Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 1936
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
शरीरनिचयं ज्ञातुं बुद्धिस्तु मम जायते । युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--भगवन्! आपके मुँहसे मैंने धर्मयुक्त परम हितकर बात सुनी। अब शरीरकी स्थिति जाननेके लिये मेरा विचार हो रहा है
śarīra-nicayaṃ jñātuṃ buddhis tu mama jāyate |
سأل يودهيشثيرا: «يا بهاگافان! لقد سمعتُ من فيك كلامًا موافقًا للدارما، بالغَ النفع وعظيمَ المصلحة. والآن قد نهض في ذهني شوقٌ إلى الفهم: أن أعرف حقيقة الجسد وبنيته.»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical and spiritual inquiry as grounded in discernment (buddhi): after hearing dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira turns to understanding the body’s compounded nature, a step that supports detachment, humility, and clearer moral judgment.
In the ongoing instruction on dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira, having listened to beneficial teachings, asks to be taught about the body—its constitution as an aggregate—signaling a shift from practical dharma to reflective, philosophical understanding.