Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 14
Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving
Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum
दुःखं हि मृत्युर्थूतानां जीवितं च सुदुर्लभम् | अतो भीत: पलायामि गच्छेयं ना सुखं सुखात्
duḥkhaṁ hi mṛtyur bhūtānāṁ jīvitaṁ ca sudurlabham | ato bhītaḥ palāyāmi gaccheyaṁ nā sukhaṁ sukhāt |
प्राणियों के लिए मृत्यु निश्चय ही अत्यन्त दुःखद है और जीवन का मिलना भी बहुत दुर्लभ है। इसलिए मैं भयभीत होकर भाग रहा हूँ—कहीं ऐसा न हो कि सुख से गिरकर दुःख में पड़ जाऊँ।
कीट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Life is rare and precious for all beings; recognizing the suffering associated with death encourages compassion and restraint, supporting an ethic of non-harm (ahiṁsā) and respect for even small creatures.
The speaker, a kīṭa (insect/worm), explains why it is fleeing: out of fear that it may be killed and thus fall from a moment of safety into suffering, emphasizing the universal instinct to preserve life.