English Translation:
The law should be such that no person can inflict cruelty on other human beings, creatures, animals, horses or cows.
— Rigveda 10.87.16
यः पौरुषेयेण क्रविषा समङ्क्ते यो अश्व्येन पशुना यातुधानः ।
यो अघ्न्याया भरति क्षीरमग्ने तेषां शीर्षाणि हरसापि वृश्च ॥
– Rigveda 10.87.16
yah pauruseyena kravisa samankte yo asveyena pasunayatudhanah ।
yo aghnyaya bharati ksiramagne tesamsirsani harasapi vrsca ।।
– Rigveda 10.87.16
Translation >
Whoever feeds himself upon the flesh of humanity (creatures), whoever prospers by animal wealth at the cost of animal wealth by destroying it, whoever carries off the milk of the inviolable cow and destroys the fertility of the earth, O Agni, strike off their heads with light and truthful force.
— ancient scripture
Translation by Various Authors >
1. Whoever feeds himself upon the flesh of humanity, whoever prospers by animal wealth at the cost of animal wealth by destroying it, whoever carries off the milk of the inviolable cow and destroys the fertility of the earth, O Agni, strike off their heads with light and passion for truth.
– Dr. Tulsi Ram
2. The mantra contains a command for the king: 1. Those who eat human flesh, 2. Those who eat horse flesh, 3. Those who eat the flesh of other animals, and 4. Those who drink all the cow’s milk themselves without giving any to the calf—O King! Cut off the heads of such wicked persons with your sharp weapons.
– Swami Jagdishwaranand
3. The law should be such that no person can inflict cruelty on other human beings, horses, other animals, or cows.
– Pt. Harisharan Siddhantalankar
4. The law should be such that no person can inflict cruelty on other human beings, horses, other animals, or cows.
– Pt. Harisharan Siddhantalankar
5. One who partakes of human flesh, the flesh of a horse or of another animal, and deprives others of milk by slaughtering cows, O King, if such a fiend does not desist by other means, then you should not hesitate to cut off his head.”
6. The fiend who smears himself with flesh of cattle, with flesh of horses and of human bodies,
Who steals the milch-cow’s milk away, O Agni,—tear off the heads of such with fiery fury.
– Ralph T.H. Griffith
7. “The Yātudhāna, who fills himself with the flesh of man, and he who fills himself with the flesh ofhorses or of other animals, and he who steals the milk of the cow– cut off their heads with your flame.”
– H. H. Wilson
About this Mantra >
According to this mantra, all kinds of meat-eating are strictly prohibited. The correct interpretation of ‘Adhnyāyāḥ kṣīraṁ bharati’ is that it refers to those who take all the milk themselves without giving any to the calf. It is incorrect to interpret this mantra as meaning that those who drink cow’s milk should be killed, because elsewhere in the Vedas it is said, ‘Payaḥ paśūnām’ (Atharva Veda 19.31.5), meaning, “O man! You should only take the milk of animals.”
Rigveda 10.87.16 condemns those who consume human, horse, or other animal flesh, especially those harming cows, advocating severe punishment for such “fiends” who deprive others of milk and life, highlighting a Vedic stance against meat-eating and promoting respect for cows
Details of the mantra:
Subject of mantra: The subject of mantra is Agni;
Diety of the mantra: The God or diety or the devta of the mantra is Agni Rakshoha;
The verse of the mantra: Verse (meter) or Chhanda is Bhuriktrishtup;
The tone of the mantra: Tone or Swara is dhaivatah;
The sage of the mantra: The Sage or Rishi of the mantra is Payuh.