Shloka 123
Devanagari script
मत्स्यमांसमथो हृत्वा काको जायति दुर्मति: । लवणं चोरयित्वा तु चिरिकाक: प्रजायते
Transliteration
matsyamāṁsam atho hṛtvā kāko jāyati durmatiḥ | lavaṇaṁ corayitvā tu cirikākaḥ prajāyate |
Translation
मत्स्यमांसमथो हृत्वा काको जायति दुर्मतिः । लवणं चोरयित्वा तु चिरिकाकः प्रजायते ॥
Word by Word
मत्स्यfish
मत्स्य:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमत्स्य
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
मांसम्meat
मांसम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमांस
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अथthen/and
अथ:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ
हृत्वाhaving stolen/taken away
हृत्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootहृ (हरति)
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active
काकःa crow
काकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकाक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
जायतिis born/becomes
जायति:
TypeVerb
Rootजन् (जायते)
FormPresent, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular
दुर्मतिःevil-minded person / one of bad intellect
दुर्मतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदुर्मति
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
लवणम्salt
लवणम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootलवण
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
चोरयित्वाhaving stolen (lit. having caused to steal)
चोरयित्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootचुर् (चोरयति)
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active, true
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
चिरिकाकःa cirikāka (a kind of bird; lit. 'cirikā-crow')
चिरिकाकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootचिरिकाक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
प्रजायतेis born/comes into existence
प्रजायते:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + जन् (प्रजायते)
FormPresent, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular
Speaker
युधिछिर उवाच
Characters & Entities
Y
YudhiṣṭhiraK
kāka (crow)C
cirikāka (a bird)M
matsya (fish)M
māṁsa (meat)L
lavaṇa (salt)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches asteya (non-stealing) and the doctrine of karmic retribution: specific forms of theft lead to specific adverse rebirths, emphasizing that no act of dishonesty is morally trivial.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction context, Yudhiṣṭhira cites a rule-like statement about karmic outcomes: stealing fish/meat results in rebirth as a crow, while stealing salt results in rebirth as a cirikāka bird.