Shloka 29
Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving
Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum
Devanagari script
कर्मणा पुनरेवाहं सुखमागामि लक्षये । तच्छोतुमहमिच्छामि त्वत्त: श्रेयस्तपोधन
Transliteration
karmaṇā punarevāhaṃ sukham āgāmi lakṣaye | tac chrotum aham icchāmi tvattaḥ śreyas tapodhana ||
Translation
कीट उवाच— कर्मणा पुनरेवाहं सुखमागामि लक्षये । तच्छ्रोतुमहमिच्छामि त्वत्तः श्रेयस्तपोधन ॥
Word by Word
कर्मणाby action/deed
कर्मणा:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन्
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
पुनःagain
पुनः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः
एवindeed/only
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
Form—, Nominative, Singular
सुखम्happiness/comfort
सुखम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसुख
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
आगामिI attain/come to
आगामि:
TypeVerb
Rootआ + गम्
FormPresent, First, Singular, Parasmaipada
लक्षयेI perceive/observe
लक्षये:
TypeVerb
Rootलक्ष्
FormPresent, First, Singular, Atmanepada
तत्that (fact/thing)
तत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
श्रोतुम्to hear
श्रोतुम्:
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु
FormTumun (infinitive)
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
Form—, Nominative, Singular
इच्छामिI wish/desire
इच्छामि:
TypeVerb
Rootइष्
FormPresent, First, Singular, Parasmaipada
त्वत्तःfrom you
त्वत्तः:
Apadana
TypePronoun
Rootत्वद्
Form—, Ablative, Singular
श्रेयःthe better/good (what is beneficial)
श्रेयः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootश्रेयस्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
तपोधनO ascetic whose wealth is austerity
तपोधन:
TypeNoun
Rootतपोधन
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
Speaker
कीट उवाच
Characters & Entities
K
kīṭa (the insect speaker)T
tapodhana (an ascetic sage addressed)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds karma as the decisive factor in one’s experience of happiness and welfare, and it frames ethical inquiry as seeking śreyas (the highest good) from a spiritually disciplined teacher.
An insect, reflecting on its condition, concludes that its happiness is linked to its own actions and respectfully asks an ascetic (tapodhana) to instruct it about what is truly beneficial and elevating.