Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

सुरभिस्रग्धरा: सर्वे प्रमृष्टमणिकुण्डला:,वहाँ सब भूपाल भिन्न-भिन्न आसनोंपर बैठ गये। सबने सुगन्धित फूलोंकी माला धारण कर रखी थी और सबके कानोंमें विशुद्ध मणिमय कुण्डल झिलमिला रहे थे

Transliteration

bṛhadaśva uvāca | surabhisragdharāḥ sarve pramṛṣṭamaṇikuṇḍalāḥ |

Translation

Bṛhadaśva said: All the kings took their seats on various thrones and seats of honor. Each wore a fragrant garland, and in their ears gleamed spotless, well-polished earrings set with gems.

Word by Word

• सुरभि-स्रग्धराः: wearing fragrant garlands
• सुरभि-स्रग्धराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरभि + स्रग्धर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रमृष्ट-मणि-कुण्डलाः: having polished gem-earrings
• प्रमृष्ट-मणि-कुण्डलाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रमृष्ट (√मृज्) + मणि + कुण्डल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

बृहदश्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva
• kings (bhūpālaḥ, implied by context)
• fragrant garlands (surabhi-sraj)
• gem-set earrings (maṇi-kuṇḍala)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds royal decorum and disciplined assembly: outward order—proper seating, cleanliness, and dignified adornment—signals readiness to hear counsel or narrative, reflecting the ethical ideal that public life should be conducted with restraint and respect.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva describes a courtly scene where all the kings have taken their respective seats; they are adorned with fragrant garlands and shining gem earrings, setting a formal atmosphere for what is to be recounted next.