Shloka 38

Devanagari script

उपायो विहितश्चायं त्वदर्थमतुलो5नया । न होकाह्वा शतं गन्ता त्वामृतेडन्य: पुमानिह,“तुम्हारी प्राप्तिके लिये दमयन्तीने यह अनुपम उपाय ढूँढ़ निकाला था; क्योंकि इस जगतमें तुम्हारे सिवा दूसरा कोई पुरुष नहीं है, जो एक दिनमें सौ योजन (रथद्वारा) जा सके

Transliteration

upāyo vihitaś cāyaṃ tvad-artham atulo 'nayā | na hy ekāhvaśataṃ gantā tvām ṛte 'nyaḥ pumān iha ||

Translation

Bṛhadaśva said: “This incomparable plan was devised by her for your sake. For in this world, apart from you, there is no other man who can travel a hundred yojanas in a single day.”

Word by Word

उपायःmeans, device

विहितःdevised, arranged

चand

अयम्this

त्वत्-अर्थम्for your sake

अतुलःincomparable

अनयाby her (by this woman)

नnot

लोक-अह्वाin the world (lit. world-called/so-called world)

शतम्a hundred

गन्ताgoer, one who can go

त्वाम्you

ऋतेexcept, without

अन्यःanother

पुमान्man

इहhere, in this world

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bṛhadaśva

Damayantī

Nala (implied by 'except you')

yojana (unit of distance)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfast devotion and intelligent effort: Damayantī’s loyal resolve leads her to craft an exceptional plan, and Nala’s unique capability becomes the ethical means for reunion rather than mere display of power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva, narrating the Nala–Damayantī episode, explains that Damayantī devised a special scheme to reach Nala, relying on the fact that only Nala could cover an extraordinary distance—‘a hundred yojanas in a day’—thus making the plan workable.