Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 121

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

Devanagari script

तथा पिण्याकसम्मसिश्रमशन चोरयेन्नर: । स जायते बश्रुसमो दारुणो मूषिको नर:

Transliteration

tathā piṇyākasammisraṁ aśanaṁ corayen naraḥ | sa jāyate babhrusamo dāruṇo mūṣiko naraḥ ||

Translation

坚战说道：“同样地，若有人偷取拌有油饼渣（oil-cake）的食物，他将转生为一只褐色的鼠，性情凶厉而残酷。”

Word by Word

• तथा: thus; in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• पिण्याक: oil-cake (pressed seed residue)
• पिण्याक: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्याक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सम्मिश्रम्: mixed; blended
• सम्मिश्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्मिश्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अशनम्: food
• अशनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चोरयेत्: should steal
• Type: Verb
• Root: चुर् (चोरयति)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जायते: is born; becomes
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• वज्रसमः: like a thunderbolt; adamantine
• वज्रसमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-सम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दारुणः: cruel; dreadful
• दारुणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मूषिकः: a mouse/rat
• मूषिकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूषिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नरः: the man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• piṇyāka (oil-cake)
• aśana (food)
• mūṣika (mouse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even seemingly minor theft—especially of basic sustenance—violates dharma and leads to degrading karmic results; the verse uses rebirth as a mouse to stress the moral gravity of dishonest livelihood.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s ethical instruction context, Yudhiṣṭhira cites a specific case of stealing food mixed with oil-cake and states the corresponding karmic consequence: rebirth as a fierce, brown mouse.