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3379.
SPIRITUAL LIGHT.
अचौर्यम् ।
Bureadaagalega - स्वमन्यदीयं हरताऽधमेन दत्तः स्वधर्मोपवने प्रदाहः ।। हृतं धनं स्वास्थ्यसुखं न सूते तस्मात् परिभ्रष्टमितस्ततोऽपि॥२९॥
A vile person who robs another of his wealth, burns the garden of his own religious merits by doing so. The stolen wealth does not allow a man to enjoy it with ease; he is thus deprived of happiness here as well as in the next world. ( 29 )
Asteya ( abstention from theft ).
Asteya means not coveting of another's property through the actions of one's mind, speech or body.
A Sādhu does not take anything without the permission of the owner and that too only necessary things for the maintenance of his body, allowed by the holy scriptures and by the Spiritual Guru. A layman should refrain from theft, i. e., taking of the property without the consent of the owner and from acts furthering such intent such as smuggling and supplying the enemies with goods in times of war, using false weights and measures, counterfeiting, adulteration, extortion, robbery and dacoity, etc..
The practice of theft leads to moral degeneration. The doer without the sense of responsibility launches into such acts which would bring on him shame, infamy, loss of riches, untrustworthiness, etc..
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