Shloka 15

दमयन्ती–बाहुकसंवादः

Damayantī’s Dialogue with Bāhuka; Recognition and Disclosure

Devanagari script

न चान्य: पुरुष: वश्रिन्नलं वेत्ति यशस्विनि । गूढश्चरति लोके5स्मिन्‌ नष्टरूपे महीपति:,यशस्विनि! दूसरा कोई पुरुष भी नलको नहीं जानता। राजा नलका पहला रूप अदृश्य हो गया है। वे इस जगत्‌में गूढ़भावसे विचरते हैं

Transliteration

na cānyaḥ puruṣaḥ vṛśrinn alaṃ vetti yaśasvini | gūḍhaś carati loke 'smin naṣṭarūpe mahīpatiḥ ||

Translation

Bāhuka said: “And no other man, O illustrious lady, truly knows Nala. The king’s former appearance has vanished; in this world he moves about in concealment, his identity hidden.”

Word by Word

नnot

चand

अन्यःanother (other)

पुरुषःman, person

वैindeed

श्रीन्O illustrious one

नलम्Nala

वेत्तिknows

यशस्विनिO renowned lady

गूढःhidden, in disguise

चरतिmoves about, wanders

लोकेin the world

अस्मिन्in this

नष्ट-रूपेwhen (his) form is lost/changed

महीपतिःking (lord of the earth)

यशस्विनिO renowned lady

Speaker

बाहक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bāhuka

Nala

yaśasvinī (addressed woman, i.e., Damayantī by context)

mahīpati (the king)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how suffering and circumstance can obscure one’s outward identity, yet inner truth remains; it also cautions against judging solely by appearance and underscores the ethical need for discernment and patience in seeking what is real.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bāhuka (Nala in disguise) tells the addressed lady that no one else truly recognizes Nala, because the king’s former appearance has disappeared and he now moves through the world hidden and unrecognized.