Shloka 8
नलस्य पुष्करजयो द्यूते
Nala’s Victory over Puṣkara in the Dice-Game
अर्चितानि च सर्वाणि देवतायतनानि च । ऋतुपर्णोडपि शुभ्राव बाहुकच्छझिनं नलम्
arcitāni ca sarvāṇi devatāyatanāni ca | ṛtuparṇo 'pi śubhrāva bāhukacchāyinaṃ nalam ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “All the shrines of the gods were duly worshipped; and even King Ṛtuparṇa, riding in the splendid chariot, shone forth with Nala—now disguised as Bāhuka—beside him.”
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid concealment and hardship, dharmic conduct continues through reverence to the divine and proper observance of sacred places; outer disguise does not negate inner nobility and right action.
Bṛhadaśva describes Ṛtuparṇa’s journey in which the king appears splendid, with Nala—hidden under the name Bāhuka—close by; along the way, the party honours the gods by worshipping the temples they encounter.