Shloka 43

Keśinī’s Inquiry to Bāhuka and the Emotional Signs of Concealed Identity (केशिन्याः बाहुकपरीक्षा)

Devanagari script

नले तु समतिक्रान्ते कलिरप्यगमद्‌ गृहम्‌ । ततो गतज्वरो राजा नलो<भूत्‌ पृथिवीपति: । विमुक्त: कलिना राजन्‌ रूपमात्रवियोजित:,नलके चले जानेपर कलि अपने घर चले गये। राजन्‌! कलिसे मुक्त हो भूमिपाल राजा नल सारी चिन्ताओंसे छुटकारा पा गये; किंतु अभीतक उन्हें अपना पहला रूप नहीं प्राप्त हुआ था। उनमें केवल इतनी ही कमी रह गयी थी

Transliteration

nale tu samatikrānte kalir apy agamad gṛham | tato gatajvaro rājā nalo 'bhūt pṛthivīpatiḥ | vimuktaḥ kalinā rājan rūpamātraviyojitaḥ |

Translation

ولمّا تجاوز نالا تلك الحال، انصرف كالي هو أيضًا إلى مقامه. عندئذٍ تحرّر الملك نالا من علّته المحرقة، فعاد سيّدًا على الأرض. يا أيها الملك، وقد انعتق من قبضة كالي، لم يبقَ ينقصه إلا مظهره الأول—وهذا وحده ما ظلّ مفقودًا.

Word by Word

• {'nale': 'in/with regard to Nala (locative)', 'tu': 'but, however', 'samatikrānte': 'when (he) had passed beyond, overcome (locative absolute sense)', 'kaliḥ': 'Kali (personified spirit of the Kali age

• here a possessing force)', 'api': 'also, even', 'agamat': 'went, departed', 'gṛham': 'home, abode', 'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'gata-jvaraḥ': 'whose fever/torment has gone

• relieved of distress', 'rājā': 'king', 'nalaḥ': 'Nala', 'abhūt': 'became, came to be', 'pṛthivī-patiḥ': 'lord of the earth

• ruler/sovereign', 'vimuktaḥ': 'freed, released', 'kalinā': 'by/from Kali (instrumental)', 'rājan': 'O king (vocative

• addressed to Janamejaya)', 'rūpa-mātra': 'only the form/appearance', 'viyojitaḥ': 'separated, deprived'}

Speaker

बृहदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

• नल (Nala)
• कलि (Kali)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Adversity caused by adharma or corrupting influences can be overcome; when the harmful force departs, inner distress subsides and rightful order (kingship, steadiness) can be restored—though some consequences may linger (here, the loss of former appearance).

What is happening in the narrative?

Kali, who had afflicted/controlled Nala, withdraws and returns home. Nala’s torment ends and he regains his status as a ruler, yet he has not fully recovered his original outward form; only that deficiency remains.