Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
अयो हत्वा तु दुर्बद्धिवायसो जायते नर: । कांस्य हृत्वा तु दुर्बुद्धिहारितो जायते नर:,लोहेकी चोरी करनेवाला मूर्ख मानव कौवा होता है। काँसकी चोरी करके खोटी बुद्धिवाला मनुष्य हारीत नामक पक्षी होता है
ayō hatvā tu durbuddhi-vāyaso jāyate naraḥ | kāṁsyaṁ hṛtvā tu durbuddhi-hārito jāyate naraḥ ||
ఇనుము దొంగిలించిన వికృతబుద్ధి గల మనిషి కాకిగా జన్మిస్తాడు. కాంస్యం (బెల్-మెటల్) దొంగిలించిన వికృతబుద్ధి గలవాడు ‘హారిత’ అనే పక్షిగా జన్మిస్తాడు.
युधिछिर उवाच
The verse teaches that theft rooted in corrupt moral discernment (durbuddhi) produces adverse karmic results, including lower rebirths. It frames ethical causality: wrongful acquisition leads to degradation, and specific acts are said to correspond to specific outcomes.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction context, Yudhiṣṭhira is speaking about the consequences of unethical acts. Here he cites traditional karmic correspondences: stealing iron leads to rebirth as a crow, and stealing bell-metal leads to rebirth as a bird called hārita.