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Shloka 102

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

अयो हत्वा तु दुर्बद्धिवायसो जायते नर: । कांस्य हृत्वा तु दुर्बुद्धिहारितो जायते नर:,लोहेकी चोरी करनेवाला मूर्ख मानव कौवा होता है। काँसकी चोरी करके खोटी बुद्धिवाला मनुष्य हारीत नामक पक्षी होता है

ayō hatvā tu durbuddhi-vāyaso jāyate naraḥ | kāṁsyaṁ hṛtvā tu durbuddhi-hārito jāyate naraḥ ||

ഇരുമ്പ് മോഷ്ടിക്കുന്ന ദുഷ്ബുദ്ധിയുള്ള മനുഷ്യൻ കാക്കയായി ജനിക്കുന്നു. കാംസ്യം (ബെൽ-മെറ്റൽ) മോഷ്ടിക്കുന്ന ദുഷ്ബുദ്ധിയുള്ളവൻ ‘ഹാരിത’ എന്ന പക്ഷിയായി ജനിക്കുന്നു.

अयःiron
अयः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअयस्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
हत्वाhaving stolen/taken away
हत्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootहन्
FormAbsolutive (क्त्वा), Active
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
दुर्बुद्धिof bad intellect, foolish
दुर्बुद्धि:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदुर्बुद्धि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वायसःa crow
वायसः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवायस
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
जायतेis born/becomes
जायते:
TypeVerb
Rootजन्
FormPresent, Ātmanepada, Third, Singular
नरःa man
नरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कांस्यंbell-metal/bronze
कांस्यं:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकांस्य
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
हृत्वाhaving stolen/taken away
हृत्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootहृ
FormAbsolutive (क्त्वा), Active
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
दुर्बुद्धिःbad intellect; foolishness (as a descriptor)
दुर्बुद्धिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदुर्बुद्धि
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
हारितःa hārita (a kind of bird, greenish/yellowish)
हारितः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootहारित
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
जायतेis born/becomes
जायते:
TypeVerb
Rootजन्
FormPresent, Ātmanepada, Third, Singular
नरःa man
नरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

युधिछिर उवाच

Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
I
iron (ayas)
B
bell-metal (kāṁsya)
C
crow (vāyasa)
H
Hārita (bird)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches that theft rooted in corrupt moral discernment (durbuddhi) produces adverse karmic results, including lower rebirths. It frames ethical causality: wrongful acquisition leads to degradation, and specific acts are said to correspond to specific outcomes.

In Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction context, Yudhiṣṭhira is speaking about the consequences of unethical acts. Here he cites traditional karmic correspondences: stealing iron leads to rebirth as a crow, and stealing bell-metal leads to rebirth as a bird called hārita.