Shloka 25

Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving

Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum

Devanagari script

ईर्ष्यु: परसुखं दृष्टवा अन्यस्य न बुभूषक: । त्रिवर्गहन्ता चान्येषामात्मकामानुवर्तक:

Transliteration

īrṣyuḥ parasukhaṃ dṛṣṭvā anyasya na bubhūṣakaḥ | trivargahantā cānyeṣām ātmākāmānuvartakaḥ ||

Translation

Con côn trùng ấy nói: “Hễ thấy hạnh phúc của kẻ khác, lòng ghen tị liền dấy lên trong ta. Ta chẳng muốn ai được thịnh vượng. Ta trở thành kẻ ngăn trở người khác trong ba mục đích của đời sống—dharma, artha và kāma—còn ta thì chỉ chạy theo dục vọng ích kỷ của chính mình.”

Word by Word

• ईर्ष्युः: jealous
• ईर्ष्युः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईर्ष्युः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परसुखम्: another's happiness
• परसुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• अन्यस्य: of another (person)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• बुभूषकः: one who wishes (for it); desirous
• बुभूषकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुभूषक (प्रातिपदिक; desiderative-noun from भू)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्रिवर्गहन्ता: destroyer/obstructor of the three aims (dharma-artha-kāma)
• त्रिवर्गहन्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-वर्ग-हन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्येषाम्: of others
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• आत्मकामानुवर्तकः: one who follows his own desires
• आत्मकामानुवर्तकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्म-काम-अनुवर्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

कीट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• कीट (the insect narrator)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Jealousy and self-centered desire lead one to sabotage others’ rightful pursuits (dharma, artha, kāma). Ethical living requires wishing well for others and restraining envy rather than obstructing their good.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker, an insect (कीट), confesses past moral faults: envy at others’ happiness, refusal to tolerate others’ advancement, and actively hindering their life-goals while pursuing only personal cravings—setting up a cautionary moral reflection.