Shloka 14

Nala’s Embassy to Damayantī and the Gods’ Proposal (नलस्य दूतत्वं देवप्रस्तावश्च)

Devanagari script

क्षात्रं धर्म महाराज त्वमवेक्षितुमहसि । न हि धर्मो महाराज क्षत्रियस्यथ वनाश्रय:,“महाराज! आप क्षत्रियरधर्मकी ओर तो देखिये। इस प्रकार वनमें रहना कदापि क्षत्रियोंका धर्म नहीं है

Transliteration

kṣātraṃ dharma mahārāja tvam avekṣitum arhasi | na hi dharmo mahārāja kṣatriyasyātha vanāśrayaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O großer König, du sollst auf das Dharma blicken, das dem Kriegerstand gebührt. Denn, o großer König, im Wald Zuflucht zu nehmen—als Waldwohner zu leben—ist nicht das Dharma eines Kṣatriya.“

Word by Word

क्षात्रम्the kshatriya-duty / royal duty

धर्मम्dharma, duty

महाराजO great king

त्वम्you

अवेक्षितुम्to look at, to consider

अर्हसिyou ought / you are fit

नnot

हिindeed, for

धर्मःdharma, duty

महाराजO great king

क्षत्रियस्यof a kshatriya

अथthen / now / indeed (here: emphatic)

वनाश्रयःresorting to the forest / forest-dwelling

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Mahārāja (addressed king)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts varṇa-appropriate duty: a kṣatriya should uphold the warrior-royal code and not adopt forest-renunciation as a default path, especially when responsibilities of protection and governance remain.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana addresses a king and urges him to reflect on kṣatriya-dharma, criticizing the idea of remaining in the forest as inconsistent with a warrior’s rightful obligations.