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The Sutra-Kritanga Sutra states that destroying seeds and fruits is an act of a householder, not a true ascetic. Even a monk who has renounced the world and taken vows, if he commits such an act, is still considered a householder. A man who cuts and breaks green plants punishes his own soul. By destroying another being, he truly destroys his own soul. In this verse, the word "atha" is used in the sense of a figure of speech. Regarding such a man, the Tirthankaras and others have said something. What have they said? Explaining this, the Sutra-kar states that a man devoid of compassion who cuts green plants is an un-Aryan, a cruel doer of karma in this world. Identifying such a man, he says that a man who destroys seeds for his own selfish gain, whether he is a hypocrite or someone else, is an un-Aryan. Here, the destruction of seeds is a metaphor. It refers to the destruction of plant life. Now, explaining the karmic consequences of cutting green plants, the Sutra-kar says:
"Gabbhai mijanti buyaabuyana, nara pare panchasitha kumara. Juvangaa majjhim theraga ya, (pathantrepourusa ya) chayanthi te aoukhae palina." ||10||
**Translation:**
Those who cut and break green plants, many such men perish in their mother's womb. Many die when they are able to speak clearly. Many die before they reach the age of speaking clearly. Many die in their childhood, many in their youth, many in middle age, and many in old age. This means that they die at every stage of life.
**Commentary:**
These men who are like plants, perish in many births, in the stages of the womb, embryo, fetus, flesh, and muscle. Similarly, those who can speak clearly and those who cannot, and those who are five-haired children, die. Similarly, some die in youth, some in middle age, and some in old age. In some texts, it is written "majjhim pourusa ya," which means that those who cut green plants die in middle age, some in old age, and some in extreme old age. Thus, those who cut green plants perish in all stages of life, losing their lifespan. Similarly, one should understand that those who destroy other stationary and mobile beings also have an uncertain lifespan.