Shloka 96
Uttaṅka’s Petition for Madayantī’s Divine Earrings (Maṇikuṇḍala) — Agreement, Proof, and Vigilance
तत: काष्ठै: सह तदा पपात धरणीतले । शत्रुदमन नरेश! बोझ भारी होनेके कारण वे बहुत थक गये। उनका शरीर लकड़ियोंके भारसे दब गया था। वे भूखसे पीड़ित हो रहे थे। जब आश्रमपर आकर उस बोझको वे जमीनपर गिराने लगे
tataḥ kāṣṭhaiḥ saha tadā papāta dharaṇītale | śatrudamana nareśa |
Sinabi ni Vaiśaṃpāyana: Pagkaraan, siya’y bumagsak sa lupa kasama ng bigkis ng panggatong. O hari, manlulupig ng mga kaaway—dahil sa bigat ng pasan, siya’y lubhang napagod; ang kanyang katawan ay nadaganan ng bigat ng kahoy at siya’y pinahihirapan ng gutom. Nang marating niya ang ashram at tangkaing ibaba ang pasan, ang kanyang mga buhol-buhol na buhok—maputi na parang hiblang pilak—ay nasabit sa mga kahoy, kaya’t ito man ay bumagsak sa lupa kasama ng mga troso.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical weight of endurance and humility: even a venerable ascetic figure can be brought low by hunger and labor, reminding the listener that dharma is often lived through patient suffering and restraint rather than display of power.
A person carrying a heavy load of firewood reaches an āśrama, collapses as he tries to set the wood down, and his white matted locks—caught in the bundle—fall to the ground along with the logs, emphasizing his exhaustion and hardship.