Shloka 14

दमयन्ती–बाहुकसंवादः

Damayantī’s Dialogue with Bāhuka; Recognition and Disclosure

Devanagari script

बाहक उवाच इहैव पुत्रौ निक्षिप्प नलस्य शुभकर्मण: । गतस्ततो यथाकामं नैष जानाति नैषधम्‌,बाहुक बोला--भद्रे! पुण्यकर्मा नलके दोनों बालकोंको यहीं रखकर वार्ष्णेय अपनी रुचिके अनुसार अयोध्या चला गया था। यह नलके विषयमें कुछ नहीं जानता है

Transliteration

bāhaka uvāca | ihaiva putrau nikṣipya nalasya śubhakarmaṇaḥ | gatastato yathākāmaṃ naiṣa jānāti naiṣadham ||

Translation

バーフカは言った。「まさにここで、善行に秀でたナラの二人の息子を置き去りにしたのち、ヴァールシュネーヤは己の望むままにそこを去り、アヨーディヤーへ向かった。この者は、ニシャダのナラについて何ひとつ知らぬ。」

Word by Word

बाहुकःBāhuka (the charioteer, i.e., Nala in disguise)

उवाचsaid/spoke

इहhere

एवindeed/just

पुत्रौtwo sons

निक्षिप्यhaving placed/left (behind)

नलस्यof Nala

शुभकर्मणःof the virtuous-deeded (one)

गतःgone

ततःfrom there/then

यथाas/according to

कामम्wish/pleasure

नnot

एषःthis man/he

जानातिknows

नैषधम्the Naiṣadha (Nala, king of Niṣadha)

Speaker

बाहक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bāhaka

Nala (Naiṣadha, king of Niṣadha)

Nala's two sons

Vārṣṇeya

Ayodhyā

Niṣadha

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores ethical restraint in speech: one should not claim knowledge without certainty. It also highlights the vulnerability of family bonds during crisis—Nala’s children are left behind, and reliable knowledge about Nala’s fate becomes scarce.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bāhaka reports that Vārṣṇeya left Nala’s two sons at this place and then went to Ayodhyā as he wished. Bāhaka further states that the person being referred to does not know anything about Nala (the Naiṣadha king), emphasizing the lack of direct information about Nala’s whereabouts.