Shloka 13
Damayantī’s Proposal of a Witnessed Choice; Nala Reports to the Lokapālas
Adhyāya 53
अतीव रूपसम्पन्ना श्रीरिवायतलोचना । न देवेषु न यक्षेषु तादूगू रूपवती क्वचित्,वह लक्ष्मीके समान अत्यन्त सुन्दर रूपसे सुशोभित थी। उसके नेत्र विशाल थे। देवताओं और यक्षोंमें भी वैसी सुन्दरी कन्या कहीं देखनेमें नहीं आती थी
atīva rūpasampannā śrīr ivāyatalocanā | na deveṣu na yakṣeṣu tādṛg rūpavatī kvacit ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “She was endowed with extraordinary beauty, like Śrī (Lakṣmī) herself, with long, wide eyes. Nowhere—neither among the gods nor among the Yakṣas—could one find a maiden of such beauty.”
बृहृदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the power of perception and comparison in epic narration: extraordinary beauty is framed through sacred imagery (Śrī/Lakṣmī) and by placing it beyond even divine and semi-divine standards, underscoring how exceptional qualities can inspire awe and shape human desire and choices.
Bṛhadaśva is describing a maiden of unparalleled beauty, likening her to Lakṣmī and stating that no such beauty is found even among gods or Yakṣas, thereby elevating her status and setting the tone for the ensuing events connected with her.