Shloka 37

Adhyāya 76: Kuṇḍina-praveśaḥ, Bhīmena satkāraḥ, Ṛtuparṇa-kṣamā, Aśvahṛdaya-pratyarpanam

Nala’s Reception and Reconciliation

Devanagari script

राजज्छीलनिधि: स्फीतो दमयन्त्या सुरक्षित: । साक्षिणो रक्षिणश्चास्या वयं त्रीन्‌ परिवत्सरान्‌,“राजन! दमयन्तीने अपने शीलकी उज्ज्वल निधिको सदा सुरक्षित रखा है। हमलोग तीन वर्षोतक निरन्तर इसके रक्षक और साक्षी रहे हैं

Transliteration

bṛhadaśva uvāca | rājacchīlanidhiḥ sphīto damayantyā surakṣitaḥ | sākṣiṇo rakṣiṇaś cāsyā vayaṃ trīn parivatsarān |

Translation

Bṛhadaśva said: “O King, Damayantī has kept her radiant treasure of chastity and noble conduct fully protected. For three years we have stood as her guardians and witnesses.”

Word by Word

• {'bṛhadaśva uvāca': 'Bṛhadaśva said', 'rājan': 'O king (vocative address)', 'śīla': 'character, virtue, moral conduct', 'nidhi': 'treasure, store, precious possession', 'śīlanidhi': 'treasure of virtue/chastity (a valued moral capital)', 'sphīta': 'abundant, flourishing, splendid', 'damayantyā': 'by Damayantī (instrumental)', 'surakṣita': 'well-guarded, kept safe', 'sākṣiṇaḥ': 'witnesses', 'rakṣiṇaḥ': 'protectors, guardians', 'asyāḥ': 'of her (genitive)', 'vayam': 'we', 'trīn': 'three', 'parivatsarān': 'years (lit. cycles of a year)'}

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva
• Damayantī
• King (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral integrity (śīla) is treated as a precious treasure that must be actively safeguarded; social trust is strengthened when virtue is protected and affirmed by responsible witnesses.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva reassures the king that Damayantī’s conduct has remained unimpeachable; he and others have served for three years as both protectors and witnesses to her preserved virtue.