Shloka 19
सा शड्-कमाना भर्तरं बाहुकं पुनरिज्ञितैः । केशिनीं श्लक्षणया वाचा रुदती पुनरब्रवीत्,चेष्टाओंद्वारा उसके मनमें यह प्रबल आशंका जम गयी कि बाहुक मेरे पति ही हैं। फिर तो वह रोने लगी और मधुर वाणीमें केशिनीसे बोली--“सखि! एक बार फिर जाओ और जब बाहुक असावधान हो तो उसके द्वारा विशेषविधिसे उबालकर तैयार किया गया फलोंका गूदा रसोई घरमेंसे शीघ्र उठा लाओ।” केशिनी दमयन्तीकी प्रियकारिणी सखी थी। वह तुरंत गयी और जब बाहुकका ध्यान दूसरी ओर गया तब उसके उबाले हुए गरम-गरम फलोंके गूदेमेंसे थोड़ा-सा निकालकर तत्काल ले आयी
sā ṣaḍ-kāmānā bhartāraṃ bāhukaṃ punar ijñitaiḥ | keśinīṃ ślakṣaṇayā vācā rudatī punar abravīt ||
Bṛhadaśva said: Overcome by the sixfold stirrings of desire and suspicion, she recognized Bāhuka again as her husband. Weeping, she spoke once more to Keśinī in a gentle voice—urging her to go again and, when Bāhuka was off his guard, quickly bring from the kitchen a portion of the specially prepared, well-boiled fruit pulp he had made. The request reveals her careful, ethically cautious testing: she seeks confirmation through a distinctive sign of skill rather than by public accusation, preserving dignity while pursuing truth.
बृहृदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
When truth is emotionally charged, one should seek confirmation through careful, non-harmful means. Damayantī’s approach avoids rash accusation and relies on a distinctive, verifiable sign—balancing personal longing with ethical restraint.
Damayantī strongly suspects that the servant-cook Bāhuka is actually her lost husband Nala. She asks her confidante Keśinī to discreetly obtain a sample of Bāhuka’s specially prepared boiled fruit pulp, using his unique culinary skill as evidence to confirm his identity.