Shloka 12
Adhyāya 122 — Śruta-vṛtta-yukta Brāhmaṇa and the Ethics of Dāna
Maitreya–Vyāsa Saṃvāda
कीट उवाच इदं तदतुलं स्थानमीप्सितं दशभिर्गुणै: । यदहं प्राप्य कीटत्वमागतो राजपुत्रताम्
kīṭa uvāca idaṃ tad atulaṃ sthānam īpsitaṃ daśabhir guṇaiḥ | yad ahaṃ prāpya kīṭatvam āgato rājaputratām ||
Si Ulat berkata: “Wahai Bhagavan! Hari ini aku memperoleh kedudukan yang tiada bandingan—yang kuimpikan untuk dicapai walau selepas sepuluh hayat. Dengan rahmatmu, meskipun kerana kesalahanku sendiri aku jatuh menjadi ulat, kini aku telah sampai ke martabat seorang putera raja.”
कीट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the interplay of personal fault (leading to a low state) and divine or saintly grace (enabling uplift). It teaches humility, gratitude, and the possibility of moral and existential transformation beyond one’s present condition.
A being identified as ‘Kīṭa’ speaks in wonder and gratitude, declaring that he has attained an incomparable status—becoming a prince—despite previously being reduced to wormhood due to his own wrongdoing, attributing his elevation to the benefactor’s grace.