Shloka 12
Adhyāya 122 — Śruta-vṛtta-yukta Brāhmaṇa and the Ethics of Dāna
Maitreya–Vyāsa Saṃvāda
कीट उवाच इदं तदतुलं स्थानमीप्सितं दशभिर्गुणै: । यदहं प्राप्य कीटत्वमागतो राजपुत्रताम्
kīṭa uvāca idaṃ tad atulaṃ sthānam īpsitaṃ daśabhir guṇaiḥ | yad ahaṃ prāpya kīṭatvam āgato rājaputratām ||
Le Ver dit : « Ô Bhagavān ! Aujourd’hui j’ai obtenu cette condition sans égale que je désirais—celle que je voulais atteindre fût-ce après dix existences. Par ta grâce, bien que par ma propre faute je fusse tombé dans l’état de ver, me voici parvenu au rang de prince. »
कीट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the interplay of personal fault (leading to a low state) and divine or saintly grace (enabling uplift). It teaches humility, gratitude, and the possibility of moral and existential transformation beyond one’s present condition.
A being identified as ‘Kīṭa’ speaks in wonder and gratitude, declaring that he has attained an incomparable status—becoming a prince—despite previously being reduced to wormhood due to his own wrongdoing, attributing his elevation to the benefactor’s grace.