Shloka 2
Sudeva Identifies Damayantī in Cedi (सुदेवेन दमयन्ती-परिचयः)
अथ काले बहुतिथे वने महति दारुणे । तडागं सर्वतोभद्रंं पच्मसौगन्धिकं महत्,तदनन्तर बहुत समयके बाद एक भयंकर विशाल वनमें पहुँचकर उन व्यापारियोंने एक महान् सरोवर देखा, जिसका नाम था, पद्मसौगन्धिक। वह सब ओरसे कल्याणप्रद जान पड़ता था। उस रमणीय सरोवरके पास घास और ईंधनकी अधिकता थी, फूल और फल भी वहाँ प्रचुर मात्रामें उपलब्ध होते थे। उस तालाबपर बहुत-से पक्षी निवास करते थे
bṛhadaśva uvāca | atha kāle bahutithe vane mahati dāruṇe | taḍāgaṃ sarvatobhadraṃ padmasaugandhikaṃ mahat |
Bṛhadaśva said: After a long time, having come into a vast and formidable forest, those merchants beheld a great lake called Padma-saugandhika. It appeared auspicious on every side—an inviting refuge in the wilderness, rich in the resources needed for life and travel.
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within harsh and threatening circumstances (a dāruṇa forest), one may encounter ‘sarvatobhadra’—a place that supports life and well-being. The verse highlights discernment and hope: auspicious resources can appear amid adversity, enabling right action and safe continuation of one’s path.
Bṛhadaśva narrates that, after a long time traveling through a vast and fearsome forest, the merchants come upon a large lake named Padma-saugandhika, which appears auspicious and beneficial in every direction.