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Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 1073

Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption

हत्वा रक्तानि वस्त्राणि जायते जीवजीवक: । अनेक प्रकारके रंगोंकी चोरी करके मृत्युको प्राप्त हुआ पुरुष मोर होता है। लाल कपड़े चुरानेवाला मनुष्य चकोरकी योनिमें जन्म लेता है

hatvā raktāni vastrāṇi jāyate jīvajīvakaḥ | aneka-prakārake raṅgānāṃ corī kṛtvā mṛtyuṃ prāptaḥ puruṣo moraḥ bhavati | lāla-vastra-coraḥ manuṣyaś cakorayoniṃ jāyate |

ユディシュティラは言った。「赤い衣を破壊し、あるいは盗む者は、来世においてジーヴァジーヴァカ鳥(jīvajīvaka)として生まれ変わる。さまざまな染料を盗む男は、死後、孔雀となる。赤布を盗む者は、チャコーラ鳥(cakora)の胎内に宿って生まれる。」

हत्वाhaving killed / having destroyed
हत्वा:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootहन् (धातु)
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद (usage), non-finite
रक्तानिred
रक्तानि:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootरक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन
वस्त्राणिgarments, clothes
वस्त्राणि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन
जायतेis born, comes to be
जायते:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootजन् (धातु)
Formलट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन
जीवजीवकःa जीवजीवक (name of a bird/creature; species-term)
जीवजीवकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootजीवजीवक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

युधिछिर उवाच

Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
J
jīvajīvaka (bird)
P
peacock (mora)
C
cakora (bird)
R
red garments (raktāni vastrāṇi)
D
dyes/colors (raṅga)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches that theft—specifically stealing valuable textiles or dyes—violates dharma and yields karmic retribution, expressed as degradation into animal/bird rebirths. It underscores moral accountability for property crimes and the idea that intentions and actions shape future states.

Within the Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic discourse on conduct and its fruits, Yudhiṣṭhira cites specific examples of karmic outcomes: stealing/destroying red garments leads to rebirth as a jīvajīvaka bird; stealing many kinds of dyes leads to becoming a peacock; stealing red cloth leads to birth as a cakora.