Shloka 58

नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः

Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city

Devanagari script

श्रोष्यामि नैषधस्याहं वाचं ताममृतोपमाम्‌ । वैदर्भीत्येव विस्पष्टां शुभां राज्ञो महात्मन:

Transliteration

śroṣyāmi naiṣadhasyāhaṃ vācaṃ tām amṛtopamām | vaidarbhīty eva vispaṣṭāṃ śubhāṃ rājño mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Bṛhadaśva said: “I shall now recount that nectar-like speech of the king of Niṣadha—clear and auspicious—spoken with reference to the princess of Vidarbha.”

Word by Word

• श्रोष्यामि: I shall hear
• श्रोष्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), 1st, Singular, परस्मैपद

• नैषधस्य: of Nala (the Naiṣadha)
• नैषधस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैषध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• वाचम्: speech, words
• वाचम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Visheshana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अमृतोपमाम्: like nectar
• अमृतोपमाम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत-उपमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वैदर्भी: the Vaidarbhī lady (Damayantī)
• वैदर्भी: Visheshya
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदर्भी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus (quotative)
• इति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• विस्पष्टाम्: very clear, distinct
• विस्पष्टाम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्पष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• शुभाम्: auspicious, beautiful
• शुभाम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (one)
• महात्मनः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva
• Naiṣadha (King of Niṣadha, Nala)
• Vaidarbhī (Damayantī)
• Niṣadha
• Vidarbha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical power of well-spoken words: speech that is clear (vispaṣṭa), auspicious (śubha), and ‘nectar-like’ (amṛtopamā) is presented as worthy of remembrance and transmission, especially when uttered by a noble-minded king.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva, narrating to Yudhiṣṭhira in the Vana Parva, signals that he is about to recount the memorable words of the king of Niṣadha (Nala), specifically in connection with the princess of Vidarbha (Damayantī), as the Nala–Damayantī episode continues.