Shloka 60
Sudeva Identifies Damayantī in Cedi (सुदेवेन दमयन्ती-परिचयः)
क्षुत्परीतस्तु विमनास्तदप्येकं व्यसर्जयत् । तमेकवसना नग्नमुन्मत्तवदचेतसम्
kṣutparītastu vimanās tad apy ekaṃ vyasarjayat | tam ekavasanā nagnaṃ unmattavad acetasaṃ ||
Bṛhadaśva said: Overcome by hunger and sunk in dejection, he let even that single garment go. Thus he became naked, with only one cloth (now cast off), and wandered like a madman, bereft of clear awareness—showing how calamity can strip a person not only of possessions but also of dignity and self-command.
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how hunger and despair can erode self-control and social dignity; ethically, it cautions that extreme deprivation can push a person toward loss of judgment, inviting compassion and reminding one to guard steadiness (dhairya) and discernment even amid adversity.
In Bṛhadaśva’s narration, a person—driven by hunger and despondency—abandons even his last piece of clothing, becoming naked and behaving like one mentally unsteady, indicating a severe downward turn in his condition.