Shloka 49
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
पतितं याजयित्वा तु कृमियोनौ प्रजायते । तत्र जीवति वर्षाणि दश पञ्च च भारत
patitaṃ yājayitvā tu kṛmiyonau prajāyate | tatra jīvati varṣāṇi daśa pañca ca bhārata ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Bhārata, seorang brāhmaṇa yang memimpin yajña bagi orang yang telah jatuh (patita) akan terlahir kembali setelah mati dalam rahim cacing. Di sana ia hidup selama lima belas tahun.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that a priest’s complicity in conducting rites for someone deemed ritually fallen (patita) is itself a serious adharma, bringing harsh karmic retribution—rebirth in a low form (worms) for a fixed period—thereby stressing responsibility and discernment in religious service.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction context, Yudhiṣṭhira states a specific consequence for the act of officiating a sacrifice for a patita, addressing “Bhārata,” and quantifies the resulting low rebirth as lasting fifteen years.