Uttaṅka’s Petition for Madayantī’s Divine Earrings (Maṇikuṇḍala) — Agreement, Proof, and Vigilance
स जगाम ततः: शीघ्रमुत्तड़को ब्राह्मणर्षभ: । सौदासं पुरुषादं वै भिक्षितुं मणिकुण्डले
sa jagāma tataḥ śīghram uttaṅko brāhmaṇarṣabhaḥ | saudāsaṃ puruṣādaṃ vai bhikṣituṃ maṇikuṇḍale ||
त्यानंतर ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ उत्तंक तेथून शीघ्र निघाला—पुरुषाद झालेल्या राजा सौदासकडून मणिमय कुंडले मागण्यासाठी।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Steadfastness in dharma: a righteous person pursues a vowed duty without hesitation, even when the path leads into danger or contact with morally fallen power.
Uttanka, described as a foremost brāhmaṇa, quickly goes to King Saudāsa—depicted as a man-eater—to request the jewel earrings (maṇikuṇḍale), setting up a confrontation between ascetic purpose and a king’s degraded condition.