Shloka 36
Keśinī’s Inquiry to Bāhuka and the Emotional Signs of Concealed Identity (केशिन्याः बाहुकपरीक्षा)
शरणं त्वां प्रपन्नो5स्मि शृणु चेदं॑ वचो मम । येच त्वां मनुजा लोके कीर्तयिष्यन्त्यतन्द्रिता: । मत्प्रसूतं भयं तेषां न कदाचिद् भविष्यति,“अब मैं आपकी शरणमें हूँ। आप मेरी यह बात सुनिये। यदि भयसे पीड़ित और शरणमें आये हुए मुझको आप शाप नहीं देंगे तो संसारमें जो मनुष्य आलस्यरहित हो आपकी कीर्ति-कथाका कीर्तन करेंगे, उन्हें मुझसे कभी भय नहीं होगा।” कलियुगके ऐसा कहनेपर राजा नलने अपने क्रोधको रोक लिया
śaraṇaṃ tvāṃ prapanno ’smi śṛṇu cedaṃ vaco mama | ye ca tvāṃ manujā loke kīrtayiṣyanty atandritāḥ | matprasūtaṃ bhayaṃ teṣāṃ na kadācid bhaviṣyati ||
Aku datang memohon perlindunganmu; dengarkan ucapanku. Jika engkau tidak mengutukku—meski aku ketakutan dan telah berlindung padamu—maka orang-orang di dunia yang tanpa lalai melantunkan kemasyhuranmu takkan pernah gentar oleh bahaya yang timbul dariku.
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical force of śaraṇāgati: when someone comes seeking refuge, the powerful are urged toward restraint rather than punitive anger. It also presents a reciprocal moral economy—praise of a righteous protector becomes linked with safety from the harm associated with the supplicant.
A speaker (introduced as Bṛhadaśva in the chapter framing) voices a plea of surrender: he asks not to be cursed despite being a source of fear, and promises that those who diligently celebrate the other’s fame will be protected from any danger arising from him. In the surrounding narration (as reflected in the Gita Press Hindi), King Nala restrains his anger after this appeal.