Shloka 20
कर्त्वं सर्वानवद्याड़ मम हच्छयवर्धन । प्राप्तोडस्पमरवद् वीर ज्ञातुमिच्छामि तेडनघ,एवमुक्तस्तु वैदर्भ्या नलस्तां प्रत्युवाच ह । “आप कौन हैं? आपके सम्पूर्ण अंग निर्दोष एवं परम सुन्दर हैं। आप मेरे हृदयकी कामाग्निको बढ़ा रहे हैं। निष्पाप वीर! आप देवताओंके समान यहाँ आ पहुँचे हैं। मैं आपका परिचय पाना चाहती हूँ। आपका इस रनिवासमें आना कैसे सम्भव हुआ? आपको किसीने देखा कैसे नहीं? मेरा यह महल अत्यन्त सुरक्षित है और यहाँके राजाका शासन बड़ा कठोर है--वे अपराधियोंको बड़ा कठोर दण्ड देते हैं।” विदर्भराजकुमारीके ऐसा पूछनेपर नलने इस प्रकार उत्तर दिया
bṛhadaśva uvāca | kṛtvaṁ sarvān avadyāṅgi mama hṛcchayavardhana | prāpto 'si samaravad vīra jñātum icchāmi te 'nagha ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “O flawless-limbed one, increaser of my heart’s longing! Like a hero equal to the gods you have arrived here. O sinless one, I wish to know who you are. How could you have entered this inner palace? How did no one see you? This mansion is exceedingly well-guarded, and the king’s rule here is strict—wrongdoers are punished severely.” Thus questioned by the princess of Vidarbha, Nala replied in this manner.
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights discernment and propriety: even amid sudden attraction, Damayantī insists on knowing identity, means of entry, and the ethical/legal implications of trespass under a strict king—showing that desire should be tempered by inquiry, accountability, and respect for royal order.
Damayantī, astonished by Nala’s appearance and the fact that he has reached the guarded women’s quarters unseen, praises his flawless form and heroic aura, then interrogates him about who he is and how he entered. The narrator notes that Nala now responds.