Shloka 15

अक्षद्यूतप्रवेशः — Kali’s Entry and the Initiation of the Dice-Contest

Devanagari script

तामुवाच ततो राजा वेपमानां कृताञ्जलिम्‌ | दौत्येनागत्य कल्याणि तथा भद्रे विधीयताम्‌,ऐसा कहकर दमयन्ती दोनों हाथ जोड़े थर-थर काँपने लगी। उस अवस्थामें राजा नलने उससे कहा--“कल्याणि! मैं इस समय दूतका कार्य करनेके लिये आया हूँ; अतः भद्रे! इस समय वही करो जो मेरे स्वरूपके अनुरूप हो

Transliteration

tām uvāca tato rājā vepamānāṁ kṛtāñjalim | dautyena āgatya kalyāṇi tathā bhadre vidhīyatām ||

Translation

Then the king addressed her, as she stood trembling with folded hands: “O auspicious lady, I have come here in the role of a messenger; therefore, O gentle one, let what is to be done now be done in a manner befitting my office.”

Word by Word

ताम्her

उवाचsaid/spoke

ततःthen/thereupon

राजाthe king

वेपमानाम्trembling

कृताञ्जलिम्with hands joined (in reverence)

दौत्येनas a messenger / by the mission of a messenger

आगत्यhaving come

कल्याणिO auspicious one

तथाthus/so

भद्रेO good lady

विधीयताम्let it be done / it should be done

Speaker

बृहदश्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

बृहदश्व (Bṛhadaśva)

र

राजा (the king—Nala in context)

द

दमयन्ती (Damayantī)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma as role-based ethical restraint: even amid personal emotion, one should act according to one’s assigned duty (here, the decorum and limits of a messenger).

What is happening in the narrative?

Damayantī stands trembling with folded hands; the king (Nala, in context) speaks to her, clarifying that he has come as an envoy and urging that the next steps be taken in a way consistent with that messenger role.