Shloka 35
Rathaghoṣa–Saṃjñāna: Damayantī’s Inference and the Dispatch of the Envoy (Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 71)
ऋतुपर्णश्व राजेन्द्रो बाहुकस्य हयज्ञताम् | चिन्तयन् मुमुदे राजा सहवाष्णेयसारथि:,महाराज ऋतुपर्ण भी बाहुकके अश्वसंचालन-विषयक ज्ञानपर विचार करके वार्ष्णेय सारथिके साथ बहुत प्रसन्न हुए
ṛtuparṇaś ca rājendro bāhukasya hayajñatām | cintayan mumude rājā saha vārṣṇeyasārathiḥ ||
King Ṛtuparṇa, best among kings, reflected on Bāhuka’s expertise in horses and their handling; and, accompanied by his Vārṣṇeya charioteer, the king became greatly delighted.
ऋचुपर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
A discerning ruler values and acknowledges genuine competence. Ethical leadership includes recognizing merit in others without prejudice, and taking joy in excellence that can serve righteous aims.
Ṛtuparṇa observes and contemplates Bāhuka’s remarkable mastery of horses and driving. Impressed, he becomes pleased, traveling with his Vārṣṇeya charioteer—an episode within the Nala narrative where Nala, in disguise as Bāhuka, reveals exceptional skill.