Shloka 16
दमयन्ती-शपथः वायोः साक्ष्यं च
Damayantī’s Oath and Vāyu’s Testimony
अतीव चान्यत् सुमहदाश्चर्य दृष्टवत्यहम् । यत् स पुष्पाण्युपादाय हस्ताभ्यां ममृदे शनै:,एक और भी अत्यन्त आश्चर्यजनक बात मुझे उसमें दिखायी दी है। वह फूल लेकर उन्हें हाथोंसे धीरे-धीरे मसलता था। हाथोंसे मसलनेपर भी वे फूल विकृत नहीं होते थे अपितु और भी सुगन्धित और विकसित हो जाते थे। ये अद्भुत लक्षण देखकर मैं शीघ्रतापूर्वक यहाँ आयी हूँ
bṛhadaśva uvāca | atīva cānyat sumahad āścaryaṃ dṛṣṭavaty aham | yat sa puṣpāṇy upādāya hastābhyāṃ mamṛde śanaiḥ ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “I witnessed yet another exceedingly great marvel. He took flowers in his hands and gently crushed them; and even when pressed by the hands, the flowers were not deformed—rather, they became still more fragrant and more fully blossomed. Seeing these wondrous signs, I hastened here at once.”
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights auspicious, non-violent power: true excellence can manifest as gentleness—touch that does not harm but instead enhances what it contacts—suggesting inner purity and благоприятные (auspicious) qualities rather than brute force.
The speaker reports witnessing a marvel: a man gently crushes flowers in his hands, yet they do not wither or deform; instead they become more fragrant and more open. Interpreting this as an extraordinary sign, the speaker quickly comes to report it.