Mahabharata 3.54.28 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 54, Shloka 28

दमयन्तीस्वयंवरः — देववेषधारणं, सत्यप्रार्थना, नलवरणम्

Damayantī’s Svayaṃvara: Divine Disguises, Truth-Vow, and Choosing Nala

Devanagari script

अथ देवा: पथि नल ददृशुर्भूतले स्थितम्‌ । साक्षादिव स्थितं मूर्त्या मन्मथं रूपसम्पदा

Transliteration

atha devāḥ pathi nalaṁ dadṛśur bhūtale sthitam | sākṣād iva sthitaṁ mūrtyā manmathaṁ rūpasampadā ||

Translation

Da sahen die Götter König Nala auf dem Weg auf Erden stehen. Durch den Glanz seiner Schönheit und seines Auftretens erschien er, als stünde Manmatha (Kāma) selbst leibhaftig vor ihren Augen.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पथि: on the road/way
• पथि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• नलम्: Nala
• नलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ददृशुः: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भूतले: on the ground/earth-surface
• भूतले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• स्थितम्: standing/placed
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• साक्षात्: directly, as if in person
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात्

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• स्थितम्: standing
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मूर्त्या: in bodily form; with a form
• मूर्त्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• मन्मथम्: Manmatha (Kāma)
• मन्मथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्मथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रूपसम्पदा: by (his) wealth of beauty
• रूपसम्पदा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूपसम्पद्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nala
• Devāḥ (the gods)
• Manmatha (Kāma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how inner worth and royal dignity can manifest outwardly as radiance and beauty; even divine beings recognize excellence when it is grounded in noble character, suggesting that true splendor is not merely sensual but ethically resonant.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada narrates that the gods, traveling along the way, notice King Nala standing on the earth; his striking appearance makes him seem like the embodied god of love, Manmatha.