Shloka 31

Adhyāya 73: Damayantī’s Investigation of Bāhuka

Keśinī’s Observations

Devanagari script

बाहुको रथमादाय रथशालामुपागमत्‌ । स मोचयित्वा तानश्चानुपचर्य च शास्त्रत:

Transliteration

bāhuko ratham ādāya rathaśālām upāgamat | sa mocayitvā tān aśvān upacarya ca śāstrataḥ ||

Translation

Bāhuka tomó el carro y se dirigió a la casa de los carros. Allí desunció los caballos y luego los atendió conforme a las reglas prescritas.

Word by Word

• बाहुकः: Bahuka (name)
• बाहुकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहुक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• रथशालाम्: chariot-shed, chariot-house
• रथशालाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथशाला
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• उपागमत्: went to, approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + गम्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मोचयित्वा: having released, having freed
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अनुपचर्य: having attended to, having served
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + चर्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शास्त्रतः: according to the treatise/rule, as prescribed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शास्त्र
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्यय (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bāhuka
• chariot (ratha)
• chariot-house (rathaśālā)
• horses (aśva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even routine work should be done with discipline and according to proper standards (śāstrataḥ). The verse highlights dharma expressed as careful, rule-guided service rather than mere outward heroics.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bāhuka takes the chariot to the chariot-house, unharnesses the horses, and then tends to them properly, following the correct procedures expected of a skilled attendant.