Shloka 20

Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving

Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum

Devanagari script

वाक्‌तीक्ष्णो निकृतिप्रज्ञो द्वेष्ठा विश्वस्य सर्वश: । मिथ्याकृतो5पि विधिना परस्वहरणे रत:,सबसे तीखे वचन बोलना, बुद्धिमानीके साथ लोगोंको ठगना और संसारके सभी लोगोंसे द्वेष रखना, यह मेरा स्वभाव हो गया था। झूठ बोलकर लोगोंको धोखा देना और दूसरोंके मालको हड़प लेनेमें संलग्न रहना--यही मेरा काम था

Transliteration

vāk-tīkṣṇo nikṛti-prajño dveṣṭā viśvasya sarvaśaḥ | mithyākṛto 'pi vidhinā parasva-haraṇe rataḥ ||

Translation

Serangga itu berkata: “Tabiatku telah menjadi begini: menuturkan kata-kata yang tajam, menggunakan kepintaran untuk menipu, dan membenci semua orang di dunia dalam segala cara. Walaupun aku bertindak dengan helah yang diperhitungkan, aku tetap setia kepada dusta—memperdaya manusia—dan kepada perampasan harta milik orang lain.”

Word by Word

[{'term''vāk-tīkṣṇaḥ', 'definition': 'sharp-tongued

one whose speech is harsh/cutting'}, {'term''nikṛti-prajñaḥ', 'definition': 'one whose intelligence is bent toward fraud

crafty in deception'}, {'term''dveṣṭā', 'definition': 'hater

one who bears hatred'}, {'term''viśvasya', 'definition': 'of the world

of all beings/people'}, {'term''sarvaśaḥ', 'definition': 'in every way

entirely'}, {'term''mithyā', 'definition': 'falsehood

untruth'}, {'term''kṛtaḥ', 'definition': 'done

practiced'}, {'term''vidhinā', 'definition': 'by method

in a calculated manner'}, {'term''parasva', 'definition': 'another’s property'}, {'term': 'haraṇa', 'definition': 'taking away

seizure'}, {'term''rataḥ', 'definition': 'engaged in

Speaker

कीट उवाच

Characters & Entities

kīṭa (the insect; speaker)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a self-confession of adharma: harsh speech, deceitful intelligence, universal hatred, and delight in stealing others’ property. It highlights how repeated unethical choices harden into ‘svabhāva’ (habitual nature), warning that speech, intention, and action together shape one’s moral character.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker—identified as a kīṭa (insect)—describes its former conduct and disposition, listing the vices it practiced: cutting speech, fraud, hatred toward all, lying to cheat people, and taking others’ possessions. The tone is reflective and confessional, setting up an ethical lesson within the Anuśāsana-parvan’s instruction on dharma.