Shloka 55

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

Devanagari script

श्वयोनौ तु स सम्भूतस्त्रीणि वर्षाणि जीवति । तत्रापि निधन प्राप्त: कृमियोनौ प्रजायते

Transliteration

śvayonau tu sa sambhūtas trīṇi varṣāṇi jīvati | tatrāpi nidhanaṁ prāpya kṛmiyonau prajāyate ||

Translation

坚战说道：“投生犬胎者，寿三年；即便在彼处，既遭死亡，复生于虫胎。”

Word by Word

• श्वयोनौ: in the dog-womb/species
• श्वयोनौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्व-योनि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

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

• सम्भूतः: born/arisen
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-भू
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• जीवति: lives
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• निधनम्: death
• निधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्तः: having attained/reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• कृमियोनौ: in the worm-insect womb/species
• कृमियोनौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि-योनि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• प्रजायते: is born/arises
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-जन्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• dog (śva)
• worm (kṛmi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores karmic consequence: unethical conduct can lead to degrading rebirths, illustrating that actions shape future embodiments and experiences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira describes a sequence of transmigration: after being born as a dog and living three years, the being dies and is reborn as a worm, as part of a larger account of karmic retribution and eventual change of birth.