Shloka 118
नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः
Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city
कासि कस्यासि कल्याणि कि वा मृगयसे वने । त्वां दृष्टवा व्यथिता: स्मेह कच्चित् त्वमसि मानुषी,“कल्याणि! तुम कौन हो? किसकी स्त्री हो और इस वनमें क्या खोज रही हो? तुम्हें देखकर हम बहुत दु:खी हैं। क्या तुम मानवी हो?
kāsi kasyāsi kalyāṇi ki vā mṛgayase vane | tvāṁ dṛṣṭvā vyathitāḥ smeha kaccit tvam asi mānuṣī ||
قال بْرِهادَشْفَا: «أيتها السيدة المباركة، من أنتِ؟ زوجةُ مَن أنتِ، وماذا تطلبين في هذه الغابة؟ إن رؤيتك أوقعت فينا كربًا شديدًا. أخبرينا—أأنتِ بشرية؟»
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dharmic conduct toward a vulnerable stranger: address her respectfully, inquire about identity and need, and respond with compassionate concern rather than suspicion or exploitation.
Bṛhadaśva encounters an unknown woman in the forest and, struck by her condition, questions her gently—who she is, to whom she is connected (as wife), what she is seeking, and whether she is human—signaling alarm and readiness to help.