Shloka 19
Keśinī’s Inquiry to Bāhuka and the Emotional Signs of Concealed Identity (केशिन्याः बाहुकपरीक्षा)
त्वत्कृते यातुमिच्छामि विदर्भान् हयकोविद । शरणं त्वां प्रपन्नो5स्मि न विघ्नं कर्तुमहसि,'घोड़ोंके रहस्यको जाननेवाले बाहुक! तुम्हारे ही प्रयत्नसे मैं विदर्भदेशकी राजधानीमें पहुँचना चाहता हूँ। देखो, तुम्हारी शरणमें आया हूँ। इस कार्यमें विघ्न न डालो
tvatkṛte yātum icchāmi vidarbhān hayakovida | śaraṇaṃ tvāṃ prapanno ’smi na vighnaṃ kartum arhasi ||
For your sake and through your effort, O Bāhuka, knower of horses, I wish to travel to Vidarbha. See—I have come to you for refuge; you ought not to place any obstacle in this undertaking.
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical appeal grounded in śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge): when someone approaches in trust and dependence, the addressed person is urged to act without creating hindrances, honoring responsibility and goodwill.
Bṛhadaśva addresses Bāhuka—renowned for skill with horses—requesting his help to reach Vidarbha and explicitly declaring reliance on him, asking that he not obstruct the journey.