Shloka 100

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

Devanagari script

फल वा मूलकं हृत्वा अपूपं वा पिपीलिका: । चोरयित्वा च निष्पावं जायते हलगोलक:

Transliteration

phalaṁ vā mūlakaṁ hṛtvā apūpaṁ vā pipīlikāḥ | corayitvā ca niṣpāvaṁ jāyate halagolakaḥ ||

Translation

பழம், மூலகம் (முள்ளங்கி) அல்லது அபூபம் (பூஆ/அப்பம்) ஆகியவற்றைத் திருடினால் மனிதன் எறும்பாக (பிபீலிகா) பிறக்கிறான். நிஷ்பாவம் (ஒருவகை பயறு/பீன்ஸ்) திருடினால் ‘ஹலகோலக’ எனப்படும் புழுவாகப் பிறக்கிறான்.

Word by Word

• फलम्: fruit
• फलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• मूलकम्: a root/vegetable (radish etc.)
• मूलकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूलक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हृत्वा: having stolen/taken away
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (हरति)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), non-finite

• अपूपम्: a cake (fried cake)
• अपूपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपूप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• पिपीलिकाः: ants
• पिपीलिकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिपीलिका
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• चोरयित्वा: having stolen (having caused to be stolen)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चुर् (चोरयति)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund) via causative, Parasmaipada (usage), non-finite

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• निष्पावम्: a kind of pulse/bean (niṣpāva)
• निष्पावम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्पाव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जायते: is born / becomes
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (जायते)
• Form: Present, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• हल-गोलकः: a creature called halagolaka
• हल-गोलकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हल + गोलक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• fruit (phala)
• radish/root-vegetable (mūlaka)
• cake (apūpa)
• ant (pipīlikā)
• pulse/bean (niṣpāva)
• halagolaka (a worm/insect)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even seemingly minor theft violates dharma and carries karmic consequences; the text warns that stealing small items can lead to degrading rebirths, reinforcing the ethical principle of asteya (non-stealing).

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic exchange within the Anuśāsana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira states specific karmic results for stealing particular foods, using vivid examples (rebirth as an ant or as a halagolaka creature) to emphasize moral accountability.