Shloka 104
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
पत्रोर्ण चोरयित्वा तु कृकलत्वं निगच्छति । कौशिक तु ततो हृत्वा नरो जायति वर्तकः,ऊनी वस्त्र चुरानेवाला कृकल (गिरगिट) की योनिमें जन्म लेता है। कौशेय (रेशमी) वस्त्रकी चोरी करनेपर मनुष्य बत्तक होता है
paṭrorṇaṃ corayitvā tu kṛkalatvaṃ nigacchati | kauśikaṃ tu tato hṛtvā naro jāyati vartakaḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Celui qui vole une étoffe faite de fibres végétales et de laine tombe dans la condition du lézard. Mais celui qui vole une étoffe de soie (kauśeya) renaît en canard.»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that theft (adattādāna) brings karmic consequences, depicted as lower rebirths. It emphasizes ethical restraint regarding others’ property and frames wrongdoing as leading to a loss of human status.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction context, Yudhiṣṭhira cites specific examples of karmaphala: stealing certain types of garments results in rebirth as particular animals (lizard or duck), illustrating graded moral consequences.