Shloka 9
Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: Abhaya, Anugraha, and the Ethics of Honoring the Worthy (दानश्रेष्ठता: अभय-अनुग्रह-विप्रपूजा)
मुनिपुंगव! इक्कीस दिनोंतक एक करवटसे सोते रहना
Kuśika uvāca: Munipuṅgava! ekaviṁśati-dināni eka-karvaṭena śete, tata utthāya kiñcid apy anuktvā bahiḥ prayāti, sahasā antarhitaḥ bhavati, punaḥ darśanaṁ dadāti; punaḥ ekaviṁśati-dināni dvitīya-karvaṭena śete; utthāya tailābhyangaṁ kārayati; abhyaktaḥ san prayāti; punaḥ mama mahale nānā-vidhāni bhojanāni saṁgṛhya teṣu agniṁ dīpayitvā sarvaṁ dahati; tataḥ sahasā rathena ārūḍhaḥ nagara-paryaṭanaṁ karoti, dhanaṁ vikirati, divya-vanasya darśanaṁ kārayati; tatra bahūni suvarṇa-mayāni prāsādāni prādur-bhāvayati, maṇi-pravāla-pāda-pīṭhāni śayyāsanāni darśayati, ante ca sarvaṁ punar adṛśyaṁ karoti. Mahā-mune! etat sarvaṁ kṛtyaṁ tava yathārtha-kāraṇaṁ śrotum icchāmi. Bhṛgu-kula-ratna! etad vicārayataḥ mama atīva mohaḥ jāyate. Na caivātrādhigacchāmi sarvasyāsya viniścayam; etad icchāmi kārtsnyena satyaṁ śrotuṁ tapodhana.
クシカは言った。「牟尼の中の最勝者よ！あなたは二十一日間、片側を下にして横たわり、起き上がると一言も発せず外へ出て、たちまち姿を消し、のちにまた現れる。さらにまた、別の側を下にして二十一日間横たわり、起きると油で按摩させ、塗油を終えるや立ち去る。その後あなたは我が宮殿へ戻り、さまざまな食物を集めて火を放ち焼き尽くす。次いで突然、戦車に乗って城外を巡り、財を撒き施し、霊妙なる森を示し、そこに黄金の宮殿を数多く顕現させ、宝石と珊瑚を嵌めた脚の寝台を見せ、最後にはすべてを再び見えぬものとしてしまう。大牟尼よ！これらの行いの真の理由を聞きたい。ブリグの家系の珠玉よ！それを思うたび、深い迷いが私を覆う。いくら考えても結論に至らぬゆえ、苦行に富む修行者よ、余すところなく真実を聞かせてほしい。」
कुशिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds disciplined inquiry into extraordinary phenomena: Kuśika refuses to settle for speculation and asks for the complete, truthful cause. Ethically, it models humility before the unknown and the dharmic impulse to seek clarity rather than be ruled by moha (bewilderment).
Kuśika recounts a sage’s puzzling sequence of actions—long periods of lying on one side, sudden silent departures, vanishing and reappearing, oil massage, burning gathered foods, touring by chariot while giving away wealth, revealing a marvelous forest with golden mansions and jeweled couches, and then making it all disappear—and asks the sage to explain the real reason behind these acts.