Shloka 23
Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving
Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum
Devanagari script
गुप्त शरणमाश्रित्य भयेषु शरणागता: । अकस्मात् ते मया त्यक्ता न त्राता अभयैषिण:
Transliteration
gupta-śaraṇam āśritya bhayeṣu śaraṇāgatāḥ | akasmāt te mayā tyaktā na trātā abhayaiṣiṇaḥ ||
Translation
「危難の時、身の安全を求める多くの者が、隠れた避難所に頼って私のもとへ庇護を乞うて来た。だが私は不意に彼らを見捨てた。無畏を求める者たちを、私は救わなかった。」
Word by Word
गुप्तम्protected, secure
गुप्तम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootगुप्त (ppp of √गुप्)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
शरणम्refuge, shelter
शरणम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootशरण
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
आश्रित्यhaving resorted to
आश्रित्य:
TypeVerb
Root√श्रि (आ-श्रि)
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund), having resorted to
भयेषुin fears, in dangers
भयेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootभय
FormNeuter, Locative, Plural
शरणागताःthose who have come for refuge
शरणागताः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशरणागत (ppp of √गम् with शरण-)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
अकस्मात्suddenly, unexpectedly
अकस्मात्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअकस्मात्
तेthey
ते:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
मयाby me
मया:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
Form—, Instrumental, Singular
त्यक्ताःabandoned, forsaken
त्यक्ताः:
TypeVerb
Rootत्यक्त (ppp of √त्यज्)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
त्राताःsaved, protected
त्राताः:
TypeNoun
Rootत्रातृ (agent noun from √त्रा) / or त्रात (ppp of √त्रा)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural, contextually 'protected/saved' fits; form can be read as ppp 'त्राताः' = 'saved'
अभयैषिणःseekers of fearlessness/safety
अभयैषिणः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअभयैषिन् (from अभय + √इष् 'to desire')
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
Speaker
कीट उवाच
Characters & Entities
K
kīṭa (the insect; speaker)Ś
śaraṇāgatāḥ (refuge-seekers/suppliants)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
One who accepts others as śaraṇāgata (refuge-seekers) incurs a dharmic duty to protect them; abandoning them after offering shelter is a grave ethical failure and a betrayal of trust.
The speaker (the kīṭa) confesses a past wrongdoing: people seeking safety in fearful times came to him for refuge, but he suddenly cast them out and did not act as their protector.