Shloka 4
Adhyāya 122 — Śruta-vṛtta-yukta Brāhmaṇa and the Ethics of Dāna
Maitreya–Vyāsa Saṃvāda
कीट! मैं जानता हूँ, अपने पूर्वकृत पापोंके कारण तुम्हें कीटयोनिमें आना पड़ा है। यदि इस समय तुम्हारी धर्मके प्रति श्रद्धा है तो तुम्हें धर्म अवश्य प्राप्त होगा ।।
vyāsa uvāca | kīṭa! jānāmi pūrvakṛta-pāpaiḥ kāraṇaiḥ tvāṃ kīṭa-yoniṃ prāptavān asi | yadi etasmin kāle te dharme śraddhā asti, tarhi avaśyaṃ dharmaṃ prāpsyasi || karma-bhūmi-kṛtaṃ devaḥ bhuñjate tiryagāś ca ye | dharmo 'pi hi manuṣyeṣu kāmārthaś ca tathā guṇāḥ ||
Vyāsa said: “O worm! I know that because of sins committed in the past you have fallen into the womb of a worm. Yet if, even now, you have faith in dharma, you will surely attain dharma. Gods, human beings, and creatures born as animals all experience the results of actions performed in the field of action (the world). Among ignorant humans, even ‘dharma’ is often pursued with desire in view; and they adopt virtues and qualities chiefly to secure the fulfillment of those desires.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Past actions lead to one’s present birth and experiences, but sincere faith in dharma can still lead to moral and spiritual uplift. The verse also warns that in ignorance people often practice ‘dharma’ for the sake of desire and gain, treating virtues as tools for personal ends rather than as commitments to truth and right order.
Vyāsa addresses a worm, explaining that its low birth is the result of prior sins. He then offers a path of hope: if the creature now has faith in dharma, it can attain dharma. He broadens the point into a general reflection that gods, humans, and animals all undergo the fruits of karma, and that many humans pursue dharma only as a means to fulfill desires.