Shloka 13
Akṣa-hṛdaya-dāna and Phalāśruti of the Nalopākhyāna (अक्षहृदयदानम् / नलोपाख्यान-फलश्रुतिः)
दिष्ट्या च प्रियसे राजन् सदारोउद्य महाभुज | धनेनानेन वै भेमी जितेन समलंकृता,“महाबाहु नरेश! सौभाग्यसे तुम पत्नीसहित अभी जीवित हो। इसी धनको जीत लेनेपर दमयन्ती शृंगार करके निश्चय ही मेरी सेवामें उपस्थित होगी, ठीक उसी तरह, जैसे स्वर्गलोककी अप्सरा देवराज इन्द्रकी सेवामें जाती है। नैषध! मैं प्रतिदिन तुम्हारी याद करता हूँ और तुम्हारी राह भी देखा करता हूँ
Bṛhadaśva uvāca: Diṣṭyā ca priyase rājan sadāro ’dya mahābhuja | dhanena anena vai bhīmī jitena samalaṅkṛtā ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “By good fortune, O king, mighty-armed one, you are alive today together with your wife. With this wealth, once I have won it, Damayantī will surely adorn herself and come to serve me, just as the heavenly Apsarases attend upon Indra, lord of the gods.”
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes gratitude for survival and the moral hope of restoration: even after calamity, rightful effort and providence can reunite spouses and re-establish dignity, with service and loyalty portrayed as virtues rather than mere dependence.
Bṛhadaśva addresses Nala, rejoicing that he is alive with his wife. He speaks of wealth to be won and suggests that, once obtained, Damayantī will adorn herself and come in attendance—using the comparison of an apsaras serving Indra to convey honor, splendor, and renewed status.