Shloka 26
दमयन्ती–बाहुकसंवादः
Damayantī’s Dialogue with Bāhuka; Recognition and Disclosure
रहिता भर्त॑भिश्चापि न क्रुध्यन्ति कदाचन । प्राणांश्षारित्रकवचान् धारयन्ति वरस्त्रिय:,श्रेष्ठ नारियाँ अपने पतियोंसे परित्यक्त होनेपर भी कभी क्रोध नहीं करतीं। वे सदा सदाचाररूपी कवचसे आवृत प्राणोंको धारण करती हैं
rahitā bhartṛbhiś cāpi na krudhyanti kadācana | prāṇān śīlācaritrakavacān dhārayanti varastriyaḥ ||
Bāhuka said: “Even when abandoned by their husbands, noble women do not become angry at any time. They preserve their very lives as though protected by an armor of good conduct and virtuous character.”
बाहुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises kṣamā (forbearance) and śīla/ācāra (ethical conduct) as a protective ‘armor’: even under the pain of abandonment, the ideal response is restraint and steadfast virtue rather than anger.
Bāhuka is speaking and characterizing ‘noble women’ by their unwavering self-control. The statement functions as moral instruction within the story, using the metaphor of virtue as a kavaca (armor) that safeguards one’s life and integrity.