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In the Shantiparva of the Epic Mahabharata, Vishwamitra, starving and desperately hungry because of the famine, is in search of food. He finds a fresh piece of dog meat outside a hut. He is about to take the meat and leave, when Chandala, the owner of the hut, warns him that doing so would spoil his dharma, and years of his penance would be destroyed. Vishwamitra replies that in extraordinary situations, life is preferable to death, and dharma can be attained only when one is alive.
Another truth that Mahabharata teaches us through Vishwamitra in Shantiparva, as mentioned above, is that law cannot merely be studied. It has to be continuously tested through reason. There is no absolute or rigid law. The law of ordinary life is different from the dharma in crisis situations, and such situations are infinite, so how can law be reduced to a mere rigid code?
This is reflected in modern society where the law in peace is different from the law in war or during emergency.
The Manusmriti has a passage discussing the intricacies of vegetarianism and meat-eating which is, admittedly, very confusing, but shows some insights to the emergency rules of Apad Dharma nonetheless. Unsurprisingly, the passage tells us that meat-eating is wrong, but it also lists some exceptions:
“You may eat meat that has been consecrated by the sprinkling of water, or when priests want to have it, or when you are properly engaged in a ritual, or when your breath of life is in danger.” – Manusmriti, Verse 5.27.
This one is very specific. If you are about to die from starvation, eat meat to preserve your life. This reason is further explicated in the next Verse:
“The Lord of Creatures fashioned all this (universe) to feed the breath of life, and everything moving and stationary is the food of the breath of life.” – Manusmriti, Verse 5.28.
Vishwamitra choosing survival over strict following of dharma shows that sometimes, being flexible with morals is necessary.
Similarly, modern laws understand the need to change during emergencies like war, pandemics, or natural disasters. Emergency laws, such as those about self-defense or helping others, show that sometimes, putting survival and well-being first is more important than sticking strictly to laws. These old texts remind us that while having rules and ethics is important, they need to be understood in the right way and with the situation in mind, especially in times where saving lives and keeping society stable is most important.
