Shloka 2
Prohibitions and Rules of Right Conduct (Ācāra): Theft, Speech, Purity, Residence, and Social Boundaries
तृणं वा यदि वा शाकं मृदं वा जलमेव च । परस्यापहरञ्जंतुर्नरकं प्रतिपद्यते
tṛṇaṃ vā yadi vā śākaṃ mṛdaṃ vā jalameva ca | parasyāpaharañjaṃturnarakaṃ pratipadyate
Entah sehelai rumput, sayuran, segumpal tanah, atau bahkan air—siapa pun yang merampas milik orang lain akan jatuh ke neraka.
Unspecified narrator (contextual speaker not provided in the excerpt)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: celestial_realm
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जलमेव = जलम् + एव; परस्यापहरञ्जंतुर्नरकं = परस्य + अपहरन् + जन्तुः + नरकम् (सन्धि-समाससदृश संयोगः); अपहरन् जन्तुः = participle + noun (agent).
FAQs
It teaches asteya (non-stealing): taking anything that belongs to another—even something seemingly trivial like grass, water, or soil—is treated as theft with serious karmic consequences.
To emphasize that moral accountability is not based on the material value of an object; the act of violating another’s ownership or right is itself the wrongdoing.
The verse states that the thief “attains hell” (narakaṃ pratipadyate), indicating severe post-mortem suffering as a result of the act of stealing.