Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 4
Adhyāya 122 — Śruta-vṛtta-yukta Brāhmaṇa and the Ethics of Dāna
Maitreya–Vyāsa Saṃvāda
कीट! मैं जानता हूँ, अपने पूर्वकृत पापोंके कारण तुम्हें कीटयोनिमें आना पड़ा है। यदि इस समय तुम्हारी धर्मके प्रति श्रद्धा है तो तुम्हें धर्म अवश्य प्राप्त होगा ।।
vyāsa uvāca | kīṭa! jānāmi pūrvakṛta-pāpaiḥ kāraṇaiḥ tvāṃ kīṭa-yoniṃ prāptavān asi | yadi etasmin kāle te dharme śraddhā asti, tarhi avaśyaṃ dharmaṃ prāpsyasi || karma-bhūmi-kṛtaṃ devaḥ bhuñjate tiryagāś ca ye | dharmo 'pi hi manuṣyeṣu kāmārthaś ca tathā guṇāḥ ||
Wika ni Vyāsa: “O uod! Alam ko na dahil sa mga kasalanang nagawa noon, napasailalim ka sa sinapupunan ng isang uod. Ngunit kung ngayon man ay may pananampalataya ka pa rin sa dharma, tiyak na makakamtan mo ang dharma. Ang mga diyos, ang mga tao, at ang mga nilalang na isinilang bilang hayop ay pawang tumatanggap ng bunga ng mga gawaing isinagawa sa larangan ng pagkilos—ang daigdig. Sa mga taong mangmang, maging ang ‘dharma’ ay madalas na sinusunod na may pagnanasa sa isip; at inaangkin nila ang mga birtud at katangian higit sa lahat upang matamo ang katuparan ng mga pagnanasang iyon.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Past actions lead to one’s present birth and experiences, but sincere faith in dharma can still lead to moral and spiritual uplift. The verse also warns that in ignorance people often practice ‘dharma’ for the sake of desire and gain, treating virtues as tools for personal ends rather than as commitments to truth and right order.
Vyāsa addresses a worm, explaining that its low birth is the result of prior sins. He then offers a path of hope: if the creature now has faith in dharma, it can attain dharma. He broadens the point into a general reflection that gods, humans, and animals all undergo the fruits of karma, and that many humans pursue dharma only as a means to fulfill desires.