Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 120
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
Devanagari script
धान्यं॑ हृत्वा तु पुरुषो लोमश: सम्प्रजायते
Transliteration
dhānyaṁ hṛtvā tu puruṣo lomaśaḥ samprajāyate
Translation
Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Kẻ đàn ông trộm cắp thóc lúa sẽ tái sinh với thân thể đầy lông lá.”
Word by Word
धान्यम्grain, food-grain
धान्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधान्य
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
हृत्वाhaving taken away, having stolen
हृत्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootहृ
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), having taken/robbed
तुbut, indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
पुरुषःa man, person
पुरुषः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
लोमशःhairy, covered with hair
लोमशः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootलोमश
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सम्प्रजायतेis born, comes into existence
सम्प्रजायते:
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-प्र-√जन्
FormPresent (Lat), Atmanepada, Third, Singular
Speaker
युधिछिर उवाच
Characters & Entities
Y
YudhiṣṭhiraG
grain (dhānya)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Stealing essential sustenance (grain) is a grave breach of dharma, and the text warns of karmic retribution expressed as an adverse rebirth marked by bodily deformity (hairiness), emphasizing accountability for harm done to others’ livelihood.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting, Yudhiṣṭhira voices a rule-like consequence of a specific wrongdoing—stealing grain—framing it as a moral injunction through the language of karmic result.