Shloka 106
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
क्रौज्च: कार्पासिकं हृत्वा मृतो जायति मानव: । चोरयित्वा नर: पट्ट त्वाविकं चैव भारत
krauñcaḥ kārpāsikaṁ hṛtvā mṛto jāyati mānavaḥ | corayitvā naraḥ paṭṭaṁ tvāvikaṁ caiva bhārata ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «L’homme qui, après avoir volé une étoffe de coton, meurt, renaît en krauñca (oiseau échassier). Et celui qui vole soie et laine, ô Bhārata, rencontre pareillement une renaissance avilie.»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that theft—even of everyday items like cloth—creates karmic consequences leading to degraded rebirth. It frames property-violation as an ethical breach with tangible results across lives.
Within Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instructions, Yudhiṣṭhira cites specific examples of karmic retribution: stealing cotton, silk, or woolen cloth is said to result in rebirth in a lower form (here exemplified by the krauñca bird), underscoring the seriousness of stealing.