Shloka 22
नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः
Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city
उन्मत्तां विलपन्तीं मां भार्यामिष्टां नराधिप । ईप्सितामीप्सितो$सि त्वं कि मां न प्रतिभाषसे,महाराज! मैं आपकी प्रिय पत्नी हूँ और आप मेरे प्रियतम पति हैं, ऐसी दशामें भी मैं यहाँ उन्मत्त विलाप कर रही हूँ तो भी आप मेरी बातका उत्तर क्यों नहीं देते?
Bṛhadaśva uvāca: Unmattāṁ vilapantīṁ māṁ bhāryām iṣṭāṁ narādhipa, īpsitām īpsito ’si tvaṁ; kiṁ māṁ na pratibhāṣase, mahārāja?
ブリハダシュヴァは言った。「人々の主よ、わたしはあなたの愛しき妻、心乱れて狂える者のように嘆き泣いている。あなたはわたしが久しく望んだ夫、わたしはあなたが望んだ妻——それなのに、大王よ、なぜわたしに答えてくださらぬのですか。」
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of responsiveness within relationships: when someone is in anguish, especially within the bond of marriage, silence can deepen suffering. It implicitly calls for compassion, acknowledgment, and timely speech as part of dharma.
A woman, identifying herself as the king’s beloved wife, laments in a distraught state and appeals to him directly. She emphasizes their mutual desirability and marital bond, questioning why he remains silent and does not answer her.