Shloka 7
दमयन्त्याः अरण्यविहारः — Damayantī’s Passage through the Wilderness
दमयन्त्येकवस्त्राथ गच्छन्तं पृष्ठतो5न्वगात् । स तया बाह्ुतः सार्थ त्रिरात्रं नैघधोडवसत्,दमयन्तीके शरीरपर भी एक ही वस्त्र था। वह जाते हुए राजा नलके पीछे हो ली। वे उसके साथ नगरसे बाहर तीन राततक टिके रहे
damayanty ekavastrātha gacchantaṁ pṛṣṭhato 'nvagāt | sa tayā bāhutaḥ sārtha trirātraṁ naiṣadho 'vasat |
Bṛhadaśva said: Then Damayantī, clad in a single garment, followed behind as King Nala went on. The Niṣadha king, taking her along, stayed outside the city for three nights. The verse underscores steadfast marital fidelity and compassion amid abandonment and hardship: Damayantī does not retaliate or despair, but chooses loyal accompaniment even when her husband is diminished and displaced.
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness in dharma under adversity: Damayantī’s loyalty and care persist even when Nala is reduced to hardship, suggesting that ethical commitment is tested—and proven—most in suffering.
As Nala departs in a distressed state, Damayantī—poorly clothed—follows him from behind. Nala remains with her outside the city for three nights, marking a liminal phase of exile and uncertainty before further separation and trials.