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Shloka 46

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

अधीत्य चतुरो वेदान्‌ द्विजो मोहसमन्वित: । पतितात्‌ प्रतिगृह्याथ खरयोनौ प्रजायते,जो द्विज चारों वेदोंका अध्ययन करनेके बाद भी मोहवश पतित मनुष्योंसे दान लेता है, उसका गदहेकी योनिमें जन्म होता है

adhītya caturo vedān dvijo moha-samanvitaḥ | patitāt pratigṛhyātha khara-yonau prajāyate ||

നാലു വേദങ്ങളും പഠിച്ചിട്ടും മോഹത്തിൽ ആകപ്പെട്ട് പതിതനിൽ നിന്ന് ദാനം സ്വീകരിക്കുന്ന ദ്വിജൻ, പിന്നീട് കഴുതയുടെ യോനിയിൽ ജന്മം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

अधीत्यhaving studied
अधीत्य:
TypeVerb
Rootअधि-इ (धातु √इ) → अधीत (क्त) + ल्यप्
Formल्यप् (क्त्वार्थे), कर्तरि, पूर्वकाले (having done)
चतुरःfour
चतुरः:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
वेदान्Vedas
वेदान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवेद
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
द्विजःa twice-born (Brahmin)
द्विजः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मोह-समन्वितःdeluded; possessed of infatuation
मोह-समन्वितः:
TypeAdjective
Rootमोह + समन्वित (सम्+अन्वि/अन्वि धातु → समन्वित, क्त)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पतितात्from a fallen person
पतितात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootपतित
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
प्रतिगृह्यhaving accepted (as a gift)
प्रतिगृह्य:
TypeVerb
Rootप्रति-ग्रह् (धातु √ग्रह्) → प्रतिगृह्य (ल्यप्)
Formल्यप् (क्त्वार्थे), कर्तरि, पूर्वकाले (having accepted)
अथthen
अथ:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ
खर-योनौin the womb/species of a donkey
खर-योनौ:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootखर + योनि
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
प्रजायतेis born; comes to be born
प्रजायते:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-√जन् (धातु √जन्)
Formलट्, आत्मनेपद, Third, Singular, Present

युधिछिर उवाच

Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
D
dvija (twice-born)
V
Vedas (four)
P
patita (fallen person)
K
khara (donkey)

Educational Q&A

Vedic learning alone does not sanctify a person; ethical discernment is essential. Accepting gifts from morally fallen sources is condemned as it corrupts the recipient and leads to severe karmic consequences, symbolized here by rebirth in a donkey’s womb.

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction context, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a rule about dāna (accepting gifts): a dvija who, despite Vedic study, takes donations from a patita acts under delusion and incurs a degrading rebirth.