Manava Dharmashastra 5.48

5.48

sarvasya hiṃsāpratiṣedhaślokasaṅghātasya māṃsabhakṣaṇaśeṣatāṃ darśayati | yāvatprāṇino na hatāstāvanmāṃsaṃ notpadyate | hiṃsā cātiśayena duḥkhānvahā | tasmāṃnmāṃsaṃ vivarjayet | "nanu ca svayaṃ mṛtānāṃ bhavatyeva māṃsaṃ kimidamucyate 'nākṛtveti' ” | arthavādo'yam | svayaṃ mṛtānāṃ ca māṃsaṃ rogahetutvādaprāptameva | na hyahatvā māṃsaṃ bhakṣyate | na ca rogahetordānamasti | utpadyata iti māṃsasya hiṃsānimittatvātkartṛvyapadeśo samānakartṛkatvaṃ bhavatyevāviruddham | atha votpadyata iti na ca svargya iti | na svargānutpattihetumātramabhipretamapi tu narakādiduḥkhahetutvam |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
This verse show’s that all the verses forbidding the killing of animals are auxiliary to the prohibition of meat-eating.

As a matter of fact, until animals have been killed, meat cannot be obtained; and killing is very painful. Hence one should avoid meat.

“Meat can be obtained from animals that die of themselves; how is it then that it is said that it cannot be obtained without encompassing the death of animals?”

The verse is a purely commendatory exaggeration. Further, there can be no idea of any one eating the meat of animals dying of themselves, for the simple reason that such meat is the source of disease. Meat is never eaten without being offered, and what is a source of disease can never be offered as gift.

‘Utpadyate’;—the meat is brought about by killing; hence the nominative of hilling and of obtaining may be regarded as one and the same; so that there is nothing incongruous in the expression ‘nākṛtvā utpadyate’. Or, ‘utpadyate’ may be construed along with ‘does not lead to Heaven.’ What is meant is, not only that it does not lead to heaven, but also that it leads to hell and other evils.—(48)