Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 106

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

Devanagari script

क्रौज्च: कार्पासिकं हृत्वा मृतो जायति मानव: । चोरयित्वा नर: पट्ट त्वाविकं चैव भारत

Transliteration

krauñcaḥ kārpāsikaṁ hṛtvā mṛto jāyati mānavaḥ | corayitvā naraḥ paṭṭaṁ tvāvikaṁ caiva bhārata ||

Translation

ಕಾರ್ಪಾಸಿಕ (ಹತ್ತಿ) ಬಟ್ಟೆಯನ್ನು ಕದ್ದು ಮರಣ ಹೊಂದಿದ ಮನುಷ್ಯನು ಕ್ರೌಂಚ ಪಕ್ಷಿಯಾಗಿ ಹುಟ್ಟುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ, ಓ ಭಾರತ, ಪಟ್ಟ (ರೇಷ್ಮೆ) ಮತ್ತು ಆವಿಕ (ಉಣ್ಣೆ) ಬಟ್ಟೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕದ್ದವನು ಕೂಡ ಇಂತಹ ಅಧಮ ಜನ್ಮಗಳನ್ನೇ ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ.

Word by Word

• क्रौञ्चः: a krauñca bird
• क्रौञ्चः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रौञ्च
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कार्पासिकम्: a cotton cloth/garment
• कार्पासिकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्पासिक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हृत्वा: having stolen/taken away
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• मृतः: dead; having died
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• जायति: is born
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• मानवः: a human (man)
• मानवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चोरयित्वा: having stolen (having caused to be stolen)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चुर्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund) via causative, णिच् causative (चोरयति) + क्त्वा

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पट्टम्: silk cloth; fine cloth
• पट्टम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पट्ट
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• त्वाविकम्: woollen cloth/garment
• त्वाविकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वाविक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• भारत: O Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhārata (addressee)
• krauñca (bird)
• cotton cloth (kārpāsika)
• silk cloth (paṭṭa)
• woolen cloth (āvika)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that theft—even of everyday items like cloth—creates karmic consequences leading to degraded rebirth. It frames property-violation as an ethical breach with tangible results across lives.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instructions, Yudhiṣṭhira cites specific examples of karmic retribution: stealing cotton, silk, or woolen cloth is said to result in rebirth in a lower form (here exemplified by the krauñca bird), underscoring the seriousness of stealing.