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Shloka 68

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

असूयको नरश्नापि मृतो जायति शार्ज्गक: । विश्वासहर्ता तु नरो मीनो जायति दुर्मति:

asūyako naraś cāpi mṛto jāyati śārṅgakaḥ | viśvāsahartā tu naro mīno jāyati durmatiḥ ||

جو آدمی عیب جو اور حسد میں مبتلا ہو، وہ مر کر ہرن کی یونی میں پیدا ہوتا ہے؛ اور جو بدعقلی سے کسی کا اعتماد توڑتا ہے، وہ مچھلی بن کر جنم لیتا ہے۔

असूयकःfault-finding, envious
असूयकः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअसूयक (असूया + क)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
नरःman
नरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अपिalso/even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
मृतःdead (having died)
मृतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत (√मृ)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
जायतिis born
जायति:
TypeVerb
Root√जन्
FormPresent (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada
शार्ङ्गकःa deer/antelope (as a species-name)
शार्ङ्गकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशार्ङ्गक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
विश्वासहर्ताone who steals/breaks trust
विश्वासहर्ता:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootविश्वास-हर्तृ (√हृ)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तुbut/and (contrastive)
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
नरःman
नरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मीनःfish
मीनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमीन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
जायतिis born
जायति:
TypeVerb
Root√जन्
FormPresent (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada
दुर्मतिःevil-minded person
दुर्मतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदुर्मति
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

युधिछिर उवाच

Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
D
deer (śārṅgaka)
F
fish (mīna)

Educational Q&A

The verse warns that habitual fault-finding (asūyā) and betrayal of trust (viśvāsa-haraṇa) are serious ethical failures with karmic consequences, leading to degraded rebirths; it promotes restraint in judgment and fidelity to trust as elements of dharma.

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a moral rule linking specific vices—envy-driven criticism and breach of trust—to specific rebirth outcomes, as part of a broader discourse on the fruits of actions.