Shloka 117
नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः
Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city
प्रहसन्ति सम तां केचिदभ्यसूयन्ति चापरे । अकुर्वत दयां केचित् पप्रच्छुश्नापि भारत,कुछ लोग उसकी हँसी उड़ाते थे और कुछ उसमें दोष देख रहे थे। भारत! उन्हींमें कुछ लोग ऐसे भी थे, जिन्हें उसपर दया आ गयी और उन्होंने उसका समाचार पूछा -
prahasanti sma tāṃ kecid abhyasūyanti cāpare | akurvata dayāṃ kecit papracchuś cāpi bhārata ||
Some mocked her with laughter, while others found fault and spoke with envy. Yet, O Bhārata, there were also a few who felt compassion for her and asked about her condition and story.
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts three common human responses to another’s vulnerability—mockery, fault-finding envy, and compassion—implicitly valuing dayā (compassion) as the ethically superior reaction aligned with dharma.
In Bṛhadaśva’s narration, a woman becomes the object of public reaction: many ridicule her, some criticize her, but a compassionate few feel pity and inquire about her circumstances, setting up the next part of the story.