Shloka 43
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
स तथेत्युक्त्वा गा अरक्षत् । रक्षित्वा च पुनरुपाध्यायगृहमागम्योपा ध्यायस्याग्रत: स्थित्वा नमश्षक्रे,उसने “तथास्तु” कहकर गुरुकी आज्ञा मान ली और पूर्ववत् गौओंकी रक्षा करने लगा। एक दिन गायें चराकर वह फिर (सायंकालको) उपाध्यायके घर आया और उनके सामने खड़े होकर उसने नमस्कार किया
sa tathety uktvā gā arakṣat | rakṣitvā ca punar upādhyāya-gṛham āgamya upādhyāyasyāgrataḥ sthitvā namaś cakre |
Saying, “So be it,” he accepted the instruction and guarded the cows. After protecting them, he returned again to the teacher’s house; standing before his preceptor, he offered respectful obeisance.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dharma expressed as obedient service to one’s teacher: accepting an instruction without resistance, carrying it out diligently (protecting the cows), and returning with humility to offer respectful salutations.
The speaker describes a student who agrees to the teacher’s command, goes to guard the cows as assigned, and after completing the day’s duty returns to the teacher’s house in the evening and bows respectfully before him.