Shloka 52
Sudeva Identifies Damayantī in Cedi (सुदेवेन दमयन्ती-परिचयः)
आरोप्य विस्मिता राजन् दमयन्तीमपृच्छत । एवमप्यसुखाविष्टा बिभर्षि परमं वपु:,“इसका वेष तो उन्मत्तके समान है, परंतु यह विशाल नेत्रोंवाली युवती कल्याणमयी लक्ष्मीके समान जान पड़ती है।” धाय उन सब लोगोंको हटाकर उसे उत्तम राजमहलकी अट्टालिकापर चढ़ा ले आयी। राजन! तत्पश्चात् विस्मित होकर राजमाताने दमयन्तीसे पूछा --अहो! तुम इस प्रकार दुःखसे दबी होनेपर भी इतना सुन्दर रूप कैसे धारण करती हो?
Bṛhadaśva uvāca: āropya vismitā rājan damayantīm apṛcchata | evam apy asukhāviṣṭā bibharṣi paramaṁ vapuḥ ||
Bṛhadaśva said: Having lifted her up, the queen-mother, astonished, questioned Damayantī: “O king, though you are overwhelmed by suffering, how do you still bear such supreme beauty?” The onlookers, noting that her dress appeared like that of one deranged yet her large eyes and youthful presence shone like auspicious Lakṣmī, were moved; and the nurse drove the crowd away and brought her up to the lofty terrace of the royal palace. The scene underscores a moral contrast: outward neglect and hardship do not necessarily extinguish inner dignity, virtue, and innate radiance.
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights that true nobility and inner virtue can remain luminous even under extreme hardship; external disarray does not necessarily reflect inner worth, and compassionate, discerning attention is part of dharma.
Damayantī, worn down by suffering and appearing outwardly neglected, is noticed in the royal setting; the attendants remove the crowd and bring her to the palace terrace, where the queen-mother—astonished by Damayantī’s undiminished beauty—questions her about how she can still appear so radiant despite distress.