Shloka 36

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

Devanagari script

अग्निरात्मभवं प्रादाद्‌ यत्र वाउछति नैषथ:

Transliteration

agnir ātmabhavaṃ prādād yatra vāucchati naiṣathaḥ

Translation

Bṛhadaśva said: “There, Agni bestowed what was born of his own essence—at the very place where the Naiṣadha (Nala) was longing and yearning.”

Word by Word

• अग्निः: Agni (the fire-god)
• अग्निः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आत्मभवम्: the self-born one (Brahmā)
• आत्मभवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मभव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रादात्: gave
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Aorist (Luṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• वायुच्छति: blows (as wind)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वायुच्छति
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नैषथः: the Naiṣadha (Nala)
• नैषथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैषध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

बृहदश्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Nala (Naiṣadha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in intense distress and longing, divine support may arise through unexpected means; endurance and moral steadiness in adversity are repeatedly affirmed in the Nala narrative.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva continues recounting Nala’s ordeal: at a particular place where Nala is burning with longing, Agni grants him something described as ‘born of Agni’s own essence,’ indicating a special divine gift or aid that advances the episode.