Shloka 100

Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption

Devanagari script

फल वा मूलकं हृत्वा अपूपं वा पिपीलिका: । चोरयित्वा च निष्पावं जायते हलगोलक:

Transliteration

phalaṁ vā mūlakaṁ hṛtvā apūpaṁ vā pipīlikāḥ | corayitvā ca niṣpāvaṁ jāyate halagolakaḥ ||

Translation

Qui vole des fruits, du mūlaka (radis) ou un apūpa (gâteau), renaît en fourmi. Et qui vole du niṣpāva (une sorte de légumineuse) renaît en une créature appelée halagolaka.

Word by Word

• फलम्: fruit
• फलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• मूलकम्: a root/vegetable (radish etc.)
• मूलकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूलक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हृत्वा: having stolen/taken away
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (हरति)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), non-finite

• अपूपम्: a cake (fried cake)
• अपूपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपूप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• पिपीलिकाः: ants
• पिपीलिकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिपीलिका
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• चोरयित्वा: having stolen (having caused to be stolen)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चुर् (चोरयति)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund) via causative, Parasmaipada (usage), non-finite

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• निष्पावम्: a kind of pulse/bean (niṣpāva)
• निष्पावम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्पाव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जायते: is born / becomes
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (जायते)
• Form: Present, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• हल-गोलकः: a creature called halagolaka
• हल-गोलकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हल + गोलक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• fruit (phala)
• radish/root-vegetable (mūlaka)
• cake (apūpa)
• ant (pipīlikā)
• pulse/bean (niṣpāva)
• halagolaka (a worm/insect)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even seemingly minor theft violates dharma and carries karmic consequences; the text warns that stealing small items can lead to degrading rebirths, reinforcing the ethical principle of asteya (non-stealing).

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic exchange within the Anuśāsana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira states specific karmic results for stealing particular foods, using vivid examples (rebirth as an ant or as a halagolaka creature) to emphasize moral accountability.