Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 66
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
Devanagari script
दस वर्षोतक वानर, पाँच वर्षोतक चूहा और छ: महीनोंतक कुत्ता होकर वह मनुष्यका जन्म पाता है ।।
Transliteration
daśa varṣāṇi vānaro bhūtvā pañca varṣāṇi mūṣako bhūtvā ṣaṇmāsān śvā bhūtvā sa manuṣyajanma prāpnoti || nyāsāpahartā tu naro yamasya viṣayaṃ gataḥ | saṃsārāṇāṃ śataṃ gatvā kṛmiyōnau prajāyate ||
Translation
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “After living ten years as a monkey, five years as a mouse, and six months as a dog, that being attains human birth. But the person who steals what has been entrusted goes to Yama’s domain; after wandering through a hundred births, he is finally born in the womb of a worm.”
Word by Word
न्यासापहर्ताone who steals a deposit/trust
न्यासापहर्ता:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootन्यास-अपहर्तृ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
नरःman/person
नरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
यमस्यof Yama
यमस्य:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयम
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
विषयम्domain/realm
विषयम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootविषय
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
गतःgone (having gone)
गतः:
TypeVerb
Rootगम्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
संसाराणाम्of transmigrations/existences
संसाराणाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसंसार
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
शतम्a hundred
शतम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootशत
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
गत्वाhaving gone/passed through
गत्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootगम्
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)
कृमियोनौin the womb/species of a worm
कृमियोनौ:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकृमि-योनि
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
प्रजायतेis born/arises
प्रजायते:
TypeVerb
Rootजन्
FormLat (present), Atmanepada, Third, Singular
Speaker
युधिछिर उवाच
Characters & Entities
य
युधिष्ठिर (Yudhiṣṭhira)य
यम (Yama)व
वानर (monkey)च
चूहा/मूषक (mouse/rat)क
कुत्ता/श्वान (dog)क
कृमि (worm)Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Geographic Context
Sandhi Notes