Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 104
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
पत्रोर्ण चोरयित्वा तु कृकलत्वं निगच्छति । कौशिक तु ततो हृत्वा नरो जायति वर्तकः,ऊनी वस्त्र चुरानेवाला कृकल (गिरगिट) की योनिमें जन्म लेता है। कौशेय (रेशमी) वस्त्रकी चोरी करनेपर मनुष्य बत्तक होता है
paṭrorṇaṃ corayitvā tu kṛkalatvaṃ nigacchati | kauśikaṃ tu tato hṛtvā naro jāyati vartakaḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Kẻ trộm vải dệt từ sợi cây và lông cừu thì rơi vào thân phận thằn lằn. Còn kẻ trộm vải lụa (kauśeya) thì tái sinh làm vịt.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that theft (adattādāna) brings karmic consequences, depicted as lower rebirths. It emphasizes ethical restraint regarding others’ property and frames wrongdoing as leading to a loss of human status.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction context, Yudhiṣṭhira cites specific examples of karmaphala: stealing certain types of garments results in rebirth as particular animals (lizard or duck), illustrating graded moral consequences.