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

ಭಯಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರ್ಭಯತೆಯನ್ನು ಬಯಸಿ ಅನೇಕ ಶರಣಾರ್ಥಿಗಳು ನನ್ನ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ನಾನು ಅವರನ್ನು ಗುಪ್ತ ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತ ಆಶ್ರಯಕ್ಕೆ ಕರೆದೊಯ್ದರೂ, ಅಚಾನಕವಾಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿ നിന്ന് ಹೊರಹಾಕುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆ; ಶರಣಾಗತರನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• गुप्तम्: protected, secure
• गुप्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (ppp of √गुप्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शरणम्: refuge, shelter
• शरणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रि (आ-श्रि)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund), having resorted to

• भयेषु: in fears, in dangers
• भयेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• शरणागताः: those who have come for refuge
• शरणागताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरणागत (ppp of √गम् with शरण-)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अकस्मात्: suddenly, unexpectedly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अकस्मात्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• त्यक्ताः: abandoned, forsaken
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यक्त (ppp of √त्यज्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• त्राताः: saved, protected
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रातृ (agent noun from √त्रा) / or त्रात (ppp of √त्रा)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, contextually 'protected/saved' fits; form can be read as ppp 'त्राताः' = 'saved'

• अभयैषिणः: seekers of fearlessness/safety
• अभयैषिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभयैषिन् (from अभय + √इष् 'to desire')
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

कीट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• kīṭa (the insect; speaker)
• śaraṇāgatāḥ (refuge-seekers/suppliants)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.