Shloka 171
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
स हास्तिनपुरं प्राप्प न चिराद् विप्रसत्तम: । समागच्छत राजानमुत्तड़को जनमेजयम्,हस्तिनापुरमें शीघ्र पहुँचकर विप्रवर उत्तंक राजा जनमेजयसे मिले
sa hāstinapuraṃ prāpya na cirād viprasattamaḥ | samāgacchat rājānam uttankaḥ janamejayam ||
Before long, the foremost of brāhmaṇas, Uttanka, reached Hastināpura and came into the presence of King Janamejaya. The verse marks a swift transition from Uttanka’s journey to his direct encounter with royal authority, setting the stage for counsel, accountability, and the ethical consequences that follow from a sage’s words meeting a king’s power.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the meeting-point of spiritual authority and political power: a brāhmaṇa sage approaches a king, implying that righteous governance (rājadharma) is answerable to dharma as articulated by the learned and the virtuous.
Uttanka quickly reaches Hastināpura and meets King Janamejaya. This encounter serves as the narrative hinge for the next developments in which Uttanka’s words and the king’s response become consequential.