Shloka 423

दमयन्त्याः कार्यनिश्चयः — Damayantī’s Crisis Plan and Vārṣṇeya’s Departure

Devanagari script

रेमे सह तया राजज्छच्येव बलवृत्रहा । राजन! पुण्यश्लोक महाराज नलने भी उस रमणीरत्नको पाकर उसके साथ उसी प्रकार विहार किया, जैसे शचीके साथ इन्द्र करते हैं

Transliteration

reme saha tayā rājan śacyā iva balavṛtrahā |

Translation

Bṛhadaśva sprach: „O König, nachdem er sie gewonnen hatte, erfreute sich König Nala, von heiligem Ruhm, an ihrer Nähe und lebte mit ihr in Wonne—wie Indra, der Bezwinger des mächtigen Vṛtra, mit Śacī spielt.“

Word by Word

• रेमे: enjoyed/sported
• रेमे: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्ण भूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सह: together with
• सह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)

• तया: with her
• तया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शच्या: with Śacī
• शच्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• इव: like/as
• इव: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)

• बलवृत्रहा: Indra, the slayer of (the mighty) Vṛtra
• बलवृत्रहा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलवृत्रहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

बृहदश्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• बृहदश्व (Bṛhadaśva)
• नल (Nala)
• राजन् (the addressed king—Yudhiṣṭhira in context)
• शची (Śacī/Indrāṇī)
• इन्द्र (Indra, implied by epithet)
• वृत्र (Vṛtra, implied by epithet)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents conjugal companionship as a legitimate, auspicious joy within dharma: a righteous king may delight in his wife’s company, and their union is framed through a revered divine analogy (Indra and Śacī).

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva, narrating Nala’s story, describes how Nala, having obtained his bride, lived joyfully with her, comparing their enjoyment to Indra’s life with Śacī.