Shloka 223
Uttanka’s Guru-Śuśrūṣā and the Commission to Retrieve the Maṇikuṇḍalas (उत्तङ्क-गुरुशुश्रूषा तथा मणिकुण्डल-आदेशः)
मेने प्रलब्धमात्मानं कृष्णेनामित्रघातिना । महाराज! मुनिके इनकार करते ही कुत्तोंसहित वह चाण्डाल वहीं अन्तर्धान हो गया। यह देख उत्तंक मन-ही-मन बहुत लज्जित हुए और सोचने लगे कि “शत्रुघाती श्रीकृष्णने मुझे ठग लिया'
mene pralabdham ātmānaṃ kṛṣṇenāmitraghātinā | mahārāja! munike inkāra karate hī kuttōṃ-sahita vaha cāṇḍāla vahīṃ antardhāna ho gayā | etad dṛṣṭvā uttaṅkaḥ manasā bahu lajjitaḥ sañcintayām āsa—“śatrughātī śrīkṛṣṇena ahaṃ vañcitaḥ” |
Uttaṅka said: “I felt that I had been deceived by Kṛṣṇa, the slayer of foes. O great king, the moment the sage refused, that caṇḍāla—together with the dogs—vanished on the spot. Seeing this, Uttaṅka was deeply ashamed within himself and reflected: ‘I have been tricked by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the destroyer of enemies.’”
उत्तडुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights ethical self-scrutiny: when confronted with a puzzling or humiliating event, one should examine one’s own reactions—pride, suspicion, or rash judgment—rather than immediately blaming a higher power. Uttaṅka’s inner shame signals a moral awakening and the need for discernment (viveka) in interpreting extraordinary occurrences.
Uttaṅka believes Kṛṣṇa has deceived him. A Cāṇḍāla figure accompanied by dogs vanishes instantly when a sage refuses (or rejects) something connected with him. Witnessing this sudden disappearance, Uttaṅka feels intense inner embarrassment and concludes that Kṛṣṇa has tricked him, setting the stage for further clarification of the event’s true meaning.