Shloka 19
कर्कोटक-उपदेशः
Karkoṭaka’s Counsel and Nala’s Concealment
उन्मत्तवद् भीमसुता विलपन्ती इतस्तत: । हा हा राजन्निति मुहुरितश्वेतश्न धावति,इस प्रकार विलाप करती तथा हिंख्र जन्तुओंसे भरे हुए वनमें अपने पतिको ढूँढ़ती हुई महामना राजा नलकी पत्नी भीमकुमारी दमयन्ती उन्मत्त हुई रोती-बिलखती और “हा राजन! हा महाराज” ऐसा बार-बार कहती हुई इधर-उधर दौड़ने लगी
Bṛhadaśva uvāca: Unmattavad bhīmasutā vilapantī itas tataḥ | Hā hā rājann iti muhur itaś ca tataś ca dhāvati ||
Bṛhadaśva said: Damayantī, the daughter of Bhīma, lamenting like one distraught, ran here and there again and again, repeatedly crying, “Alas, O king!” In her anguish she wandered through the wilderness—haunted by fierce creatures—searching for her husband, King Nala, her mind overwhelmed by grief and separation.
ब॒हृदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intense suffering can unseat the mind, yet Damayantī’s steadfast love and commitment drive her to continue seeking Nala despite fear and exhaustion—an ethical portrait of fidelity and perseverance amid calamity.
After being separated from Nala in the forest, Damayantī wanders through dangerous wilderness, crying out to him as “O king,” and runs about in distress, searching for her missing husband.