Shloka 25
उत्तङ्कोपाख्यानम् — Maṇi-Kuṇḍala Retrieval and Entry into Nāgaloka
Chapter 57
स्यन्देते हि दिवा रुकम॑ रात्रौ च द्विजसत्तम | नक्त नक्षत्रताराणां प्रभामाक्षिप्य वर्तत:
syandete hi divā rukmaṁ rātrau ca dvijasattama | naktaṁ nakṣatratārāṇāṁ prabhām ākṣipya vartataḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O best of twice-born ones, those two earrings continually drip gold by day and by night. Moreover, at night they seem to draw away the very radiance of the stars and constellations, shining with such overpowering brilliance.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary, radiant objects can symbolize superhuman or divinely sanctioned power. Ethically, it frames splendor not as mere luxury but as a narrative sign of exceptional status and auspicious potency, inviting discernment about the source and purpose of such brilliance.
Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a pair of earrings whose brilliance is so intense that they appear to drip gold continuously and, at night, to outshine and ‘steal’ the radiance of the stars—an image used to convey marvel and overwhelming luminosity.