Shloka 57
Nala’s Embassy to Damayantī and the Gods’ Proposal (नलस्य दूतत्वं देवप्रस्तावश्च)
न तस्य दासा न रथो न भ्राता न च बान्धवा: । वने निवसतो राजज्ल्िष्यन्ते सम कदाचन,राजन्! उनके साथ न सेवक थे न रथ, न भाई थे न बान्धव। वनमें रहते समय उनके पास ये वस्तुएँ कदापि शेष नहीं थीं
na tasya dāsā na ratho na bhrātā na ca bāndhavāḥ | vane nivasato rājann aśliṣyante sma kadācana ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “He had no servants, no chariot, no brother, and no kinsmen. While dwelling in the forest, O King, such supports never remained with him at any time.”
ब॒हृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly supports—servants, vehicles, and even social backing—are unstable, especially in adversity. The verse underscores the ethical insight that one should not rely on external status or entourage; endurance and right conduct must stand even when such props fall away.
Bṛhadaśva addresses the king and describes a person living in the forest who had none of the usual royal or social supports—no attendants, chariot, brother, or relatives—and emphasizes that these never stayed with him during forest life, highlighting the stark conditions of exile.