Shloka 16
Adhyāya 122 — Śruta-vṛtta-yukta Brāhmaṇa and the Ethics of Dāna
Maitreya–Vyāsa Saṃvāda
सर्वेष्वपररात्रेषु सूमागधबन्दिन: । स्तुवन्ति मां यथा देवा महेन्द्र प्रियवादिन:
sarveṣv apararātreṣu sūtamāgadhabandinaḥ | stuvanti māṃ yathā devā mahendra-priyavādinaḥ ||
ในยามปลายแห่งราตรีทุกคืน เหล่าสูตะ มาคธะ และวันทิน ต่างสรรเสริญข้าพเจ้า—ดุจเหล่าเทพกล่าววาจาอันไพเราะแล้วขับขานคุณแห่งมหেন্দร.
कीट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds how praise—especially from professional bards—can elevate a person’s standing to the level of divine-style acclaim. Ethically, it cautions that pleasing speech (priyavāda) may be flattering and socially powerful, so one should distinguish genuine merit from reputation built by encomium.
The speaker (Kīṭa) describes a recurring scene: during the late-night watches, courtly panegyrists (Sūtas, Māgadhas, Vandins) sing his praises, comparing their eulogies to how the gods laud Indra with pleasing words.