Shloka 12
दमयन्त्याः अरण्यविहारः — Damayantī’s Passage through the Wilderness
क्षुधया पीड्यमानस्तु नलो बहुतिथेडहनि । अपश्यच्छकुनान् कांश्रिद्धिरण्यसदृशच्छदान्,इसी प्रकार नल बहुत दिनोंतक क्षुधासे पीड़ित रहे। एक दिन उन्होंने कुछ ऐसे पक्षी देखे, जिनकी पाँखें सोनेकी-सी थीं
Bṛhadaśva uvāca |
Kṣudhayā pīḍyamānas tu Nalo bahutitheḍahani |
Apaśyac chakunān kāṁś cid dhiraṇya-sadṛśa-cchadān ||
ഇങ്ങനെ നളൻ പല ദിവസങ്ങളായി വിശപ്പാൽ പീഡിതനായി അലഞ്ഞു നടന്നു. ഒരു ദിവസം സ്വർണ്ണംപോലെ തിളങ്ങുന്ന ചിറകുകളുള്ള ചില പക്ഷികളെ അവൻ കണ്ടു.
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extreme distress (like hunger) can cloud discernment and make alluring appearances seem irresistible; the episode sets up an ethical test where restraint and clear judgment are needed even under suffering.
Bṛhadaśva narrates that Nala, weakened by prolonged hunger, sees some birds with gold-like wings—an enticing sight that foreshadows Nala’s next actions in the story.