Shloka 24
Keśinī’s Inquiry to Bāhuka and the Emotional Signs of Concealed Identity (केशिन्याः बाहुकपरीक्षा)
ततः स विस्मयाविष्टो राजानमिदमत्रवीत् । गणयित्वा यथोक्तानि तावन्त्येव फलानि तु,गिननेसे उसे उतने ही फल मिले। तब उसने विस्मित होकर राजा ऋतुपर्णसे कहा --
tataḥ sa vismayāviṣṭo rājānam idam abravīt | gaṇayitvā yathoktāni tāvanty eva phalāni tu ||
ثم استولى عليه العجب فقال للملك: «لقد عددتُها على الوجه الذي ذكرتَ، فإذا الثمار حقًّا بعددها نفسه، لا تزيد ولا تنقص».
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores integrity in speech and the dharmic value of precision: a claim is not merely asserted but verified by careful counting, showing respect for truth and responsible knowledge.
A person counts the fruits according to the king’s stated number and finds it exactly correct; astonished by this accuracy, he reports the result to King Ṛtupārṇa.