Shloka 2

दमयन्तीस्वयंवरः — देववेषधारणं, सत्यप्रार्थना, नलवरणम्

Damayantī’s Svayaṃvara: Divine Disguises, Truth-Vow, and Choosing Nala

Devanagari script

ततश्रिन्तापरा दीना विवर्णवदना कृशा | बभूव दमयन्ती तु निः:श्वासपरमा तदा,तदनन्तर उसके मनमें सदा चिन्ता बनी रहती थी। स्वभावमें दैन्य आ गया। चेहरेका रंग फीका पड़ गया और दमयन्ती दिन-दिन दुबली होने लगी। उस समय वह प्राय: लंबी साँसें खींचती रहती थी

Transliteration

tataś cintāparā dīnā vivarṇavadanā kṛśā | babhūva damayantī tu niḥśvāsaparamā tadā ||

Translation

やがてダマヤンティーは不安の思いにすっかり囚われた。意気消沈し、顔色は失せ、身はやせ細っていった。その頃、彼女は絶えず深く重い溜息をついていた――胸の苦しみが外に現れたのである。

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

चिन्ता-पराःabsorbed in worry

दीनाwretched, miserable

विवर्ण-वदनाhaving a pale face

कृशाthin, emaciated

बभूवbecame

दमयन्तीDamayantī

तुbut, indeed

निःश्वास-परमाgiven over chiefly to sighing

तदाat that time

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Damayantī

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how inner turmoil manifests outwardly—worry, grief, and uncertainty can erode vitality. Ethically, it invites compassion toward those in distress and underscores the need for steadiness and support when dharma is tested by suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bṛhadaśva’s narration of the Nala–Damayantī story, Damayantī is shown after the onset of separation and hardship: she becomes constantly anxious, loses her complexion, grows thin, and repeatedly sighs, indicating deep emotional pain.