Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 47
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
खरो जीवति वर्षाणि दश पञठ्च च भारत | खरो मृतो बलीवर्द: सप्त वर्षाणि जीवति,भारत! गदहेकी योनिमें वह पंद्रह वर्षोतक जीवित रहता है। उसके बाद मरकर बैल होता है। उस योनिमें वह सात वर्षोतक जीवित रहता है
kharo jīvati varṣāṇi daśa pañca ca bhārata | kharo mṛto balīvardaḥ sapta varṣāṇi jīvati bhārata ||
Wika ni Yudhiṣṭhira: “O Bhārata, ang asno ay nabubuhay nang labinlimang taon. Pagkamatay nito, isinisilang itong muli bilang toro, at sa buhay na iyon ay nabubuhay ito nang pitong taon.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the doctrine of saṃsāra: beings move through different births, and even animal embodiments have defined lifespans—implying that one’s condition is not permanent and is shaped by karmic progression.
Yudhiṣṭhira states specific lifespans for a donkey and, after its death, for its subsequent rebirth as an ox—presented as part of a broader discussion in the Anuśāsana Parva concerning conduct, consequences, and the workings of rebirth.