Shloka 17
तान् समीपगतानक्षानात्मानं च विवाससम् | पुण्यश्लोकस्तदा राजन् दमयन्तीमथाब्रवीत्,राजन्! उन पासोंको नजदीकसे जाते देख और अपने-आपको नग्नावस्थामें पाकर पुण्यश्लोक नलने उस समय दमयन्तीसे कहा--'सती साध्वी रानी! जिनके क्रोधसे मेरा ऐश्वर्य छिन गया, मैं क्षुधापीड़ित एवं दु:खित होकर जीवन-निर्वाहके लिये अन्नतक नहीं पा रहा हूँ और जिनके कारण निषधदेशकी प्रजाने मेरा सत्कार नहीं किया, भीरु! वे ही ये पासे हैं, जो पक्षी होकर मेरा वस्त्र लिये जा रहे हैं
tān samīpagatān akṣān ātmānaṁ ca vivāsasam | puṇyaślokas tadā rājan damayantīm athābravīt ||
O king, when Nala—renowned in fame—saw those dice drawing near and found himself stripped of his garments, he then spoke to Damayantī. He identified them as the very dice whose wrath had robbed him of sovereignty: now, tormented by hunger and misery, he could not obtain even food to sustain life; and because of them the people of Niṣadha no longer honored him. ‘O timid one,’ he said, ‘these are those same dice—now taking the form of birds—carrying away my clothing.’
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical danger of gambling and the way a single vice can unravel kingship, honor, and basic security. It also highlights how suffering can be traced to prior choices, urging vigilance (dharma) and restraint over destructive impulses.
In the Nala–Damayantī episode narrated by Bṛhadaśva, Nala sees the dice approaching and realizes he has been stripped of his clothing. He tells Damayantī that these are the same dice that caused his downfall—now appearing as birds and carrying away his garments—intensifying their hardship in exile.