Shloka 101

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

Devanagari script

पायसं चोरयित्वा तु तित्तिरित्वमवाप्तुते हृत्वा पिष्टमयं पूपं कुम्भोलूक: प्रजायते,खीरकी चोरी करनेवाला तीतरकी योनिमें जन्म लेता है। आटेका पूआ चुराकर मनुष्य मरनेके बाद उल्लू होता है

Transliteration

pāyasaṃ corayitvā tu tittiritvam avāpnute | hṛtvā piṣṭamayaṃ pūpaṃ kumbholūkaḥ prajāyate ||

Translation

Sesiapa yang mencuri pāyasa (bubur nasi susu manis) akan lahir sebagai burung tītiri (partridge). Dan sesiapa yang mencuri kuih yang dibuat daripada tepung akan lahir sebagai burung hantu selepas mati.

Word by Word

पायसम्rice-milk pudding

चोरयित्वाhaving stolen

तुindeed/but

तित्तिरित्वम्the state of being a partridge

अवाप्तुतेattains/obtains

हृत्वाhaving taken away/stolen

पिष्टमयम्made of flour/dough

पूपम्cake/fritter

कुम्भोलूकःowl (lit. pot-owl; a kind of owl)

प्रजायतेis born/comes to be

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

pāyasa

pūpa

tittiri (partridge)

kumbholūka (owl)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches asteya (non-stealing) by illustrating that theft leads to karmic retribution, here described as rebirth into specific animal forms, emphasizing that even seemingly small thefts carry moral and spiritual consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic exchange within the Anuśāsana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira states examples of karmic results: stealing pāyasa leads to partridge-birth, and stealing a flour-cake leads to owl-birth, as part of a broader discussion on conduct and the fruits of actions.