Shloka 12
दमयन्त्याः अरण्यविहारः — Damayantī’s Passage through the Wilderness
क्षुधया पीड्यमानस्तु नलो बहुतिथेडहनि । अपश्यच्छकुनान् कांश्रिद्धिरण्यसदृशच्छदान्,इसी प्रकार नल बहुत दिनोंतक क्षुधासे पीड़ित रहे। एक दिन उन्होंने कुछ ऐसे पक्षी देखे, जिनकी पाँखें सोनेकी-सी थीं
Bṛhadaśva uvāca |
Kṣudhayā pīḍyamānas tu Nalo bahutitheḍahani |
Apaśyac chakunān kāṁś cid dhiraṇya-sadṛśa-cchadān ||
قال بريهادَشْوَا: ظلّ نالا معذَّبًا بالجوع أيامًا كثيرة وهو يهيم على وجهه. وفي يومٍ رأى طيورًا أجنحتها تلمع كأنها ذهب—منظرًا فاتنًا سيختبر، في حالته اليائسة، حُسنَ تقديره وضبطَه لنفسه.
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extreme distress (like hunger) can cloud discernment and make alluring appearances seem irresistible; the episode sets up an ethical test where restraint and clear judgment are needed even under suffering.
Bṛhadaśva narrates that Nala, weakened by prolonged hunger, sees some birds with gold-like wings—an enticing sight that foreshadows Nala’s next actions in the story.