उत्तङ्कोपाख्यानम् — Maṇi-Kuṇḍala Retrieval and Entry into Nāgaloka
Chapter 57
स्यन्देते हि दिवा रुकम॑ रात्रौ च द्विजसत्तम | नक्त नक्षत्रताराणां प्रभामाक्षिप्य वर्तत:
syandete hi divā rukmaṁ rātrau ca dvijasattama | naktaṁ nakṣatratārāṇāṁ prabhām ākṣipya vartataḥ ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśaṃpāyana: “O pinakamainam sa mga ‘dalawang ulit na isinilang’, ang dalawang hikaw na iyon ay walang tigil na tumutulo ng ginto, araw man o gabi. At sa gabi, wari’y hinihigop pa nila ang ningning ng mga bituin at mga konstelasyon.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights how extraordinary, radiant objects can symbolize superhuman or divinely sanctioned power. Ethically, it frames splendor not as mere luxury but as a narrative sign of exceptional status and auspicious potency, inviting discernment about the source and purpose of such brilliance.
Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a pair of earrings whose brilliance is so intense that they appear to drip gold continuously and, at night, to outshine and ‘steal’ the radiance of the stars—an image used to convey marvel and overwhelming luminosity.