Shloka 38
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
यदि धर्म यथाशक्ति जन्मप्रभूति सेवते | ततः स पुरुषो भूत्वा सेवते नित्यदा सुखम्
yadi dharmaṃ yathāśakti janmaprabhṛti sevate | tataḥ sa puruṣo bhūtvā sevate nityadā sukham ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : Si un homme sert et pratique le dharma selon ses forces dès le tout début de la vie, alors, devenu véritablement un être digne, il demeure sans cesse dans le bonheur.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Consistent practice of dharma from early life, within one’s actual capacity (yathāśakti), forms true character and yields enduring well-being; ethical effort, not mere status, is presented as the basis of lasting happiness.
In the instruction-focused Anuśāsana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks in a reflective, inquiry-driven mode about the fruits of righteous conduct, emphasizing that lifelong adherence to dharma results in continual happiness.