Shloka 36

Adhyāya 73: Damayantī’s Investigation of Bāhuka

Keśinī’s Observations

Devanagari script

एवं सा तर्कयित्वा तु दमयन्ती विशाम्पते । दूतीं प्रस्थापयामास नैषधान्वेषणे शुभा,युधिष्ठिर! इस प्रकार विचार करके शुभलक्षणा दमयन्तीने नलका पता लगानेके लिये अपनी दूतीको भेजा

Transliteration

evaṃ sā tarkayitvā tu damayantī viśāmpate | dūtīṃ prasthāpayāmāsa naiṣadhānveṣaṇe śubhā, yudhiṣṭhira |

Translation

قال بṛhadaśva: وهكذا، بعد أن استنبطت دَمَيَنْتِي الأمر في نفسها، يا سيّدَ الناس، أرسلت—وهي ذاتُ الطالع المبارك—رسولتها لتفتّش عن نَلا ملكِ نِṣadha.

Word by Word

एवम्thus

साshe

तर्कयित्वाhaving reflected/considered

तुindeed/but

दमयन्तीDamayantī

विशाम्of the people/subjects

पतेO lord

दूतीम्female messenger

प्रस्थापयामासsent forth/dispatched

नैषध-अन्वेषणेin the search for the Naiṣadha (Nala)

शुभाauspicious/fair

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Damayantī

Nala (Naiṣadha)

Yudhiṣṭhira

dūtī (female messenger)

Niṣadha (implied by Naiṣadha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Deliberation should lead to dharmic action: Damayantī does not succumb to despair but chooses a lawful, prudent means—sending a messenger—to seek reunion, showing steadfastness, self-control, and purposeful effort.

What is happening in the narrative?

After thinking through her situation, Damayantī dispatches a female envoy to locate Nala (the king of Niṣadha). The narrator addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, situating the episode within the larger teaching-story told in the forest.