Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 72

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

Devanagari script

सस्यस्यान्यस्य हर्ता च मोहाज्जन्तुरचेतन: । स जायते महाराज मूषिको निरपत्रप:

Transliteration

sasyasyānyasya hartā ca mohāj jantur acetanaḥ | sa jāyate mahārāja mūṣiko nirapatrapaḥ ||

Translation

尤狄湿提罗说道：“噢，大王！若有人因愚痴迷妄而失其知觉，抛却一切羞耻，盗取谷粮与诸般出产；其人死后必生为鼠，天性无耻。”

Word by Word

• सस्यस्य: of grain/crop
• सस्यस्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सस्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अन्यस्य: of another (person)
• अन्यस्य: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• हर्ता: thief; one who steals
• हर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्तृ (from √हृ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मोहात्: from delusion; due to delusion
• मोहात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• जन्तुः: creature; being
• जन्तुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अचेतनः: unthinking; senseless
• अचेतनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचेतन
• 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, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

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

• निरपत्रपः: shameless; without modesty
• निरपत्रपः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरपत्रप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• mahārāja (addressed king)
• mūṣika (mouse)
• sasya (grain/crops)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Stealing essential produce under the sway of delusion is adharma; when shame and discernment are abandoned, the karmic result is a degraded rebirth—here, as a mouse—symbolizing furtiveness and shameless taking.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a ‘great king’ while discussing ethical consequences of actions. He states a specific karmic फल (result): one who steals grain and similar goods due to मोह (delusion) is reborn as a mūṣika (mouse).