Shloka 17
Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving
Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum
Devanagari script
कीट उवाच सर्वत्र निरतो जीव इतश्नापि सुखं मम । चिन्तयामि महाप्राज्ञ तस्मादिच्छामि जीवितुम्
Transliteration
kīṭa uvāca sarvatra nirato jīva itaś cāpi sukhaṃ mama | cintayāmi mahāprājña tasmād icchāmi jīvitum ||
Translation
کیڑے نے کہا—“اے نہایت دانا! جیو ہر جگہ عمل میں لگا رہتا ہے، اور یہاں بھی مجھے اپنا حصہ بھر کی خوشی ملتی ہے۔ اسی پر غور کر کے میں جینا چاہتا ہوں۔”
Word by Word
कीटःthe worm/insect
कीटः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकीट
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उवाचsaid/spoke
उवाच:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormPerfect (Paroksha), 3rd, Singular
सर्वत्रeverywhere
सर्वत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसर्वत्र
निरतःengaged/occupied
निरतः:
TypeAdjective
Rootनिरत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
जीवःa living being
जीवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootजीव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
इतःfrom here/thereafter
इतः:
Apadana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइतः
अपिalso/even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
सुखम्happiness/comfort
सुखम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसुख
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
ममof me/my
मम:
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
चिन्तयामिI think/consider
चिन्तयामि:
TypeVerb
Rootचिन्त्
FormPresent, 1st, Singular
महाप्राज्ञO great wise one
महाप्राज्ञ:
Sampradana
TypeNoun (vocative used as epithet)
Rootमहाप्राज्ञ
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
तस्मात्therefore/from that
तस्मात्:
Apadana
TypePronoun
Rootतस्मद्
FormAblative, Singular
इच्छामिI desire/wish
इच्छामि:
TypeVerb
Rootइष्
FormPresent, 1st, Singular
जीवितुम्to live
जीवितुम्:
Karma
TypeVerb (infinitive)
Rootजीव्
FormInfinitive (tumun)
Speaker
कीट उवाच
Characters & Entities
K
kīṭa (the insect)M
mahāprājña (addressed wise person, unnamed in this verse)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Even a small creature values life and can find happiness in its own condition; thoughtful reflection leads to affirming life rather than abandoning it.
An insect speaks to a wise interlocutor, explaining that it experiences happiness even in its present state and, after considering this, expresses the wish to continue living.