Shloka 43

नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः

Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city

Devanagari script

प्रणमाम्यभिगम्याहं राजपुत्रीं निबोध माम्‌ । राज्ञ: स्‍नुषां राजभार्या दमयन्तीति विश्रुताम्‌,“मैं निकट आकर आपके चरणोंमें प्रणाम करती हूँ। आप मेरा परिचय इस प्रकार जानें, मैं राजाकी पुत्री, राजाकी पुत्रवधू तथा राजाकी ही पत्नी हूँ। मेरी “दमयन्ती” नामसे प्रसिद्धि है

Transliteration

praṇamāmy abhigamyāhaṃ rājaputrīṃ nibodha mām | rājñaḥ snuṣāṃ rājabhāryā damayantīti viśrutām ||

Translation

دنوتُ باحترامٍ وانحنيتُ عند قدميك. فاعلمْ من أنا: أنا ابنةُ ملكٍ، وكنّةُ ملكٍ، وزوجةُ ملكٍ أيضًا—مشهودٌ لي باسم «دماينتي».

Word by Word

• {'praṇamāmi': 'I bow

• I offer reverence', 'abhigamya': 'having approached

• coming near', 'aham': 'I', 'rājaputrīm': 'a king’s daughter (princess)', 'nibodha': 'know

• take note', 'mām': 'me', 'rājñaḥ': 'of the king', 'snuṣām': 'daughter-in-law', 'rājabhāryā': 'king’s wife

• royal consort', 'damayantī': 'Damayantī (proper name)', 'iti': 'thus

• so', 'viśrutām': 'well-known

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Damayantī
• a king (rājā, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dignity and dharma can be upheld through truthful speech joined with respectful conduct: Damayantī bows in humility yet states her identity plainly, grounding her claim in legitimate relationships and reputation.

What is happening in the narrative?

A woman approaches and offers reverence, then identifies herself as Damayantī—describing herself as a king’s daughter, a king’s daughter-in-law, and a king’s wife—so the listener understands who stands before them.