Shloka 9
Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: Abhaya, Anugraha, and the Ethics of Honoring the Worthy (दानश्रेष्ठता: अभय-अनुग्रह-विप्रपूजा)
मुनिपुंगव! इक्कीस दिनोंतक एक करवटसे सोते रहना
Kuśika uvāca: Munipuṅgava! ekaviṁśati-dināni eka-karvaṭena śete, tata utthāya kiñcid apy anuktvā bahiḥ prayāti, sahasā antarhitaḥ bhavati, punaḥ darśanaṁ dadāti; punaḥ ekaviṁśati-dināni dvitīya-karvaṭena śete; utthāya tailābhyangaṁ kārayati; abhyaktaḥ san prayāti; punaḥ mama mahale nānā-vidhāni bhojanāni saṁgṛhya teṣu agniṁ dīpayitvā sarvaṁ dahati; tataḥ sahasā rathena ārūḍhaḥ nagara-paryaṭanaṁ karoti, dhanaṁ vikirati, divya-vanasya darśanaṁ kārayati; tatra bahūni suvarṇa-mayāni prāsādāni prādur-bhāvayati, maṇi-pravāla-pāda-pīṭhāni śayyāsanāni darśayati, ante ca sarvaṁ punar adṛśyaṁ karoti. Mahā-mune! etat sarvaṁ kṛtyaṁ tava yathārtha-kāraṇaṁ śrotum icchāmi. Bhṛgu-kula-ratna! etad vicārayataḥ mama atīva mohaḥ jāyate. Na caivātrādhigacchāmi sarvasyāsya viniścayam; etad icchāmi kārtsnyena satyaṁ śrotuṁ tapodhana.
俱尸迦说道：“至上牟尼啊！你侧卧一边二十一日；起身后不发一言便出门，忽然隐没无踪，过后又再现。又一次，你侧卧另一边二十一日；起身后命人以油按摩，涂抹既毕便离去。随后你回到我的宫殿，聚集种种饮食，点火焚烧。接着你又骤然登车，出城巡行，散施财宝，指示一片奇妙之林；在那里你显现许多黄金宫殿，展示床榻，其足镶嵌宝石与珊瑚，最终又令一切复归无形。大圣者！我愿听闻你这一切作为的真实缘由。婆利古族之珠玉！我每一思量，便被深重迷惘所笼罩。纵然反复推求，我仍不能得其定论；因此，苦行功德深厚者啊，我渴望听到完整而真实的说明。”
कुशिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds disciplined inquiry into extraordinary phenomena: Kuśika refuses to settle for speculation and asks for the complete, truthful cause. Ethically, it models humility before the unknown and the dharmic impulse to seek clarity rather than be ruled by moha (bewilderment).
Kuśika recounts a sage’s puzzling sequence of actions—long periods of lying on one side, sudden silent departures, vanishing and reappearing, oil massage, burning gathered foods, touring by chariot while giving away wealth, revealing a marvelous forest with golden mansions and jeweled couches, and then making it all disappear—and asks the sage to explain the real reason behind these acts.