Shloka 14

नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः

Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधादिभिर्वीर क्रतुभिर्भूरिदक्षिणै: । कथमिष्ट्वा नरव्यात्र मयि मिथ्या प्रवर्तसे,दमयन्ती बोली--चौड़ी छातीवाले महाबाहु निषधनरेश महाराज! आज इस निर्जन वनमें (मुझ अकेलीको) छोड़कर आप कहाँ चले गये? नरश्रेष्ठ! वीरशिरोमणे! प्रचुर दक्षिणावाले अश्वमेध आदि यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान करके भी आप मेरे साथ मिथ्या बर्ताव क्‍यों कर रहे हैं?

Transliteration

Bṛhadaśva uvāca: Aśvamedhādibhir vīra kratubhir bhūridakṣiṇaiḥ | katham iṣṭvā naravyāghra mayi mithyā pravartase ||

Translation

Damayantī said: “O hero, O tiger among men—after performing great sacrifices such as the Aśvamedha, rich in lavish gifts, how is it that you now deal falsely with me?”

Word by Word

अश्वमेधादिभिःby (means of) Aśvamedha and other (sacrifices)

वीरO hero

क्रतुभिःby sacrifices/rites

भूरिदक्षिणैःwith abundant fees/gifts (to priests)

कथम्how/why

इष्ट्वाhaving sacrificed/performed (a sacrifice)

नरव्याघ्रO tiger among men

मयिin/with regard to me

मिथ्याfalsely/wrongly

प्रवर्तसेyou behave/act

दमयन्तीDamayantī

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bṛhadaśva

Aśvamedha (sacrifice)

Nala (implied by context: Niṣadha king, ‘nara-vyāghra’)

Damayantī (contextual speaker of the reproach within the story)

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?

Ritual merit and public religious acts (like Aśvamedha with abundant gifts) do not excuse personal wrongdoing; true dharma requires truthful, responsible conduct—especially toward one’s spouse and dependents.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Bṛhadaśva’s telling of the Nala–Damayantī episode, Damayantī confronts Nala for leaving her alone in the wilderness, accusing him of acting ‘mithyā’—in a way that contradicts his famed royal virtue and sacrificial accomplishments.