Shloka 3

नलस्य विवस्त्रीकरणं दमयन्ती-सहानुगमनं च

Nala’s Disrobing and Damayantī’s Companionship

Devanagari script

ततो<ब्रवीत्‌ कलि: शक्रं दमयन्त्या: स्वयंवरम्‌ । गत्वा हि वरयिष्ये तां मनो हि मम तां गतम्‌,तब कलिने इन्द्रसे कहा--“देवराज! मैं दमयन्तीके स्वयंवरमें जाकर उसका वरण करूँगा; क्योंकि मेरा मन उसके प्रति आसक्त हो गया है”

Transliteration

tato 'bravīt kaliḥ śakraṃ damayantyāḥ svayaṃvaram | gatvā hi varayiṣye tāṃ mano hi mama tāṃ gatam ||

Translation

Then Kali said to Śakra (Indra): “I will go to Damayantī’s svayaṃvara and choose her as my bride, for my mind has gone to her.” The verse frames Kali’s intention as desire-driven resolve, setting up an ethical tension between rightful choice in marriage and the intrusion of a disruptive power motivated by attachment.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

अब्रवीत्said, spoke

कलिःKali (personified)

शक्रम्Śakra (Indra)

दमयन्त्याःof Damayantī

स्वयंवरम्svayaṃvara (bride-choice ceremony)

गत्वाhaving gone

हिindeed, for

वरयिष्येI shall choose (as husband/wife)

ताम्her

मनःmind

हिindeed, for

ममof me, my

ताम्her

गतम्gone (directed/turned)

Speaker

बु॒हदश्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kali

Śakra (Indra)

Damayantī

svayaṃvara (marriage-choice ceremony)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes