Shloka 16
Damayantī’s Proposal of a Witnessed Choice; Nala Reports to the Lokapālas
Adhyāya 53
तस्या: समीपे तु नल॑ प्रशशंसु: कुतूहलात् । नैषधस्य समीपे तु दमयन्तीं पुन: पुन:,लोग कौतूहलवश दमयन्तीके समीप नलकी प्रशंसा करते थे और निषधराज नलके निकट बार-बार दमयन्तीके सौन्दर्यकी सराहना किया करते थे
tasyāḥ samīpe tu nalaḥ praśaśaṃsuḥ kutūhalāt | naiṣadhasya samīpe tu damayantīṃ punaḥ punaḥ ||
Out of sheer curiosity, people near Damayantī kept praising Nala; and near Nala, the king of Niṣadha, they again and again extolled Damayantī—each being celebrated in the other’s presence, as public admiration stirred their mutual longing and set the stage for their destined union.
बृहृदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Public speech and reputation can powerfully shape desire and decision: repeated praise, even when casual or curiosity-driven, becomes a social force that intensifies attachment and moves events toward their moral and narrative consequences.
In Bṛhadaśva’s narration of Nala–Damayantī, people around Damayantī keep praising Nala, and people around Nala keep praising Damayantī. This reciprocal admiration spreads their fame and deepens their interest in one another, preparing the ground for their meeting and choice.