Shloka 26

Adhyāya 73: Damayantī’s Investigation of Bāhuka

Keśinī’s Observations

Devanagari script

राजापि च स्मयन्‌ भीमो मनसा समचिन्तयन्‌ । अधिकं योजनशतं तस्यागमनकारणम्‌,यह सुनकर राजा भीम भी मुसकरा दिये और मन-ही-मन सोचने लगे--'ये बहुत-से गाँवोंको लाँधकर सौ योजनसे भी अधिक दूर चले आये हैं, किंतु कार्य इन्होंने बहुत साधारण बतलाया है। फिर इनके आगमनका क्‍या कारण है, इसे मैं ठीक-ठीक न जान सका

Transliteration

rājāpi ca smayan bhīmo manasā samacintayan | adhikaṃ yojanaśataṃ tasyāgamanakāraṇam ||

Translation

قال بْرِهادَشْفا: إن الملك بِهيما أيضًا ابتسم وفكّر في نفسه: «لقد جاءوا من مسافة تزيد على مئة يوجانا، عابرين قرى كثيرة؛ ومع ذلك يصفون مقصدهم كأنه أمر يسير عادي. فما السبب الحقيقي لقدومهم إذن؟ لم أستطع أن أتبينه على وجه اليقين».

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'rājā', 'definition': 'king'}, {'term': 'api', 'definition': 'also, even'}, {'term': 'smayan', 'definition': 'smiling (present participle of √smi)'}, {'term': 'bhīmaḥ', 'definition': 'Bhīma (proper name)'}, {'term': 'manasā', 'definition': 'in the mind, mentally (instrumental of manas)'}, {'term': 'samacintayan', 'definition': 'reflecting, considering carefully (from sam-√cint)'}, {'term': 'adhikam', 'definition': 'more, exceeding'}, {'term': 'yojanaśatam', 'definition': 'a hundred yojanas (a very great distance)'}, {'term': 'tasya', 'definition': 'of him/of that (genitive)'}, {'term': 'āgamanakāraṇam', 'definition': 'cause/reason for coming

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva
• Bhīma
• rājā (king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights discernment: outwardly simple explanations may conceal deeper motives, so a thoughtful person reflects carefully before forming a judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva narrates that Bhīma, acting as a king, smiles and privately reasons that the visitors’ long journey does not match their stated trivial purpose, so he suspects an undisclosed cause.