Shloka 22

Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving

Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum

Devanagari script

देवार्थ पितृयज्ञार्थमन्नं श्रद्धाउ55हतं मया । न दत्तमर्थकामेन देयमन्नं पुरा किल

Transliteration

devārthaṁ pitṛyajñārtham annaṁ śraddhayā ujjhitaṁ mayā | na dattam arthakāmena deyam annaṁ purā kila ||

Translation

في حياةٍ سابقة كنتُ أجمع الطعام بإيمانٍ وخشوع ليُقدَّم قرابين للآلهة ولطقوس الأسلاف؛ غير أنّي بدافع الطمع في جمع المال لم أتصدّق حتى بذلك الطعام الذي كان ينبغي أن يُعطى.

Word by Word

• देव-अर्थम्: for the sake of the gods
• देव-अर्थम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पितृ-यज्ञ-अर्थम्: for the sake of the ancestral sacrifice
• पितृ-यज्ञ-अर्थम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + यज्ञ + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अन्नम्: food, grain
• अन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रद्धा-उपहतम्: accompanied/impelled by faith; done with श्रद्धा
• श्रद्धा-उपहतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-हन् (धातु) → उपहत (कृदन्त) + श्रद्धा
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• दत्तम्: given (was not given)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अर्थ-कामेन: by desire for wealth and pleasure; out of greed
• अर्थ-कामेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ + काम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• देयम्: to be given, fit to be donated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → देय (कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अन्नम्: food (the food that should be given)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• किल: indeed, it is said
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल

Speaker

कीट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• devas (gods)
• pitṛs (ancestors)
• anna (food/grain)
• śraddhā (faith)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Merely setting aside resources for sacred purposes is not enough; withholding what is meant to be given—out of greed—violates dāna-dharma and leads to adverse karmic results.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker (the ‘kīṭa’) confesses a past-life fault: he collected food for offerings to gods and ancestors but, motivated by desire for wealth, failed to donate even the portion that should have been given away.