Shloka 22
Keśinī’s Inquiry to Bāhuka and the Emotional Signs of Concealed Identity (केशिन्याः बाहुकपरीक्षा)
अकाम इव तं राजा गणयस्वेत्युवाच ह | एकदेशं च शाखाया: समादिष्ट॑ मयानघ,राजाने मानो अनिच्छासे कहा--“अच्छा, गिन लो। अश्वविद्याके तत्त्वको जाननेवाले निष्पाप बाहुक! मेरे बताये अनुसार तुम शाखाके एक ही भागको गिनो। इससे तुम्हें बड़ी प्रसन्नता होगी'। बाहुकने रथसे उतरकर तुरंत ही उस वृक्षको काट डाला
Bṛhadaśva uvāca: akāma iva taṃ rājā gaṇayasveti uvāca ha | ekadeśaṃ ca śākhāyāḥ samādiṣṭaṃ mayānagha, rājānaṃ māno ’nicchāse—“acchā, gaṇaya lo | aśvavidyāyāḥ tattvaṃ jānann anagha bāhuka! mayā yathādiṣṭaṃ tvaṃ śākhāyā ekadeśam eva gaṇaya | etena te mahān prītiḥ bhaviṣyati” iti | bāhuko rathāt avatīrya tūrṇam eva taṃ vṛkṣaṃ chittvā pātayām āsa |
Disse Bṛhadāśva: O rei, como que a contragosto, disse-lhe: “Pois bem—conta.” E então, ó irrepreensível, ordenou-lhe que contasse apenas uma parte do ramo, conforme havia indicado. Em seguida, Bāhuka desceu depressa do carro e, de pronto, abateu aquela árvore.
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how authority and instruction can be used to test competence and composure: the king’s seemingly casual command becomes a probe of Bāhuka’s true capability. Ethically, it underscores disciplined skill (aśvavidyā) and decisive action under instruction, without boasting—competence is shown through deeds.
The king tells Bāhuka to ‘count’ a specified portion of a branch, implying a task meant to reveal something about him. After the instruction, Bāhuka promptly gets down from the chariot and cuts the tree, turning the counting challenge into a decisive act—suggesting exceptional practical intelligence and readiness.