Shloka 12
नलस्य विवस्त्रीकरणं दमयन्ती-सहानुगमनं च
Nala’s Disrobing and Damayantī’s Companionship
एवंगुणं नल॑ यो वै कामयेच्छपितुं कले । कृच्छे स नरके मज्जेदगाधे विपुले हृदे । एवमुक्त्वा कलिं देवा द्वापरं च दिवं ययु:,“ऐसे सद्गुणसम्पन्न महाराज नलको जो शाप देनेकी कामना करेगा, वह कष्टसे भरे हुए अगाध एवं विशाल नरककुण्डमें निमग्न होगा।” कलियुग और द्वापरसे ऐसा कहकर देवतालोग स्वर्गमें चले गये
evaṃguṇaṃ nalaṃ yo vai kāmayec chapituṃ kale | kṛcchre sa narake majjed agādhe vipule hṛde || evam uktvā kaliṃ devā dvāparaṃ ca divaṃ yayuḥ ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “Whoever would desire to curse Kali, when he is set upon a king like Nala—so richly endowed with virtues—would, with great suffering, sink into a vast and bottomless hell-pit.” Having spoken thus to Kali and to Dvāpara, the gods departed for heaven.
बु॒हदश्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when confronting a destructive force like Kali, one should not be driven by the impulse to curse; harmful intent rebounds upon the agent. The verse frames restraint and ethical self-control as part of true virtue, warning that vindictive speech/action leads to grave consequences.
Bṛhadaśva recounts that the gods admonished Kali (and Dvāpara) with a warning connected to the virtuous king Nala: attempting to curse in this context would bring terrible downfall. After delivering this pronouncement, the gods return to heaven.