Shloka 4
दमयन्ती-शपथः वायोः साक्ष्यं च
Damayantī’s Oath and Vāyu’s Testimony
न चास्य प्रतिबन्धेन देयोडग्निरपि केशिनि । याचते न जल देयं सर्वथा त्वरमाणया,'“केशिनि! वह आग्रह करे तो भी उसे आग न देना और माँगनेपर भी किसी प्रकार जल्दीमें आकर पानी भी न देना
na cāsya pratibandhena deyognir api keśini | yācate na jalaṁ deyaṁ sarvathā tvaramāṇayā ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “Keśinī, even if he presses you insistently, do not give him fire; and even if he begs, do not give him water—under no circumstance should you act in haste.” The counsel stresses prudent restraint: compassion must be guided by discernment, especially when a request may enable harm or worsen a perilous situation.
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
Acting ethically includes restraint and discernment: do not enable potentially harmful actions by giving dangerous means (fire) or even seemingly harmless aid (water) when circumstances are unclear; avoid decisions made in haste.
Bṛhadaśva instructs Keśinī on how to respond to a man’s demands: even if he insists or begs, she must refuse to provide fire and water, emphasizing caution and controlled judgment in a tense situation.