Shloka 223
Uttanka’s Guru-Śuśrūṣā and the Commission to Retrieve the Maṇikuṇḍalas (उत्तङ्क-गुरुशुश्रूषा तथा मणिकुण्डल-आदेशः)
मेने प्रलब्धमात्मानं कृष्णेनामित्रघातिना । महाराज! मुनिके इनकार करते ही कुत्तोंसहित वह चाण्डाल वहीं अन्तर्धान हो गया। यह देख उत्तंक मन-ही-मन बहुत लज्जित हुए और सोचने लगे कि “शत्रुघाती श्रीकृष्णने मुझे ठग लिया'
mene pralabdham ātmānaṃ kṛṣṇenāmitraghātinā | mahārāja! munike inkāra karate hī kuttōṃ-sahita vaha cāṇḍāla vahīṃ antardhāna ho gayā | etad dṛṣṭvā uttaṅkaḥ manasā bahu lajjitaḥ sañcintayām āsa—“śatrughātī śrīkṛṣṇena ahaṃ vañcitaḥ” |
ഉത്തങ്കൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ശത്രുഘാതിയായ കൃഷ്ണൻ എന്നെ വഞ്ചിച്ചുവെന്ന് ഞാൻ കരുതി. മുനി നിരസിച്ച ഉടനെ ആ ചാണ്ഡാലൻ നായകളോടുകൂടി അവിടെയേ അപ്രത്യക്ഷനായി. അത് കണ്ടു ഉത്തങ്കൻ ഉള്ളിൽ ലജ്ജിച്ചു ചിന്തിച്ചു.
उत्तडुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights ethical self-scrutiny: when confronted with a puzzling or humiliating event, one should examine one’s own reactions—pride, suspicion, or rash judgment—rather than immediately blaming a higher power. Uttaṅka’s inner shame signals a moral awakening and the need for discernment (viveka) in interpreting extraordinary occurrences.
Uttaṅka believes Kṛṣṇa has deceived him. A Cāṇḍāla figure accompanied by dogs vanishes instantly when a sage refuses (or rejects) something connected with him. Witnessing this sudden disappearance, Uttaṅka feels intense inner embarrassment and concludes that Kṛṣṇa has tricked him, setting the stage for further clarification of the event’s true meaning.