Shloka 67
नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः
Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city
सा विवेशाश्रमपदं वीरसेनसुतप्रिया । योषिद्रत्नं महाभागा दमयन्ती तपस्विनी,महाराज वीरसेनकी पुत्रवधू रमणीशिरोमणि महाभागा तपस्विनी उस दमयन्तीने आश्रमके भीतर प्रवेश किया
sā viveśāśramapadaṁ vīrasenasutapriyā | yoṣidratnaṁ mahābhāgā damayantī tapasvinī ||
Bṛhadaśva said: Damayantī—virtuous and austere, the jewel among women, and dearly loved by the son of King Vīrasena—entered the precincts of the hermitage. The scene underscores her steadfast dignity and moral strength as she seeks refuge among ascetics, where purity of conduct and endurance are honored above worldly fortune.
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ideal of steadfast virtue under hardship: Damayantī’s tapas (disciplined endurance) and dignity remain intact, and she turns toward a space associated with dharma (the hermitage), suggesting that moral refuge and inner strength are superior to dependence on changing worldly conditions.
In Bṛhadaśva’s narration of the Nala–Damayantī episode, Damayantī—described as noble, austere, and beloved of Vīrasena’s son (Nala)—enters an āśrama. The action marks her movement into a protected, dharmic setting amid her trials.