Shloka 23
Adhyāya 73: Damayantī’s Investigation of Bāhuka
Keśinī’s Observations
नाभिजज्ञे स नृपतिर्दुहित्रर्थे समागतम् । ऋतुपर्णोडपि राजा स धीमान् सत्यपराक्रम:,राजा भीम यह नहीं जानते थे कि दमयन्तीके लिये ही इनका शुभागमन हुआ है। राजा ऋतुपर्ण भी बड़े बुद्धिमान् और सत्यपराक्रमी थे
naabhijajñe sa nṛpatir duhitṛ-arthe samāgatam | ṛtuparṇo 'pi rājā sa dhīmān satya-parākramaḥ ||
Bṛhadaśva said: The king did not recognize that the visitor had come for the sake of his daughter. And King Ṛtuparṇa too was a man of keen intelligence, whose valor was grounded in truth—one whose strength expressed itself through integrity as much as through power.
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical ideal of rulership: true prowess is not merely force but is anchored in satya (truth). It also suggests that discernment can be limited by circumstance—one may fail to perceive the real purpose behind events—so dharma requires both integrity and clear understanding.
Bṛhadaśva explains that the king (in context, Bhīma) did not realize that the arrival was connected to his daughter’s affair (Damayantī). At the same time, he characterizes King Ṛtuparṇa as exceptionally intelligent and truth-grounded in valor, setting up Ṛtuparṇa’s significance in the unfolding episode.