Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 15, Shloka 26
Adhyaya 15 — Karmic Retribution: Rebirths After Naraka and the King’s Compassion in Hell
हृते कांस्ये च हारीतः कपोतो रूप्यभाजने ।
हृत्वा तु काञ्चनं भाण्डं कृमियोनौ प्रजायते ॥
hṛte kāṃsye ca hārītaḥ kapoto rupyabhājane | hṛtvā tu kāñcanaṃ bhāṇḍaṃ kṛmiyonau prajāyate
Si se roba bronce, se nace como hārīta, ave verde semejante al loro; si se roba un recipiente de plata, se nace como paloma. Habiendo robado un utensilio de oro, se nace en el vientre/especie de los gusanos.
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FAQs
The more “refined/valuable” the object (especially gold), the more degrading the stated rebirth. The passage warns against greed and the breach of trust surrounding household and ritual goods.
Ancillary dharma/karma-vipāka instruction rather than pañcalakṣaṇa narrative structure.
Metals and vessels symbolize containment and value; stealing them reflects inner emptiness and mis-valuation. Worm-birth suggests consciousness trapped in decay and consumption—an inversion of gold’s purity symbolism.