ममाक्षिपसि विप्रोच्चैः किं मया चौर्य कर्मणा । लब्धा मुद्रा त्वदीयेन पुत्रेणैषा ममार्पिता
mamākṣipasi viproccaiḥ kiṃ mayā caurya karmaṇā | labdhā mudrā tvadīyena putreṇaiṣā mamārpitā
“Wahai brāhmaṇa, mengapa engkau menuduhku dengan suara yang tinggi? Apa kaitanku dengan perbuatan mencuri? Cincin meterai ini aku peroleh daripada anakmu sendiri—dialah yang menyerahkannya kepadaku.”
Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Audience within Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame (not specified)
Scene: The gambler raises his hands in protest before the brāhmaṇa, pointing outward as if to say ‘your son gave it’; the ring is visible, and the brāhmaṇa’s face shows shock and dawning realization.
Adharma often hides behind excuses; yet the deeper warning is that a family’s negligence can enable wrongdoing.
Kāśī is the overarching sacred context (Kāśīkhaṇḍa), though the verse itself is part of a moral narrative.
None; it records a defensive claim regarding the origin of the ring.