Shloka 12
दमयन्त्याः अरण्यविहारः — Damayantī’s Passage through the Wilderness
क्षुधया पीड्यमानस्तु नलो बहुतिथेडहनि । अपश्यच्छकुनान् कांश्रिद्धिरण्यसदृशच्छदान्,इसी प्रकार नल बहुत दिनोंतक क्षुधासे पीड़ित रहे। एक दिन उन्होंने कुछ ऐसे पक्षी देखे, जिनकी पाँखें सोनेकी-सी थीं
Bṛhadaśva uvāca |
Kṣudhayā pīḍyamānas tu Nalo bahutitheḍahani |
Apaśyac chakunān kāṁś cid dhiraṇya-sadṛśa-cchadān ||
Bṛhadaśva sprach: Viele Tage lang, vom Hunger gequält, irrte Nala weiter umher. Eines Tages erblickte er einige Vögel, deren Flügel wie Gold schimmerten—ein verlockender Anblick, der in seiner Not bald sein Urteilsvermögen und seine Selbstbeherrschung prüfen sollte.
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extreme distress (like hunger) can cloud discernment and make alluring appearances seem irresistible; the episode sets up an ethical test where restraint and clear judgment are needed even under suffering.
Bṛhadaśva narrates that Nala, weakened by prolonged hunger, sees some birds with gold-like wings—an enticing sight that foreshadows Nala’s next actions in the story.