Shloka 8
उत्तङ्कोपाख्यानम् — Maṇi-Kuṇḍala Retrieval and Entry into Nāgaloka
Chapter 57
ददासि विप्रमुख्येभ्यस्त्वं हि रत्नानि नित्यदा | दाता च त्वं नरव्याप्र पात्रभूत: क्षिताविह । पात्र॑ प्रतिग्रहे चापि विद्धि मां नृपसत्तम
dadāsi vipramukhye bhyas tvaṁ hi ratnāni nityadā | dātā ca tvaṁ naravyāghra pātrabhūtaḥ kṣitāv iha || pātraṁ pratigrahe cāpi viddhi māṁ nṛpasattama puruṣasiṁha ||
“ನರవ్యಾಘ್ರ! ನೀವು ಪ್ರತಿದಿನ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರಿಗೆ ರತ್ನಗಳನ್ನು ದಾನಮಾಡುತ್ತೀರಿ. ಈ ಭೂಮಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀವು ಮಹಾದಾತನಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧರು. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ, ನೃಪಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ, ನನ್ನನ್ನೂ ದಾನ ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸಲು ಯೋಗ್ಯನಾದ ಪ್ರತಿಗ್ರಹಪಾತ್ರನೆಂದು ತಿಳಿಯಿರಿ.”
उत्तड्ुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethics of dāna: giving is praised, but it is also governed by fitness (pātratva). A gift becomes dharmic when a worthy giver gives appropriately and a worthy recipient accepts appropriately (pratigraha).
Uttanka addresses the king with honorific epithets, reminding him of his established practice of gifting jewels to eminent Brahmins, and then asserts his own eligibility to receive a gift—requesting to be recognized as a proper recipient for pratigraha.