Shloka 3
Keśinī’s Inquiry to Bāhuka and the Emotional Signs of Concealed Identity (केशिन्याः बाहुकपरीक्षा)
ततः स त्वरमाणस्तु पटे निपतिते तदा । ग्रहीष्यामीति तं राजा नलमाह महामना:,उस समय वस्त्र गिर जानेपर उन महामना नरेशने बड़ी उतावलीके साथ नलसे कहा --“महामते! इस वेगशाली घोड़ोंको (थोड़ी देरके लिये) रोक लो। मैं अपनी गिरी हुई चादर लूँगा। जबतक यह वार्ष्णेय उतरकर मेरे उत्तरीय वस्त्रको ला दे, तबतक रथको रोके रहो”
tataḥ sa tvaramāṇas tu paṭe nipatite tadā | grahīṣyāmīti taṃ rājā nalam āha mahāmanāḥ ||
Então, quando sua capa caiu, o nobre rei—apressado—dirigiu-se a Nala: «Eu a apanharei. Ó sábio, detém por um instante estes cavalos velozes. Até que Vārṣṇeya desça e traga minha veste superior, mantém o carro parado.»
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in urgent circumstances, one should act with clarity and mutual reliance: the king requests a brief halt and delegates tasks, reflecting practical dharma—orderly conduct, trust in companions, and restraint rather than reckless haste.
During a fast chariot journey, the king’s cloak falls. He quickly tells Nala to stop the swift horses briefly so he can retrieve it, and asks that the chariot remain halted until Vārṣṇeya dismounts and brings the king’s upper garment.