ sādhāraṇaṁ deham avyakta-prabhavāpyayam ko vidvān ātmasāt kṛtvā hanti jantūn ṛte ’sataḥ
- evam
- in this way
- sādhāraṇam
- common property
- deham
- the body
- avyakta
- from unmanifested nature
- prabhava
- manifested in that way
- apyayam
- and again merged with the unmanifested (“for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return”)
- kaḥ
- who is that person
- vidvān
- one who is actually in knowledge
- ātmasāt kṛtvā
- claiming as his own
- hanti
- kills
- jantūn
- poor animals
- ṛte
- except
- asataḥ
- rascals who have no knowledge, no clear understanding
This body, after all, is produced by the unmanifested nature and again annihilated and merged in the natural elements. Therefore, it is the common property of everyone. Under the circumstances, who but a rascal claims this property as his own and while maintaining it commits such sinful activities as killing animals just to satisfy his whims? Unless one is a rascal, one cannot commit such sinful activities.