Shloka 16
दमयन्त्या वणिजां सार्थगमनम्, हस्तियूथविप्लवः, चेदिराजपुरप्रवेशश्च
Damayantī joins a caravan; elephant-herd catastrophe; entry into Cedi
सो<वस्त्रतामात्मनश्व तस्याश्वाप्येकवस्त्रताम् । चिन्तयित्वाध्यगाद् राजा वस्त्रार्धस्यावकर्तनम्,तदनन्तर राजाने अपनी वस्त्रहीनता और दमयन्तीकी एकवस्त्रताका विचार करके उसके आधे वस्त्रको फाड़ लेना ही उचित समझा
so 'vastratām ātmanaś ca tasyāś cāpy ekavastratām | cintayitvā 'dhyagād rājā vastrārdhasyāvakartanam ||
Then the king, reflecting on his own nakedness and on Damayantī having only a single garment, concluded that the proper course was to tear away half of her cloth.
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how ethical judgment can be distorted by desperation: instead of protecting the vulnerable, the king prioritizes his own immediate need and justifies taking from Damayantī. It serves as a caution about rationalizing wrongdoing when one’s self-control and sense of dharma are weakened.
In the Nala–Damayantī episode, the king finds himself without clothing while Damayantī still has a single garment. After thinking it over, he decides to tear off half of her cloth—an act that marks a further deterioration of his conduct amid their hardship in the forest.