Shloka 1073

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

Devanagari script

हत्वा रक्तानि वस्त्राणि जायते जीवजीवक: । अनेक प्रकारके रंगोंकी चोरी करके मृत्युको प्राप्त हुआ पुरुष मोर होता है। लाल कपड़े चुरानेवाला मनुष्य चकोरकी योनिमें जन्म लेता है

Transliteration

hatvā raktāni vastrāṇi jāyate jīvajīvakaḥ | aneka-prakārake raṅgānāṃ corī kṛtvā mṛtyuṃ prāptaḥ puruṣo moraḥ bhavati | lāla-vastra-coraḥ manuṣyaś cakorayoniṃ jāyate |

Translation

جو سرخ کپڑوں کو ضائع کرے یا چُرائے، وہ جیوجیوک پرندے کی صورت میں دوبارہ جنم لیتا ہے۔ جو شخص طرح طرح کے رنگ چُراتا ہے، وہ مرنے کے بعد مور بن جاتا ہے۔ اور سرخ کپڑا چُرانے والا چکور پرندے کی یونی میں پیدا ہوتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having killed / having destroyed
• हत्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद (usage), non-finite

• रक्तानि: red
• रक्तानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• वस्त्राणि: garments, clothes
• वस्त्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• जायते: is born, comes to be
• जायते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

• जीवजीवकः: a जीवजीवक (name of a bird/creature; species-term)
• जीवजीवकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवजीवक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• jīvajīvaka (bird)
• peacock (mora)
• cakora (bird)
• red garments (raktāni vastrāṇi)
• dyes/colors (raṅga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that theft—specifically stealing valuable textiles or dyes—violates dharma and yields karmic retribution, expressed as degradation into animal/bird rebirths. It underscores moral accountability for property crimes and the idea that intentions and actions shape future states.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic discourse on conduct and its fruits, Yudhiṣṭhira cites specific examples of karmic outcomes: stealing/destroying red garments leads to rebirth as a jīvajīvaka bird; stealing many kinds of dyes leads to becoming a peacock; stealing red cloth leads to birth as a cakora.