Shloka 9
दमयन्त्याः कार्यनिश्चयः — Damayantī’s Crisis Plan and Vārṣṇeya’s Departure
तस्या गात्रेषु पतिता तेषां दृष्टिर्महात्मनाम् । तत्र तत्रैव सक्ता5भूज्न चचाल च पश्यताम्,वहाँ आते ही दमयन्तीके अंगोंपर उन महामना नरेशोंकी दृष्टि पड़ी। उसे देखनेवाले राजाओंमेंसे जिसकी दृष्टि दमयन्तीके जिस अंगपर पड़ी, वहीं लग गयी, वहाँसे हट न सकी
tasyā gātreṣu patitā teṣāṃ dṛṣṭir mahātmanām | tatra tatraiva saktābhūn na cacāla ca paśyatām ||
Bṛhadaśva said: The gaze of those great-souled kings fell upon her limbs; and wherever any one of them looked upon Damayantī, his eyes became fixed there, unable to move away, even as they continued to watch her. The scene underscores how beauty can overpower self-mastery, testing the discipline and restraint expected of rulers.
बृहदश्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how sensory attraction can seize the mind, implying the ethical need for self-restraint (dama) especially in rulers, whose dharma includes mastery over desire and steady judgment.
As Damayantī appears before the assembled kings, their eyes fall upon her and become fixed on whichever part they notice, unable to turn away—emphasizing her extraordinary beauty and its effect on the onlookers.