Shloka 16

Damayantī’s Lament, Serpent-Seizure, Rescue by the Hunter, and the Curse

Devanagari script

सुहृत्स्वजनवाक्यानि यथावन्न शृणोति च । ममापि च तथा वाक्य नाभिनन्दति मोहित:,*वे सुहदों और स्वजनोंके वचन अच्छी तरह नहीं सुनते हैं। जूएने उन्हें ऐसा मोहित कर रखा है कि इस समय वे मेरी बातका भी आदर नहीं कर रहे हैं। मैं इसमें महामना नैषधका निश्चय ही कोई दोष नहीं मानती। जूएसे मोहित होनेके कारण ही राजा मेरी बातका अभिनन्दन नहीं कर रहे हैं

Transliteration

suhṛtsvajana-vākyāni yathāvan na śṛṇoti ca | mamāpi ca tathā vākyaṃ nābhinandati mohitaḥ ||

Translation

王は友や親族の言葉をしかと聞き入れない。賭博に惑わされ、いまは私の忠告さえ喜んで受けようとしない。だが私は、ニシャダの高徳なる王ナラに何の咎も見いださぬ。ただ賭け事の魔に魅入られているがゆえに、私の言葉を尊ばぬのだ。

Word by Word

सुहृत्among friends

स्वजनamong one’s own people/kinsmen

वाक्यानिwords, statements

यथावत्properly, as it should be

नnot

शृणोतिhe hears/listens

चand

ममof me, my

अपिalso, even

चand

तथाthus, in the same way

वाक्यम्word, statement

नnot

अभिनन्दतिhe approves/welcomes

मोहितःdeluded, bewildered

Speaker

बृहृदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bṛhadaśva

Naiṣadha (Nala)

suhṛt (well-wishers)

svajana (kinsmen)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Delusion born of vice (here, gambling) can eclipse discernment so thoroughly that a person stops heeding even well-wishers and rightful counsel; ethical judgment requires self-control and freedom from such moha.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker observes that the king of Niṣadha (Nala), overwhelmed by the spell of gambling, is no longer receptive to advice from friends, relatives, or even the speaker; the blame is placed on the deluding power of gambling rather than on Nala’s inherent character.