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Shloka 117

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

स्त्रियं हत्वा तु दुर्बद्धिर्यमस्य विषयं गत: । बहून्‌ क्लेशान्‌ समासाद्य संसारांश्चैव विंशतिम्‌

striyaṁ hatvā tu durbuddhir yamasya viṣayaṁ gataḥ | bahūn kleśān samāsādya saṁsārāṁś caiva viṁśatim ||

വികൃതബുദ്ധിയുള്ള പുരുഷൻ സ്ത്രീയെ വധിച്ചാൽ അവൻ യമന്റെ ലോകത്തിലെത്തുന്നു. അവിടെ പലവിധ ക്ലേശങ്ങൾ അനുഭവിച്ച ശേഷം ദുഃഖഭരിതമായ യോനികളിൽ ഇരുപതു പ്രാവശ്യം ജന്മം എടുക്കുന്നു.

स्त्रियम्a woman
स्त्रियम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootस्त्री
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
हत्वाhaving killed
हत्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootहन्
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
दुर्बुद्धिःa wicked/foolish-minded (man)
दुर्बुद्धिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदुर्बुद्धि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
यमस्यof Yama
यमस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootयम
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
विषयम्domain/realm
विषयम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootविषय
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
गतःgone (having gone)
गतः:
TypeVerb
Rootगम्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
बहून्many
बहून्:
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
क्लेशान्afflictions/sufferings
क्लेशान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootक्लेश
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
समासाद्यhaving encountered/undergone
समासाद्य:
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-आ-√सद्
Formल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Non-finite
संसारान्transmigratory existences (rounds of worldly life)
संसारान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसंसार
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
विंशतिम्twenty (times)
विंशतिम्:
TypeNoun
Rootविंशति
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular

युधिछिर उवाच

Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
Y
Yama

Educational Q&A

The verse asserts a strong dharmic prohibition against harming women: killing a woman is portrayed as a grave adharma that leads to post-mortem punishment in Yama’s realm and repeated painful rebirths, emphasizing karmic accountability and social-ethical restraint.

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks a warning statement: he describes the fate of a wrong-minded person who commits the act of killing a woman—first suffering in Yama’s jurisdiction and then undergoing multiple sorrowful rebirths.