Shloka 8
Adhyāya 73: Damayantī’s Investigation of Bāhuka
Keśinī’s Observations
दमयन्त्युवाच यथासौ रथनिर्घोष: पूरयज्निव मेदिनीम् । ममाह्नवादयते चेतो नल एष महीपति:,(उस समय) दमयन्तीने (मन-ही-मन) कहा--अहो! रथकी वह घर्घराहट इस पृथ्वीको गुँजाती हुई जिस प्रकार मेरे मनको आह्वाद प्रदान कर रही है, उससे जान पड़ता है, ये महाराज नल ही पधारे हैं
damayanty uvāca | yathāsau rathanirghoṣaḥ pūrayann iva medinīm | mamāhvādayate ceto nala eṣa mahīpatiḥ ||
Damayantī said (to herself): “As that rumbling sound of the chariot seems to fill the whole earth, so it delights and summons my heart. It must be King Nala himself who has arrived.”
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the power of inner recognition and steadfast affection: Damayantī’s heart responds to a familiar sign (the chariot’s sound), suggesting that deep bonds and memory can guide discernment even amid uncertainty.
Damayantī hears the thunderous approach of a chariot. Interpreting the sound as uniquely familiar and heart-stirring, she concludes inwardly that the arriving king must be Nala.