Shloka 50

Adhyāya 76: Kuṇḍina-praveśaḥ, Bhīmena satkāraḥ, Ṛtuparṇa-kṣamā, Aśvahṛdaya-pratyarpanam

Nala’s Reception and Reconciliation

Devanagari script

गृहे भीमस्य नृपते: परस्परसुखैषिणौ | वसेतां हृष्टसंकल्पौ वैदर्भी च नलश्ष ह,एक-दूसरेको सुख देनेकी इच्छा रखनेवाले दमयन्ती और नल राजा भीमके महलमें प्रसन्नचित्त होकर रहे

Transliteration

gṛhe bhīmasya nṛpateḥ parasparasukhaiṣiṇau | vasetāṃ hṛṣṭasaṅkalpau vaidarbhī ca nalaś ca ha ||

Translation

Bṛhadaśva sprach: Im Palast König Bhīmas wohnten Nala und die Prinzessin von Vidarbha (Damayantī) — jeder auf das Glück des anderen bedacht — mit frohem Herzen und erneuertem Entschluss.

Word by Word

गृहेin the house/palace

भीमस्यof Bhima

नृपतेःof the king

परस्परmutual/each other (as object of wishing)

सुखhappiness

एषिणौdesirous/seekers

वसेताम्they two dwelt/lived

हृष्टdelighted

संकल्पौin resolve/intention

वैदर्भीthe princess of Vidarbha (Damayanti)

चand

नलःNala

हindeed/just (emphatic particle)

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bṛhadaśva

Nala

Damayantī (Vaidarbhī)

King Bhīma (of Vidarbha)

Bhīma’s palace/house (gṛha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic ideal of companionship: spouses should be 'parasparasukhaiṣiṇau'—actively seeking each other’s good. It also implies that righteous shelter and support from family (here, King Bhīma’s home) can restore joy and resolve after suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva narrates that Nala and Damayantī are living in King Bhīma’s palace, content and steady in purpose, devoted to each other’s happiness—signaling a period of stability and emotional renewal within the Nala–Damayantī episode.