Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 125
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
मत्स्ययोनिमनुप्राप्य मृतो जायति मानुष: । मानुषत्वमनुप्राप्य क्षीणायुरुपपद्यते,मत्स्ययोनिमें जन्म लेनेके बाद जब मरता है, तब पुनः मनुष्यका जन्म पाता है। मानव- योनिमें आकर उसकी आयु बहुत कम होती है
matsyayonim anuprāpya mṛto jāyati mānuṣaḥ | mānuṣatvam anuprāpya kṣīṇāyur upapadyate ||
尤提士提罗说道：“既已投生鱼胎，若在其中死去，便又再生为人；然而一旦复得人身，其寿命便会减损而短促。”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores saṃsāra: beings move through different births according to prior conditions, and even when human birth is regained, its quality—here, longevity—may be reduced, implying karmic consequence and the fragility of human life.
Yudhiṣṭhira is speaking within a dharma-discourse context, reflecting on the progression of births (from fish to human) and noting that the regained human birth can be marked by a shortened lifespan.