Shloka 23
उत्तङ्कोपाख्यानम् — Maṇi-Kuṇḍala Retrieval and Entry into Nāgaloka
Chapter 57
निक्षिप्तमेतद् भुवि पन्नगास्तु रत्नं समासाद्य परामृशेयु: । यक्षास्तथोच्छिष्ट धृतं सुराश्च निद्रावशाद् वा परिधर्षयेयु:
nikṣiptam etad bhuvi pannagās tu ratnaṃ samāsādya parāmṛśeyuḥ | yakṣās tathocchiṣṭa-dhṛtaṃ surāś ca nidrāvaśād vā paridharṣayeyuḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „Legt man diese Ohrringe auf die Erde, werden die Nāgas, sobald sie ein solches Juwel finden, sie an sich reißen. Trägt man sie in unreinem Zustand, werden die Yakṣas sie forttragen; und schläft man ein, während man sie noch trägt, so können selbst die Götter sie mit Gewalt nehmen.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Valuable and power-laden possessions demand disciplined guardianship: do not leave them carelessly, maintain ritual and moral cleanliness in their use, and remain alert—negligence (carelessness, impurity, or sleep) invites loss and disorder.
The speaker warns about the peril of mishandling a precious pair of earrings: if set on the ground, serpents will snatch them; if worn while impure, Yakṣas will take them; and if one sleeps while wearing them, even the gods may forcibly seize them—highlighting constant risk around coveted treasure.