Asteya

Achourya (Sanskrit: अचौर्यः, IAST: ) or Asteya (Sanskrit: अस्तेय; IAST: ) is the Sanskrit term for "non-stealing". It is a virtue in Hinduism. The practice of asteya demands that one must not steal, nor have the intent to steal, another's property through action, speech, and thoughts. Asteya is one of five major vows of Hinduism and Jainism. It is also one of ten forms of temperance (virtuous self-restraint) in Indian philosophy. The word "asteya" is a compound derived from Sanskrit, where "a" refers to "non-" and "steya" refers to "practice of stealing" or "something that can be stolen". Thus, asteya means "non-stealing". In Jainism, it is one of the five vows that all śrāvakas and śrāvikās (householders) as well as monastics must observe. The five transgressions of this vow, as mentioned in the Jain text Tattvārthsūtra, are: "Prompting another to steal, receiving stolen goods, underbuying in a disordered state, using false weights and measures, and deceiving others with artificial or imitation goods". This is explained in the Jain text, Sarvārthasiddhi as (translated by S.A. Jain): Prompting a person to steal, or prompting him through another or approving of the theft, is the first transgression. The second is receiving stolen goods from a person, whose action has neither been prompted nor approved by the recipient. Receiving or buying goods otherwise than by lawful and just means is an irregularity or a transgression. An attempt to buy precious things very cheaply in a disordered state is the third transgression. Cheating others by the use of false weights and measures in order to obtain more from others and give less to others, is the fourth transgression. Deceiving others with artificial gold, synthetic diamonds and so on, is the fifth transgression. These five are the transgressions of the vow of non-stealing. Asteya is defined in Hindu texts as "the abstinence, in one's deeds or words or thoughts, from unauthorized appropriation of things of value from another human being". It is a widely discussed virtue in ethical theories of Hinduism.