Shloka 37

कर्कोटक-उपदेशः

Karkoṭaka’s Counsel and Nala’s Concealment

Devanagari script

दमयन्ती तु दुःखार्ता पतिराज्यविनाकृता । अतीतवाक्पथे काले शशापैनं रुषान्विता,पति तथा राज्य दोनोंसे वंचित होनेके कारण दमयन्ती अत्यन्त दुःखसे आतुर हो रही थी। इधर व्याधकी कुचेष्टा वाणीद्वारा रोकनेपर रुक सके, ऐसी प्रतीत नहीं होती थी। तब (उस व्याधपर अत्यन्त रुष्ट हो) उसने उसे शाप दे दिया--

Transliteration

Damayantī tu duḥkhārtā patirājyavinākṛtā | atītavākpathe kāle śaśāpa enaṁ ruṣānvitā ||

Translation

Damayantī, tormented by grief—deprived of both her husband and royal station—saw that the time when words could restrain what was being attempted had passed. Filled with anger, she therefore pronounced a curse upon the hunter.

Word by Word

दमयन्तीDamayantī

तुbut/indeed

दुःखार्ताafflicted with sorrow

पतिराज्यविनाकृताdeprived of husband and kingdom

अतीतवाक्पथेwhen (it) had gone beyond the range of speech

कालेat the time

शशापcursed

एनम्him

रुषान्विताfilled with anger

Speaker

ब॒हृदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

द

दमयन्ती (Damayantī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When wrongdoing persists beyond the reach of reasoned speech, consequences become inevitable; the verse highlights both the moral weight of harassment/injustice and the grave power of a righteous person’s curse when patience is exhausted.

What is happening in the narrative?

Damayantī, suffering from separation from her husband and loss of royal security, realizes that verbal restraint is no longer effective; in anger she utters a curse against the offending man, marking a turning point from endurance to retributive speech.