Shloka 122
नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः
Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city
तथोक्ता तेन सार्थेन दमयन्ती नृपात्मजा । प्रत्युवाच ततः साध्वी भर्तृव्यसनपीडिता,उस यात्रीदलके द्वारा जब ऐसी बात कही गयी, तब पतिके वियोगजनित दुःखसे पीड़ित साध्वी राजकुमारी दमयन्तीने उन सबको इस प्रकार उत्तर दिया--
tathoktā tena sārthena damayantī nṛpātmajā | pratyuvāca tataḥ sādhvī bhartṛvyasanapīḍitā ||
فلما خاطبها قائد القافلة بهذا القول، أجابتهم دَمَيَنْتِي، ابنةُ الملك—وهي عفيفةٌ ثابتة، غير أنّها مُعذَّبةٌ بمصيبة الفراق عن زوجها—فقالت للجميع على هذا النحو.
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfast virtue (sādhvī) amid intense personal suffering, implying that ethical speech and conduct can remain grounded even when one is overwhelmed by misfortune such as separation from a spouse.
A caravan leader addresses Damayantī; she, identified as a princess and a virtuous woman distressed by separation from her husband, prepares to respond to the group—setting up her forthcoming words in the story of Nala and Damayantī.