Shloka 11
Adhyāya 122 — Śruta-vṛtta-yukta Brāhmaṇa and the Ethics of Dāna
Maitreya–Vyāsa Saṃvāda
।। स कीट एवमाभाष्य ऋषिणा सत्यवादिना । प्रतिस्मृत्याथ जग्राह पादौ मूर्थ्नि कृताउ्जलि:
sa kīṭa evam ābhāṣya ṛṣiṇā satyavādinā | pratismṛtyātha jagrāha pādau mūrdhni kṛtāñjaliḥ ||
Nachdem er so mit dem wahrhaftigen Weisen gesprochen hatte, erinnerte sich jenes Wesen—damals noch in Gestalt eines Wurmes—an dessen Worte und Gnade. Daraufhin faltete es die Hände in Ehrfurcht, verneigte sich und legte sein Haupt an die Füße des Weisen, als Zeichen von Demut, Dankbarkeit und Hingabe an das Dharma.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truthful sages elevate even the lowliest being; the proper response to such guidance is humility, remembrance of the teaching, and reverent submission to dharma—symbolized by folded hands and bowing at the sage’s feet.
A being described as a kīṭa (worm/insect-form) has spoken with a truth-speaking sage. Remembering that encounter, he approaches in devotion, joins his palms, and bows so that his head rests upon the sage’s feet, indicating repentance, gratitude, and acceptance of the sage’s authority.