Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 107
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
Devanagari script
वर्णान् हत्वा तु पुरुषो मृतो जायति बर्लिण:
Transliteration
varṇān hatvā tu puruṣo mṛto jāyati barliṇaḥ
Translation
યુધિષ્ઠિરે કહ્યું— જે પુરુષ વર્ણોનો વધ કરે છે, તે મરણ પછી ‘બર્લિણ’ રૂપે જન્મે છે.
Word by Word
वर्णान्castes/varṇas
वर्णान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवर्ण
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
हत्वाhaving killed
हत्वा:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootहन्
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Prior action (having done)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
पुरुषःa man/person
पुरुषः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मृतःdead
मृतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)
जायतिis born/arises
जायति:
TypeVerb
Rootजन्
Formलट् (present), Ātmanepada, Third, Singular
बर्लिणःBarliṇa (proper name/epithet; reading uncertain)
बर्लिणः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबर्लिण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
युधिछिर उवाच
Characters & Entities
Y
YudhiṣṭhiraV
varṇa (social orders)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a karmic consequence: violence that destroys the established social orders (varṇas) leads to an inferior or impure rebirth, underscoring the ethical gravity of actions that destabilize dharma and society.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira raises a pointed question/statement about the afterlife result of grievous wrongdoing—specifically, killing connected with the varṇas—seeking clarity on moral causality and its fruits.