Shloka 36

Adhyāya 73: Damayantī’s Investigation of Bāhuka

Keśinī’s Observations

Devanagari script

एवं सा तर्कयित्वा तु दमयन्ती विशाम्पते । दूतीं प्रस्थापयामास नैषधान्वेषणे शुभा,युधिष्ठिर! इस प्रकार विचार करके शुभलक्षणा दमयन्तीने नलका पता लगानेके लिये अपनी दूतीको भेजा

Transliteration

evaṃ sā tarkayitvā tu damayantī viśāmpate | dūtīṃ prasthāpayāmāsa naiṣadhānveṣaṇe śubhā, yudhiṣṭhira |

Translation

Having thus reflected, O lord of the people, the auspicious Damayantī dispatched her female messenger to search for Nala of Niṣadha.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• सा: she
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तर्कयित्वा: having reflected/considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: तर्कय् (तर्क)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• तु: indeed/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• दमयन्ती: Damayantī
• दमयन्ती: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दमयन्ती
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विशाम्: of the people/subjects
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• पते: O lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दूतीम्: female messenger
• दूतीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूती
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रस्थापयामास: sent forth/dispatched
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्था (प्रस्थापयति)
• Form: लिट् (periphrastic perfect), Perfect (narrative past), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नैषध-अन्वेषणे: in the search for the Naiṣadha (Nala)
• नैषध-अन्वेषणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैषध + अन्वेषण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• शुभा: auspicious/fair
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Damayantī
• Nala (Naiṣadha)
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• dūtī (female messenger)
• Niṣadha (implied by Naiṣadha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Deliberation should lead to dharmic action: Damayantī does not succumb to despair but chooses a lawful, prudent means—sending a messenger—to seek reunion, showing steadfastness, self-control, and purposeful effort.

What is happening in the narrative?

After thinking through her situation, Damayantī dispatches a female envoy to locate Nala (the king of Niṣadha). The narrator addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, situating the episode within the larger teaching-story told in the forest.