Shloka 4
Parṇāda’s Report; Bāhuka’s Counsel; Damayantī’s Strategic Svayaṃvara Message (अध्याय ६८)
अग्रहारांश्व॒ दास्यामि ग्राम॑ं नगरसम्मितम् । न चेच्छक्याविहानेतुं दमयन्ती नलो5पि वा
Bṛhadaśva uvāca: agrahārānś ca dāsyāmi grāmaṃ nagara-sammitam | na ced śakyāvihānetuṃ Damayantī Nalo 'pi vā ||
“मैं तुम्हें कर-मुक्त अग्रहार और नगर-समृद्धि के तुल्य एक ग्राम भी दूँगा; पर यदि दमयन्ती—या नल भी—यहाँ लाए ही न जा सकें, तो यह कार्य असंभव ही ठहरेगा।”
ब॒हदश्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a ruler’s use of material incentives (land grants and a prosperous village) to accomplish a difficult task, while implying that ethical and practical limits still govern outcomes: rewards are meaningful only if the intended righteous objective—reuniting or securing Damayantī and Nala—can actually be achieved.
Bṛhadaśva, in recounting the Nala–Damayantī episode, speaks of offering substantial rewards—agrahāras and a city-like village—conditional upon successfully bringing Damayantī (and even Nala) to the desired place, underscoring the urgency and difficulty of arranging their presence.