Shloka 13
Adhyāya 73: Damayantī’s Investigation of Bāhuka
Keśinī’s Observations
न स्मराम्यनृतं किंचिन्न स्मराम्यपकारताम् | न च पर्युषितं वाक्यं स्वैरेष्वपि कदाचन,मुझे याद नहीं कि स्वेच्छापूर्वक अर्थात् हँसी-मजाकमें भी मैं कभी झूठ बोली हूँ, स्मरण नहीं कि कभी किसीका मेरेद्वारा अपकार हुआ हो तथा यह भी स्मरण नहीं कि मैंने प्रतिज्ञा की हुई बातका उल्लंघन किया हो
na smarāmy anṛtaṃ kiñcin na smarāmy apakāratām | na ca paryuṣitaṃ vākyaṃ svair eṣv api kadācana ||
Disse Bṛhadaśva: “Não me recordo de ter proferido qualquer falsidade; não me recordo de ter causado dano a alguém; e não me recordo de ter voltado atrás na minha palavra — nunca, nem mesmo em momentos de brincadeira despreocupada.”
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse upholds three ethical pillars of dharma: truthfulness (not speaking untruth), non-harm (not causing injury), and fidelity to one’s pledged word (not violating promises), emphasizing that integrity should hold even in casual or joking contexts.
Bṛhadaśva speaks in a reflective, testimonial mode, asserting his personal moral record—claiming he has neither lied, nor harmed others, nor broken his word—thereby presenting an ideal of conduct and credibility within the Vana Parva discourse.