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
युधिष्ठिर बोले— जो पुरुष वर्णों का वध करता है, वह मरने के बाद बर्लिण के रूप में जन्म लेता है।
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.