Shloka 126
नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः
Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city
यदि जानीत नृपतिं क्षिप्रं शंसत मे प्रियम् । नलं॑ पुरुषशार्दूलममित्रगणसूदनम्,“यदि आपलोग शत्रुसमूहका संहार करनेवाले मेरे प्रियतम पुरुषसिंह महाराज नलके विषयमें कुछ जानते हों तो शीघ्र बतावें'
yadi jānīta nṛpatiṃ kṣipraṃ śaṃsata me priyam | nalaṃ puruṣaśārdūlam amitragaṇasūdanam ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “If you know anything about that king, tell me at once what would be dear to hear—about Nala, the tiger among men, the destroyer of hostile bands.”
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the value of timely, truthful communication and the ethical weight of loyalty: the speaker’s urgent request to hear about a worthy king underscores how virtue and reputation make a person ‘dear to hear about’ and worth seeking.
Bṛhadaśva addresses others and urgently asks them to report any knowledge they have of King Nala, praising him as a foremost hero and conqueror of enemies—setting up the continuation of Nala’s story within the Vana Parva.