Shloka 26
कि नु स्यान्मातलिरयं देवराजस्य सारथि: । तथा तल्लक्षणं वीरे बाहुके दृश्यते महत्,रथकी आवाज सुनकर और घोड़ोंको काबूमें करनेकी वह कला देखकर वार्ष्णेयने बाहुकके अश्व-विज्ञानपर सोचना आरम्भ किया। “क्या यह देवराज इन्द्रका सारथि मातलि है? इस वीर बाहुकमें मातलिका-सा ही महान् लक्षण देखा जाता है
ṛcuparṇa uvāca | ki nu syān mātalir ayaṃ devarājasya sārathiḥ | tathā tal-lakṣaṇaṃ vīre bāhuke dṛśyate mahat |
Ṛtuparṇa said: “Could this man be Mātali, the charioteer of the king of the gods? For in this hero Bāhuka, I see the same great distinguishing marks.”
ऋचुपर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Exceptional skill and self-possessed mastery can reveal a person’s true stature; the verse models discernment—recognizing greatness through clear ‘lakṣaṇas’ (signs) rather than mere appearance.
Ṛtuparṇa observes Bāhuka’s extraordinary charioteering/horse-control and wonders whether he might be Mātali, Indra’s famed charioteer, because Bāhuka displays similarly eminent identifying traits.