Shloka 3

दमयन्तीस्वयंवरः — देववेषधारणं, सत्यप्रार्थना, नलवरणम्

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

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वदृष्टिर्यानपरा बभूवोन्मत्तदर्शना | पाण्डुवर्णा क्षणेनाथ हृच्छयाविष्टचेतना,ऊपरकी ओर निहारती हुई सदा नलके ध्यानमें परायण रहती थी। देखनेमें उन्मत्त-सी जान पड़ती थी। उसका शरीर पाण्डुवर्णका हो गया। कामवेदनाकी अधिकतासे उसकी चेतना क्षण-क्षणमें विलुप्त-सी हो जाती थी

Transliteration

bṛhadaśva uvāca | ūrdhvadṛṣṭir yānaparā babhūvonmattadarśanā | pāṇḍuvarṇā kṣaṇenātha hṛcchayāviṣṭacetanā ||

Translation

ಅವಳ ದೃಷ್ಟಿ ಮೇಲಕ್ಕೆ ಏರಿದಂತೆಯೇ, ಸದಾ ನಲನ ಧ್ಯಾನದಲ್ಲೇ ಲೀನವಾಗಿದ್ದಳು. ನೋಡಲು ಉನ್ಮತ್ತಳಂತೆ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದ್ದಳು. ಕ್ಷಣದಲ್ಲೇ ಅವಳ ದೇಹ ಪಾಂಡುರವರ್ಣವಾಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತು; ಪ್ರೇಮವೇದನೆಯಿಂದ ವ್ಯಾಕುಲವಾದ ಅವಳ ಚಿತ್ತವು ಮರುಮರು ಮಂಕಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆ ತೋರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು.

Word by Word

ऊर्ध्व-दृष्टिःhaving an upward gaze

यान-परāintent on going/journeying (i.e., fixed on one course)

बभूवbecame/was

उन्मत्त-दर्शनāhaving a mad/deranged appearance

पाण्डु-वर्णāpale-colored

क्षणेनin a moment / by a moment

अथthen/and now

हृत्-शय-आविष्ट-चेतनāwhose mind was possessed/overcome by heart-dwelling (love/anguish)

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bṛhadaśva

Nala

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 overpowering attachment and separation can destabilize the mind and body; it implicitly warns that unchecked passion (kāma) can eclipse steadiness and well-being, making inner discipline and support essential in distress.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva describes the heroine’s condition in separation from Nala: she remains absorbed in him, looks upward as if lost in thought, appears almost mad, turns pale, and repeatedly loses clarity of consciousness due to intense love-torment.