Shloka 10
Book 3, Āraṇyaka-parva — Adhyāya 19: Pradyumna’s Reproach of Withdrawal and the Ethics of Kṣātra Reputation
ते हस्तलाघवोपेतं विज्ञाय नृप दारुकिम् | दहामाना इव तदा नास्पृशंश्वरणैर्महीम्,महाराज! दारुकपुत्रके हस्तलाघवको समझकर वे घोड़े प्रजजलित अग्निकी भाँति दमकते हुए इस प्रकार जा रहे थे, मानो अपने पैरोंसे पृथ्वीका स्पर्श भी न कर रहे हों
te hastalāghavopetaṃ vijñāya nṛpa dārukim | dahāmānā iva tadā nāspṛśaṃśvaraṇair mahīm, mahārāja |
Wahai raja! Setelah mengenali ketangkasan dan kemahiran anak Dāruka, kuda-kuda itu pun meluru, menyala seakan-akan terbakar api—begitu pantas, wahai Maharaja, hingga tampak seolah-olah kuku mereka tidak menyentuh bumi.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the value of trained skill and disciplined control: when competence guides power (speed, strength), it appears effortless and harm-free—an ethical ideal for service under a king, where capability must be joined to restraint.
Vāyudeva describes horses driven under the guidance of Dāruka’s son. Recognizing his exceptional dexterity, the horses surge forward with such blazing speed that they seem not to touch the ground.