Shloka 27

Adhyāya 73: Damayantī’s Investigation of Bāhuka

Keśinī’s Observations

Devanagari script

ग्रामान्‌ बहूनतिक्रम्य नाध्यगच्छद्‌ यथातथम्‌ | अल्पकार्य विनिर्दिष्टं तस्यागमनकारणम्‌,यह सुनकर राजा भीम भी मुसकरा दिये और मन-ही-मन सोचने लगे--'ये बहुत-से गाँवोंको लाँधकर सौ योजनसे भी अधिक दूर चले आये हैं, किंतु कार्य इन्होंने बहुत साधारण बतलाया है। फिर इनके आगमनका क्‍या कारण है, इसे मैं ठीक-ठीक न जान सका

Transliteration

grāmān bahūn atikramya nādhyagacchad yathā-tatham | alpa-kārya vinirdiṣṭaṃ tasyāgamanakāraṇam ||

Translation

Bṛhadaśva said: “Having passed by many villages, he could not ascertain the matter clearly as it truly was. Though the task he stated was described as a small and ordinary one, the real reason for his coming could not be known with certainty.”

Word by Word

• {'grāmān': 'villages (accusative plural of grāma)', 'bahūn': 'many', 'atikramya': 'having passed beyond, having crossed (gerund of ati-√kram)', 'na': 'not', 'adhyagacchat': 'he came to know, he understood (imperfect of adhi-√gam)', 'yathā-tatham': 'as it really is

• accurately, in proper truth', 'alpa-kārya': 'a small/insignificant task or errand', 'vinirdiṣṭam': 'stated, specified, indicated', 'tasya': 'of him

• his', 'āgamanakāraṇam': 'the cause/reason of (his) coming'}

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should not judge intentions merely by the simplicity of stated reasons; prudent discernment seeks the true motive (āgamanakāraṇa) behind actions, especially when circumstances suggest something deeper.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker notes that although someone has traveled far—crossing many villages—the errand presented is trivial; therefore the true purpose of the visit remains unclear and invites careful scrutiny.