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Shloka 55

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

श्वयोनौ तु स सम्भूतस्त्रीणि वर्षाणि जीवति । तत्रापि निधन प्राप्त: कृमियोनौ प्रजायते

śvayonau tu sa sambhūtas trīṇi varṣāṇi jīvati | tatrāpi nidhanaṁ prāpya kṛmiyonau prajāyate ||

അവൻ നായയോനിയിൽ ജനിച്ച് മൂന്നു വർഷം ജീവിക്കുന്നു. അവിടെ തന്നെ മരണം പ്രാപിച്ച് പിന്നെ കൃമിയോനിയിൽ ജനിക്കുന്നു.

श्वयोनौin the dog-womb/species
श्वयोनौ:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootश्व-योनि
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सम्भूतःborn/arisen
सम्भूतः:
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-भू
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)
त्रीणिthree
त्रीणि:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootत्रि
FormNeuter, Accusative, Plural
वर्षाणिyears
वर्षाणि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवर्ष
FormNeuter, Accusative, Plural
जीवतिlives
जीवति:
TypeVerb
Rootजीव्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र
अपिalso/even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
निधनम्death
निधनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनिधन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
प्राप्तःhaving attained/reached
प्राप्तः:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-आप्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)
कृमियोनौin the worm-insect womb/species
कृमियोनौ:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकृमि-योनि
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
प्रजायतेis born/arises
प्रजायते:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-जन्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

युधिछिर उवाच

Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
D
dog (śva)
W
worm (kṛmi)

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores karmic consequence: unethical conduct can lead to degrading rebirths, illustrating that actions shape future embodiments and experiences.

Yudhiṣṭhira describes a sequence of transmigration: after being born as a dog and living three years, the being dies and is reborn as a worm, as part of a larger account of karmic retribution and eventual change of birth.