Shloka 17
नलस्य पुष्करजयो द्यूते
Nala’s Victory over Puṣkara in the Dice-Game
इदं चैव हयज्ञानं त्वदीयं मयि तिष्ठति । तदुपाकर्तुमिच्छामि मन्यसे यदि पार्थिव । एवमुकक््त्वा ददौ विद्यामृतुपर्णाय नैषध:,आपका अभश्वविज्ञान मेरे पास धरोहरके रूपमें पड़ा है। राजन! यदि आप ठीक समझें तो मैं उसे आपको देनेकी इच्छा रखता हूँ। ऐसा कहकर निषधराज नलने ऋतुपर्णको अश्वविद्या प्रदान की
idaṃ caiva hayajñānaṃ tvadīyaṃ mayi tiṣṭhati | tad upākartum icchāmi manyase yadi pārthiva | evam uktvā dadau vidyām ṛtuparṇāya naiṣadhaḥ |
Nala said: “This knowledge of horses, which is truly yours, has remained with me as a trust. O king, if you deem it proper, I wish to return it to you.” Having spoken thus, Nala, the king of Niṣadha, bestowed upon Ṛtuparṇa the science of horsemanship—an act of restitution that restores what is due and seals their exchange in fairness rather than advantage.
नल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic reciprocity: knowledge held in trust should be returned to its rightful owner when the time is appropriate. Nala frames the skill as ṛtuparṇa’s property and offers it back with the king’s consent, modeling ethical restitution and fairness in exchange.
Nala addresses King Ṛtuparṇa and says that the horse-science (horsemanship) that properly belongs to ṛtuparṇa has remained with him. With ṛtuparṇa’s approval, Nala returns it, and then he actually imparts the aśvavidyā to ṛtuparṇa.