Shloka 13

Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving

Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum

Devanagari script

श्रोतुमस्मद्विधेनेष न शक्‍्य: कीटयोनिना । तस्मादतिक्रमाम्येष भयादस्मात्‌ सुदारुणात्‌

Transliteration

śrotum asmad-vidhena iha na śakyaḥ kīṭa-yoninā | tasmād atikramāmy eṣa bhayād asmāt sudāruṇāt ||

Translation

The worm said: “For one like me—born in the condition of a mere insect—it is not possible to endure hearing this here. Therefore, to save myself from this exceedingly dreadful fear, I am fleeing from this place.”

Word by Word

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive)

• अस्मद्विधेन: by one like me
• अस्मद्विधेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्मद्विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• एषः: this (one/thing)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• शक्यः: possible/able
• शक्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (प्रातिपदिक; शक्-धातु से)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कीटयोनिना: by one of insect-birth (a worm/bug)
• कीटयोनिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीटयोनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अतिक्रमामि: I pass beyond / I go away
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एषः: this (I/one here)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भयात्: from fear
• भयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अस्मात्: from this
• अस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• सुदारुणात्: from (something) very dreadful
• सुदारुणात्: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

कीट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• kīṭa (the worm/insect speaker)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical realism of recognizing one’s limited capacity: when an experience (here, a terrifying sound or message) exceeds one’s endurance, withdrawing for self-protection can be a prudent response rather than a moral failure.

What is happening in the narrative?

A worm (kīṭa), speaking in the dialogue, admits that as an insect it cannot bear to listen to the dreadful matter being presented, and therefore decides to leave immediately out of intense fear.