Shloka 23

Nala’s Embassy to Damayantī and the Gods’ Proposal (नलस्य दूतत्वं देवप्रस्तावश्च)

Devanagari script

तथा भारत धर्मेषु धर्मज्शैरिह दृश्यते । अहोरात्रं महाराज तुल्यं संवत्सरेण ह,“भरतवंशी महाराज! धर्मशास्त्रमें इसी प्रकार धर्मपरायण धर्मज्ञ पुरुषोंद्वारा यहाँ एक दिन-रात एक संवत्सरके समान देखा जाता है

Transliteration

tathā bhārata dharmeṣu dharmajñair iha dṛśyate | ahorātraṃ mahārāja tulyaṃ saṃvatsareṇa ha ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Así es, oh descendiente de Bharata: en asuntos de dharma, los sabios y devotos del dharma ven aquí las cosas de este modo: un día y una noche, oh gran rey, se consideran iguales a un año entero.»

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

भारतO Bharata

धर्मेषुin matters of dharma / in dharmas

धर्मज्ञैःby the knowers of dharma

इहhere (in this world/context)

दृश्यतेis seen / is regarded

अहोरात्रम्a day and night (a full day)

महाराजO great king

तुल्यम्equal, comparable

संवत्सरेणwith a year / as (equal) to a year

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)

Mahārāja (the king addressed)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Those grounded in dharma experience and evaluate time differently: intense discipline, vigilance, and moral awareness can make even a single day-night feel as weighty and consequential as an entire year.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, addresses a Bhārata king and states a traditional dharma-based viewpoint: among dharma-knowers, a day and night are spoken of as equivalent to a year, emphasizing the heightened moral and spiritual valuation of time.