Shloka 38
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
यदि धर्म यथाशक्ति जन्मप्रभूति सेवते | ततः स पुरुषो भूत्वा सेवते नित्यदा सुखम्
yadi dharmaṃ yathāśakti janmaprabhṛti sevate | tataḥ sa puruṣo bhūtvā sevate nityadā sukham ||
Disse Yudhiṣṭhira: Se uma pessoa serve e pratica o dharma conforme sua capacidade desde o início da vida, então, tendo-se tornado verdadeiramente um homem digno, permanece continuamente na felicidade.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Consistent practice of dharma from early life, within one’s actual capacity (yathāśakti), forms true character and yields enduring well-being; ethical effort, not mere status, is presented as the basis of lasting happiness.
In the instruction-focused Anuśāsana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks in a reflective, inquiry-driven mode about the fruits of righteous conduct, emphasizing that lifelong adherence to dharma results in continual happiness.