Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, 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 ||
Sinabi ni Yudhiṣṭhira: Kung ang isang tao ay naglilingkod at nagsasagawa ng dharma ayon sa abot ng kanyang makakaya mula pa sa simula ng buhay, kung gayon, sa pagiging tunay na marapat na tao, siya’y nananahan sa ligaya nang walang humpay.
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.