Shloka 38
नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः
Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city
नानाधातुसमाकीर्ण विविधोपलभूषितम् । अस्यारण्यस्य महतः केतु भूतमिवोत्थितम्,अनेक प्रकारके धातुओंसे व्याप्त और भाँति-भाँतिके शिला-खण्डोंसे विभूषित है। यह पर्वत इस महान् वनकी ऊपर उठी हुई पताकाके समान जान पड़ता है
nānādhātusamākīrṇaṃ vividhopalabhūṣitam | asyāraṇyasya mahataḥ ketu-bhūtam ivotthitam ||
“It is strewn with many kinds of minerals and adorned with rocks of varied hues. Rising up, it appears like a banner set aloft for this vast forest.”
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the natural world can function as a moral and aesthetic ‘sign’ (ketu): a prominent landmark that orients travelers and evokes reverence. It suggests attentiveness to creation—seeing meaning and order in what appears merely physical.
Bṛhadaśva is describing a striking mountain within a vast forest. He emphasizes its mineral-rich slopes and varied stones, portraying it as a banner-like emblem rising above the wilderness—an identifying mark of the region for those traveling through it.