Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच अस्त्रहेतोर्गते पार्थे शक्रलोक॑ महात्मनि । आवसन्‌ कृष्णया सार्धथ काम्यके भरतर्षभा:,वैशम्पायनजीने कहा--राजन! अस्त्रविद्याके लिये महात्मा अर्जुनके इन्द्रलोक जानेपर भरतकुलभूषण पाण्डव द्रौपदीके साथ काम्यकवनमें निवास करने लगे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | astrahetoḥ gate pārthe śakralokaṁ mahātmani | āvasan kṛṣṇayā sārdhaṁ kāmyake bharatarṣabhāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O König, als der großherzige Pārtha (Arjuna) in Śakras Welt ging, um himmlische Waffen zu erlangen, da wohnten die Pāṇḍavas — Stiere der Bharata-Linie — im Kāmyaka-Wald zusammen mit Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī).“

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

अस्त्रहेतोःfor the purpose of weapons (weapon-lore)

गतेwhen (he) had gone

पार्थेin/when Pārtha (Arjuna)

शक्रलोकम्to Śakra's world (Indra-loka)

महात्मनिin the great-souled (Arjuna)

आवसन्dwelt, stayed

कृष्णयाwith Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)

सार्धम्together with

काम्यकेin Kāmyaka (forest)

भरतर्षभाःO bull-like Bharatas / best of Bharatas

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Śakra (Indra)

Śakraloka (Indra’s realm)

Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)

Pāṇḍavas

Kāmyaka forest

Bharata lineage

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights purposeful discipline and collective steadiness: Arjuna pursues higher capability (divine weapons) for future dharmic responsibility, while the remaining Pāṇḍavas maintain unity and restraint in forest exile with Draupadī—showing that righteous ends require both personal striving and communal endurance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna has departed to Indra’s realm (Śakraloka) to obtain astras, and during his absence the other Pāṇḍavas live in the Kāmyaka forest together with Draupadī.