Shloka 160
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
अथोत्तड़क उपाध्यायमभ्यवादयत् । तमुपाध्याय: प्रत्युवाच वत्सोत्तड़क स्वागतं ते किं चिरं कृतमिति,तदनन्तर उत्तंकने उपाध्यायके चरणोंमें प्रणाम किया। उपाध्यायने उससे कहा--“वत्स उत्तंक! तुम्हारा स्वागत है। लौटनेमें देर क्यों लगायी?”
athottadaka upādhyāyam abhyavādayat | tam upādhyāyaḥ pratyuvāca: vatsa uttadaka svāgataṃ te kiṃ ciraṃ kṛtam iti | tad-anantaraṃ uttaṅkena upādhyāyake caraṇayoḥ praṇāmaḥ kṛtaḥ | upādhyāyena tasmai uktaṃ—“vatsa uttaṅka! tava svāgataṃ. lautanemeṃ dera kyoṃ lagāyī?”
Then Uttadaka respectfully greeted his teacher. The teacher replied, “My child Uttadaka, welcome. Why have you taken so long?” After this, Uttanka bowed at his teacher’s feet. The teacher said to him, “Dear Uttanka, you are welcome—why did you delay in returning?” The passage highlights the ethical culture of the guru–disciple relationship: reverence, proper greeting, and the teacher’s concern for the disciple’s conduct and timeliness.
राम उवाच