Shloka 17

दमयन्त्या वणिजां सार्थगमनम्, हस्तियूथविप्लवः, चेदिराजपुरप्रवेशश्च

Damayantī joins a caravan; elephant-herd catastrophe; entry into Cedi

Devanagari script

कथं वासो विकर्तेयं न च बुध्येत मे प्रिया । विचिन्त्यैवं नलो राजा सभां पर्यचरत्तदा,फिर यह सोचकर कि “मैं कैसे वस्त्रको काटूँ, जिससे मेरी प्रियाकी नींद न टूटे।” राजा नल धर्मशालामें (नंगे ही) इधर-उधर घूमने लगे

Transliteration

kathaṃ vāso vikarteyaṃ na ca budhyeta me priyā | vicintyāivaṃ nalo rājā sabhāṃ paryacarattadā ||

Translation

Then King Nala thought: “How can I cut the garment so that my beloved does not awaken?” Thinking thus, he wandered to and fro in the hall of the rest-house, still intent on acting without disturbing her.

Word by Word

कथम्how?

वासःgarment, cloth

विकर्तेयम्might I cut (apart)?

नnot

चand

बुध्येतmight awaken / might notice

मेmy

प्रियाbeloved (wife)

विचिन्त्यhaving reflected/thought

एवम्thus

नलःNala

राजाking

सभाम्hall, assembly-hall

पर्यचरत्तदाwandered about / walked around then

Speaker

बृहदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

बृहदश्व (Bṛhadaśva)

न

नल (Nala)

प

प्रिया (beloved wife—Damayantī implied)

व

वासः (garment)

स

सभा (hall/rest-house)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes