Shloka 7
Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving
Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum
ब्रह्मभूतश्चरन् विप्र: कृष्णद्वैपायन: पुरा । ददर्श कीटं धावन्तं शीघ्रं शकटवर्त्मनि
brahmabhūtaś caran vipraḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaḥ purā | dadarśa kīṭaṃ dhāvantaṃ śīghraṃ śakaṭavartmani ||
ភីṣ្មៈបានមានព្រះបន្ទូលថា៖ «កាលពីបុរាណ ព្រះវិប្បរៈ ក្រឹṣṇa ទ្វૈបាយនៈ (វ្យាសៈ) ដែលដើរទៅមកដោយស្ថិតក្នុងសភាពព្រហ្ម បានឃើញសត្វល្អិតតូចមួយរត់យ៉ាងលឿនតាមស្នាមរទេះ។»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse initiates an ethical lesson grounded in compassion and non-injury: a realized sage notices even a tiny creature’s urgent effort to preserve its life, suggesting that dharma includes attentiveness to and protection of vulnerable beings.
Bhīṣma recounts an old episode: Vyāsa, while traveling, observes an insect running quickly along a cart’s track. This observation serves as the opening image for a moral exemplum that follows.