Shloka 9
Adhyāya 76: Kuṇḍina-praveśaḥ, Bhīmena satkāraḥ, Ṛtuparṇa-kṣamā, Aśvahṛdaya-pratyarpanam
Nala’s Reception and Reconciliation
ततः काषायवसना जटिला मलपड्किनी । दमयन्ती महाराज बाहुकं वाक्यमत्रवीत्,महाराज! तदनन्तर मलिन वस्त्र पहने, जटा धारण किये, मैल और पंकसे मलिन दमयन्तीने बाहुकसे पूछा--
tataḥ kāṣāyavasanā jaṭilā malapaṅkinī | damayantī mahārāja bāhukaṃ vākyam abravīt ||
Then Damayantī—O king—clad in soiled ochre garments, her hair matted in locks, and her body smeared with dirt and mud, addressed Bāhuka with words. The scene underscores her endurance and moral resolve: even in degradation and hardship, she speaks with purpose, seeking truth and right conduct rather than surrendering to despair.
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness in dharma under extreme adversity: Damayantī’s outward ruin does not diminish her inner dignity and commitment to truth, loyalty, and purposeful speech.
Damayantī, reduced to a distressed and unkempt state from wandering and suffering, approaches and speaks to Bāhuka—who is actually Nala in disguise—initiating a crucial exchange that advances recognition and reunion.