Shloka 31

कर्कोटक-उपदेशः

Karkoṭaka’s Counsel and Nala’s Concealment

Devanagari script

दमयन्ती तथा तेन पृच्छयमाना विशाम्पते । सर्वमेतद्‌ यथावृत्तमाचचक्षेडस्य भारत,भरतवंशी नरेश युधिष्ठिर! व्याधके पूछनेपर दमयन्तीने उसे सारा वृत्तान्त यथार्थरूपसे कह सुनाया

Transliteration

damayantī tathā tena pṛcchyamānā viśāmpate | sarvam etad yathāvṛttam ācacakṣe ’sya bhārata ||

Translation

O lord of the people, when she was thus questioned by him, Damayantī narrated to that hunter the entire account exactly as it had happened—truthfully and in due order, O Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira).

Word by Word

• {'damayantī': 'Damayantī (princess of Vidarbha

• wife of Nala)', 'tathā': 'thus

• in that manner', 'tena': "by him

• with him (instrumental of 'tad')", 'pṛcchyamānā': 'being asked

• being questioned (present passive participle of √prach)', 'viśāmpate': 'O lord of the subjects/people

• epithet of a king (vocative)', 'sarvam': 'all

• the whole', 'etat': 'this

• this matter', 'yathā-vṛttam': 'as it occurred

• according to what actually happened', 'ācacakṣe': 'she related

• she explained (perfect of √cakṣ/√khyā in narrative sense)', 'asya': 'to him

• of him (contextually: to that person)', 'bhārata': 'O Bhārata

Speaker

ब॒हृदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Damayantī
• Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as Bhārata, viśāmpati)
• the hunter (vyādha, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights satya (truthfulness) and clarity in speech: Damayantī recounts events 'yathāvṛttam'—exactly as they occurred—showing that truthful, orderly narration is itself a dharmic act, especially when one’s words may guide another’s response or compassion.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being questioned by the hunter, Damayantī explains her entire situation in full detail. The storyteller (Bṛhadaśva) reports this to Yudhiṣṭhira, framing Damayantī’s truthful account as the next step in the unfolding Nala–Damayantī narrative.