Conclusion of Teachings to Sanatan Goswami
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ally compassionate for the miseries of the living entities, and so what to speak of great Narada? He became very aggrieved by this scene, and after proceeding a few steps, he saw the hunter engaged in hunting with his bow and arrows. The hunter's complexion was very black, and his eyes were red, and it was dangerous even to see him standing there with his bow and arrows, just like an associate of Yamaraja—Death. Seeing him in that position, Narada Muni entered deeper into the forest and approached him. And, while Narada Muni was passing through the forest, all the animals who were caught in the hunter's traps fled away. The hunter became very angry over this, and he was just going to call Narada vile names but, by the influence of Narada, who was such a saintly person, the hunter could not utter ill names.
Rather, with gentle behavior, he inquired from Narada: "My dear sir, why have you come before me while I am hunting? Are you astray from the general path? By your coming here all the animals assembled in my traps have now fled away."
Narada replied, "Yes, I'm sorry. I have come to you to find my own path, just to inquire from you. But I have seen that there are many boars and deer and rabbits on the path, and they are lying on the forest floor flapping before death, half-dead. Who has committed these sinful acts?"
The hunter replied, "What you have seen is all right; it is done by me."
Then Narada said, "If you are hunting all these poor animals, why don't you kill them at once? You half-kill them, and they are flapping in death-pains. This is a great sin. If you want to kill any animal, why don't you kill it completely? Why do you leave it half-killed, and allow the animal to die flapping?"
The hunter replied, "My dear Lord, my name is Mrigari, the enemy of the animals. According to the teachings of my father, I have been raised to half-kill the animals by leaving them flapping. When a half-dead animal flaps, I take great pleasure in that."
Narada then implored the hunter; "I beg one thing from you, and please accept it."
The hunter replied, "Oh, yes sir, I shall give you whatever you like. If you want some animal skins, come to my home. I have so many skins of animals, tigers, and deer. Whatever you like I shall give you."
Narada replied, "I do not want such things. But I want something else. If you kindly grant it to me, then I shall tell you. Please, henceforth from tomorrow, whenever you kill an animal, please kill it completely, and don't leave it half-dead."