Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
ततस्तृप्तेषु राजेन्द्र तेषु भूतेषु पडचसु । मन:पषष्ठेषु शुद्धात्मन् रेत: सम्पद्यते महत्
tatas tṛpteṣu rājendra teṣu bhūteṣu pañcasu | manaḥ-ṣaṣṭheṣu śuddhātman retaḥ sampadyate mahat ||
Bṛhaspati nói: “Tâu bậc vương thượng, khi năm đại trong thân ấy được thỏa mãn—và tâm là yếu tố thứ sáu—hỡi người có tâm hồn thanh tịnh, thì tinh lực lớn lao (retas—tinh dịch/sinh lực) được thành tựu.”
युधिछिर उवाच
The verse links bodily vitality and generative power (retaḥ) to proper nourishment and balance: when the elemental constituents of the body—together with the mind—are satisfied and steady, vital essence is produced. Ethically, it supports disciplines like moderation in food and control of the mind as foundations for strength and self-restraint.
Yudhiṣṭhira is speaking within a didactic discussion in the Anuśāsana Parva, describing how bodily processes depend on the satisfaction of the body’s elemental constituents and the mind, culminating in the production of vital generative essence.