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The Vyadha Gita (meaning, songs of a butcher) is a part of the epic Mahabharata and consists of the teachings imparted by a vyadha (butcher) to a sannyasin (monk). It occurs in the Vana Parva section of Mahabharata and is told to Yudhishthira, a Pandava by sage Markandeya., p.49 In the story, an arrogant sannyasin is humbled by a vyadha (butcher or hunter), and learns about dharma (righteousness). The vyadha teaches that "no duty is ugly, no duty is impure" and it is only the way in which the work is done, determines its worth. The Bhagavata Purana mentions the vyadha as an example of someone who attained perfection through satsang (association with devotees of Vishnu or Krishna). Scholar Satya P. Agarwal considers Vyadha Gita to be one of the popular narrations in the Mahabharata.
The vyadha further advises, "no duty is ugly, no duty is impure", p.478 and it is only the way in which the work is done, determines its worth.
The vyadha advises that all work must be done by "dedicating to God" and by sincere and unattached performance of the allotted duty one can become illumined. The vyadha advises the sannyasi that ahimsa (non-violence) and satya (truth) are two main pillars of dharma through which the highest good of all can be achieved. He says that a decision on what is true under difficult circumstances should be made by sticking to that course of action which leads to the highest good of beings., p.54 The vyadha, teaches that not birth but dharma and virtuous conduct makes one a Brahmana., p.401
The story describes the importance of performance of swadharma (prescribed duty or duty in life). According to the story, a Vyadha, considered low by birth, but engaged in dharma and doing good to others is capable of teaching a Brahmana, considered higher by birth, but practices austerities for his own good., p.357 The attainment of freedom, by the performance of swadharma, is also one of the central teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. Philosopher Swami Vivekananda, describes the Vyadha Gita in one of his lectures in Karma Yoga and says that it contains one of the "highest flights of the Vedanta".
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