Shloka 14
Adhyāya 122 — Śruta-vṛtta-yukta Brāhmaṇa and the Ethics of Dāna
Maitreya–Vyāsa Saṃvāda
उष्टाश्वतरयुक्तानि यानानि च वहन्ति माम् । सबान्धव: सहामात्यश्नचाश्रामि पिशितौदनम्,ऊँटों और खच्चरोंसे जुती हुई गाड़ियाँ मुझे ढोती हैं। मैं भाई-बन्धुओं और मन्त्रियोंके साथ मांस-भात खाता हूँ
uṣṭāśvatarayuktāni yānāni ca vahanti mām | sa-bāndhavaḥ sahāmātyaś ca aśnāmi piśitaundanam ||
Serangga itu berkata: “Kenderaan yang dipasangkan unta dan baghal membawa aku ke sana sini. Dikelilingi kaum kerabat dan ditemani para menteri, aku makan daging dan nasi.”
कीट उवाच
Educational Q&A
External signs of success—fine transport, a retinue of relatives and ministers, and rich food—can inflate ego and create moral complacency. The verse functions as a critique of pride rooted in material privilege, urging discernment about what truly constitutes worth and dharmic living.
The insect (kīṭa) boasts of being carried in vehicles yoked with camels and mules and of dining luxuriously with his entourage. The boast is presented to expose the irony of self-importance and to set up a moral reflection on the emptiness of such pride.