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Shloka 18

Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving

Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum

कीड़ेने कहा--महाप्राज्ञ! जीव सभी योनियोंमें सुखका अनुभव करते हैं। मुझे भी इस योनिमें सुख मिलता है और यही सोचकर जीवित रहना चाहता हूँ ।। इहापि विषय: सर्वो यथादेहं प्रवर्तित: । मानुषा: स्थैर्यजाश्वैव पृथग्भोगा विशेषत:,यहाँ भी इस शरीरके अनुसार सारे विषय उपलब्ध होते हैं। मनुष्यों और स्थावर प्राणियोंके भोग अलग-अलग हैं

kīṭa uvāca—mahāprājña! jīvāḥ sarvāsu yoniṣu sukham anubhavanti. mamāpi asyāṃ yoniṣu sukhaṃ labhyate, iti matvā jīvituṃ icchāmi. ihāpi viṣayaḥ sarvo yathā-dehaṃ pravartitaḥ; mānuṣāḥ sthāvarajāś caiva pṛthag-bhogā viśeṣataḥ.

ഇവിടെയും ശരീരത്തിന്റെ സ്വഭാവമനുസരിച്ച് എല്ലാ വിഷയഭോഗങ്ങളും പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്നു. മനുഷ്യരുടെ ഭോഗങ്ങളും സ്ഥാവരജീവികളുടെ ഭോഗങ്ങളും പ്രത്യേകമായി വ്യത്യസ്തമാണ്.

इहhere
इह:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह
अपिalso/even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
विषयाःobjects of enjoyment/sense-objects
विषयाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootविषय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
सर्वेall
सर्वे:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
यथाaccording to/as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
देहम्body
देहम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootदेह
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
प्रवर्तिताःset in motion/operating/available (as per the body)
प्रवर्तिताः:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-√वृत् (वर्तते)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)
मानुषाःhumans
मानुषाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमानुष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
स्थैर्यजाःborn from immobility; immobile beings (plants etc.)
स्थैर्यजाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootस्थैर्यज
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
पृथक्separately/different
पृथक्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपृथक्
भोगाःenjoyments/experiences
भोगाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootभोग
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
विशेषतःespecially/in particular
विशेषतः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootविशेषतः

कीट उवाच

K
kīṭa (the insect speaker)
M
mahāprājña (the addressed wise person)
M
mānuṣa (humans)
S
sthāvara (immobile beings)

Educational Q&A

Pleasure and the sense of well-being are relative to one’s embodiment: each species or condition has its own appropriate ‘objects’ and modes of enjoyment. Hence attachment to life can arise even in lowly forms, because the mind adapts and finds satisfaction within its given limits.

An insect addresses a wise interlocutor and defends its wish to keep living. It argues that all beings, in whatever birth they occupy, experience some form of happiness, and that enjoyments differ according to the body—humans and immobile beings having distinct kinds of experience.