Shloka 10
Uttanka’s Guru-Śuśrūṣā and the Commission to Retrieve the Maṇikuṇḍalas (उत्तङ्क-गुरुशुश्रूषा तथा मणिकुण्डल-आदेशः)
वैशम्पायन उवाच तमुवाच प्रसन्नात्मा गोविन्दो जनमेजय । वरं वृणीष्वेति तदा तमुत्तड़को<ब्रवीदिदम्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! मुनिकी बात सुनकर सदा प्रसन्नचित्त रहनेवाले भगवान् श्रीकृष्णने कहा--“महर्ष!ी आप मुझसे कोई वर माँगिये।' तब उत्तंकने कहा --
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: tam uvāca prasannātmā Govindo Janamejaya | varaṃ vṛṇīṣveti tadā tam Uttanko 'bravīd idam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: Wahai Janamejaya, ketika mendengar kata-kata sang resi, Govinda—yang sentiasa tenang jiwanya—berkata kepadanya, “Pilihlah suatu anugerah.” Maka Uttanka pun menjawab demikian.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A boon is not merely a gift but a moral instrument: the giver must be steady and benevolent, and the receiver must choose responsibly. Kṛṣṇa’s serene offer models generosity governed by dharma, while the narrative prepares for the ethical implications of Uttanka’s request.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration to King Janamejaya, Kṛṣṇa (Govinda) invites the sage Uttanka to ask for a boon. Uttanka is about to state his request, marking a transition to the next speech and the consequences that follow.