Shloka 27

दमयन्त्याः अरण्यविहारः — Damayantī’s Passage through the Wilderness

Devanagari script

ह्ृतराज्यं ह्ृतद्रव्यं विवस्त्र क्षुच्छूमान्वितम्‌ । कथमुत्सृज्य गच्छेयमहं त्वां निर्जने वने

Transliteration

hṛtarājyaṁ hṛtadravyaṁ vivastraṁ kṣucchūmānvitam | katham utsṛjya gaccheyam ahaṁ tvāṁ nirjane vane ||

Translation

ನಿಮ್ಮ ರಾಜ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕಸಿದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಧನವೂ ಹೋದದು; ನೀವು ವಸ್ತ್ರವಿಹೀನರಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಹಸಿವು ಮತ್ತು ಶ್ರಮದಿಂದ ಪೀಡಿತರಾಗಿದ್ದೀರಿ. ಈ ನಿರ್ಜನ ಅರಣ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಒಂಟಿಯಾಗಿ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ನಾನು ಹೇಗೆ ಹೋಗಲಿ?

Word by Word

• हृतराज्यम्: one whose kingdom is taken away
• हृतराज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृत-राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हृतद्रव्यम्: one whose wealth is taken away
• हृतद्रव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृत-द्रव्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विवस्त्रम्: without clothing
• विवस्त्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-वस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• क्षुत्: with hunger
• क्षुत्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुत्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• शूमान्वितम्: accompanied by pain/anguish
• शूमान्वितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूमान्वित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• उत्सृज्य: having abandoned/left
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-√सृज्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• गच्छेयम्: could/should I go
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम्
• Form: Vidhi-linga (Optative), Non-past (modal), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• निर्जने: in a lonely/deserted
• निर्जने: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्जन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वने: forest
• वने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

• बृहदश्व (Bṛhadaśva)
• त्वम् (the addressed person; contextually the listener in the dialogue)
• वन (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dharma as compassionate fidelity: when someone is ruined and vulnerable, abandoning them is ethically unthinkable. True righteousness is shown through steadfast support in adversity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva speaks to a companion who has lost kingdom and wealth and is suffering in the forest, declaring that he cannot leave them alone in such a desolate place.