Shloka 22
नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः
Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city
उन्मत्तां विलपन्तीं मां भार्यामिष्टां नराधिप । ईप्सितामीप्सितो$सि त्वं कि मां न प्रतिभाषसे,महाराज! मैं आपकी प्रिय पत्नी हूँ और आप मेरे प्रियतम पति हैं, ऐसी दशामें भी मैं यहाँ उन्मत्त विलाप कर रही हूँ तो भी आप मेरी बातका उत्तर क्यों नहीं देते?
Bṛhadaśva uvāca: Unmattāṁ vilapantīṁ māṁ bhāryām iṣṭāṁ narādhipa, īpsitām īpsito ’si tvaṁ; kiṁ māṁ na pratibhāṣase, mahārāja?
Bṛhadaśva said: “O lord of men, I am your beloved wife, distraught and lamenting like one maddened. You are the husband I have long desired, and I am the wife you desired—why then, O great king, do you not reply to me?”
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of responsiveness within relationships: when someone is in anguish, especially within the bond of marriage, silence can deepen suffering. It implicitly calls for compassion, acknowledgment, and timely speech as part of dharma.
A woman, identifying herself as the king’s beloved wife, laments in a distraught state and appeals to him directly. She emphasizes their mutual desirability and marital bond, questioning why he remains silent and does not answer her.