Shloka 18
Rathaghoṣa–Saṃjñāna: Damayantī’s Inference and the Dispatch of the Envoy (Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 71)
ऋचुपर्ण उवाच त्वमेव हयतत्त्वज्ञ: कुशलो हासि बाहुक | यान् मन्यसे समर्थास्त्वं क्षिप्रं तानेव योजय,ऋतुपर्ण बोले--बाहुक! तुम अश्वविद्याके तत्त्वज्ञ और कुशल हो, अतः तुम जिन्हें इस कार्यमें समर्थ समझो, उन्हींको शीघ्र जोतो
ṛtuparṇa uvāca | tvam eva hayatattvajñaḥ kuśalo 'si bāhuka | yān manyase samarthās tvaṃ kṣipraṃ tān eva yojaya ||
R̥tuparṇa said: “Bāhuka, you alone truly understand the principles of horses and are skilled in that art. Therefore, quickly yoke only those horses that you judge to be capable for this task.”
ऋचुपर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Competence should guide action: when someone is the true expert, authority is best exercised by trusting that person’s judgment and acting without delay.
King R̥tuparṇa addresses Bāhuka (Nala in disguise), acknowledging his mastery of horses and instructing him to quickly harness only the horses he deems fit for the journey.