Shloka 4
कलेर्द्वापरस्य च नले प्रति कोपः
Kali and Dvāpara’s Resolve Against Nala
अहमिन्द्रोड्यमग्निश्व तथैवायमपां पति: । शरीरान्तकरो नृणां यमो5यमपि पार्थिव,“मैं इन्द्र हूँ, ये अग्निदेव हैं, ये जलके स्वामी वरुण और ये प्राणियोंके शरीरका नाश करनेवाले साक्षात् यमराज हैं। आप दमयन्तीके पास जाकर उसे हमारे आगमनकी सूचना दे दीजिये और कहिये--महेन्द्र आदि लोकपाल तुम्हें देखनेके लिये आ रहे हैं
aham indro 'dya agniś ca tathaivāyam apāṁ patiḥ | śarīrāntakaro nṛṇāṁ yamo 'yam api pārthiva ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “I am Indra; this is Agni; this one is Varuṇa, lord of the waters; and this is Yama, the very ender of embodied life for mortals. O king, go to Damayantī and inform her of our arrival, saying: ‘The world-guardians beginning with Mahendra are coming to see you.’”
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the highest powers—Indra, Agni, Varuṇa, and Yama—approach virtue with reverence. The verse underscores the ethical idea that moral excellence and reputation draw recognition, and that a king should act as a proper messenger with truthfulness and decorum.
Bṛhadaśva identifies the deities present (Indra, Agni, Varuṇa, Yama) and instructs the king to go to Damayantī to announce their arrival, stating that the Lokapālas led by Mahendra are coming to see her.