Shloka 73
Uttaṅka’s Petition for Madayantī’s Divine Earrings (Maṇikuṇḍala) — Agreement, Proof, and Vigilance
उत्तड़क: काष्ठ भारं च महान्तं समुपानयत् । किंतु वे गुरुवत्सल महर्षि यह नहीं जान सके कि मेरा बुढ़ापा आ गया। राजेन्द्र! एक दिन उत्तंक मुनि लकड़ियाँ लानेके लिये वनमें गये और वहाँसे काठका बहुत बड़ा बोझ उठा लाये
Uttaṅkaḥ kāṣṭha-bhāraṃ ca mahāntaṃ samupānayat.
Uttanka membawa pulang seikat kayu bakar yang sangat besar. Namun sang maharsi—yang penuh kasih kepada muridnya—tidak menyadari bahwa usia tua telah menimpaku. Wahai raja terbaik, pada suatu hari Uttanka sang pertapa pergi ke hutan untuk mengumpulkan kayu upacara, lalu kembali memanggul beban kayu yang amat berat.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined service and humility in the guru–disciple tradition: the disciple undertakes strenuous duties without complaint, and the passage also reflects on how time and aging can go unnoticed amid routine and affection.
Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that the ascetic Uttaṅka goes to the forest to collect fuel and returns carrying a very heavy load of wood, while the speaker notes that the affectionate sage did not recognize that the speaker had grown old.