Shloka 18
Keśinī’s Inquiry to Bāhuka and the Emotional Signs of Concealed Identity (केशिन्याः बाहुकपरीक्षा)
अब्रवीदृतुपर्णस्तु सान्त्वयन् कुरुनन्दन । त्वमेव यन्ता नान्यो<5स्ति पृथिव्यामपि बाहुक,कुरुनन्दन! तब ऋतुपर्णने उसे सान्त्वना देते हुए कहा--“बाहुक! तुम्हीं इन घोड़ोंको हॉँक सकते हो। इस कलामें पृथ्वीपर तुम्हारे जैसा दूसरा कोई नहीं है
abravīd ṛtuparṇas tu sāntvayan kurunandana | tvam eva yantā nānyo 'sti pṛthivyām api bāhuka ||
Then King Ṛtuparṇa, consoling the son of Kuru, spoke: “Bāhuka, you alone can drive these horses. On this earth there is no other equal to you in this skill.”
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
True excellence is recognized even when one’s identity is hidden; reassurance and respectful acknowledgment of another’s competence are ethical acts that restore courage and enable right action.
In the Nala–Damayantī episode, Nala lives in disguise as “Bāhuka.” King Ṛtuparṇa, needing an unmatched driver, consoles him and declares that only Bāhuka can handle the horses—highlighting Nala’s extraordinary charioteering skill.