Shloka 32
दमयन्त्याः अरण्यविहारः — Damayantī’s Passage through the Wilderness
दमयन्त्युवाच यदि मां त्वं महाराज न विहातुमिहेच्छसि । तत् किमर्थ विदर्भाणां पन्था: समुपदिश्यते,दमयन्तीने कहा--महाराज! यदि आप मुझे त्यागना नहीं चाहते तो विदर्भदेशका मार्ग क्यों बता रहे हैं?
damayanty uvāca yadi māṃ tvaṃ mahārāja na vihātum ihecchasi | tat kimarthaṃ vidarbhāṇāṃ panthāḥ samupadiśyate ||
Damayantī said: “O great king, if you do not wish to abandon me here, then why are you pointing out the road to Vidarbha?”
नल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ethically, Damayantī highlights consistency between intention and conduct: if one truly intends not to abandon a dependent companion, one should not act in ways that facilitate abandonment. The verse underscores responsibility in speech and guidance, especially within marital duty.
In the Nala–Damayantī episode, Damayantī senses impending separation. Seeing Nala indicate the route to her homeland (Vidarbha), she challenges him: if he will not leave her, why show her the way—exposing his inner conflict and the looming act of desertion.