Shloka 8

Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving

Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum

Devanagari script

गतिज्ञ: सर्वभूतानां भाषाज्ञश्व शरीरिणाम्‌ । सर्वज्ञ: स तदा दृष्टवा कीटं वचनमव्रवीत्‌

Transliteration

gatijñaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ bhāṣājñaś ca śarīriṇām | sarvajñaḥ sa tadā dṛṣṭvā kīṭaṃ vacanam abravīt ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Ngài ấy, người thấu rõ số phận của mọi loài và hiểu được ngôn ngữ của các hữu thể mang thân, bậc toàn tri—khi thấy con sâu ấy liền cất lời như sau.”

Word by Word

• गतिज्ञः: knower of movements/ways
• गतिज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गतिज्ञ (गति + ज्ञ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत (सर्व + भूत)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• भाषाज्ञः: knower of speech/languages
• भाषाज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाषाज्ञ (भाषा + ज्ञ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• शरीरिणाम्: of embodied beings
• शरीरिणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीरिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सर्वज्ञः: omniscient
• सर्वज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वज्ञ (सर्व + ज्ञ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• कीटम्: an insect/worm
• कीटम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीट
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वचनम्: words/speech
• वचनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अव्रवीत्: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• kīṭa (worm/insect)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical stance of attentive, compassionate instruction: a truly wise person understands the varied destinies of beings and can communicate appropriately even with the smallest creature, implying reverence for life and responsible speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma introduces a scene in which a supremely knowledgeable figure—described as knowing the paths of all beings and their languages—sees a worm and begins to address it, setting up a moral or instructive dialogue.