Shloka 53

Damayantī’s Proposal of a Witnessed Choice; Nala Reports to the Lokapālas

Adhyāya 53

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि नलोपाख्यानपर्वणि हंसदमयन्तीसंवादे त्रिपउ्चाशत्तमो<डध्याय:

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi nalopākhyānaparvaṇi haṃsa-damayantī-saṃvāde tripañcāśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

अशा प्रकारे श्रीमहाभारताच्या वनपर्वातील नलोपाख्यानपर्वात हंस-दमयंती संवादविषयक त्रेपन्नावा अध्याय समाप्त झाला।

Word by Word

• इति: thus; end-quote marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• श्रीमहाभारते: in the revered Mahābhārata
• श्रीमहाभारते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभारत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वनपर्वणि: in the Vana-parvan (Forest Book)
• वनपर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनपर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• नलोपाख्यानपर्वणि: in the Nala-upākhyāna section
• नलोपाख्यानपर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नलोपाख्यानपर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• हंसदमयन्तीसंवादे: in the dialogue of the swan and Damayantī
• हंसदमयन्तीसंवादे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंसदमयन्तीसंवाद
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• त्रिपञ्चाशत्तमः: fifty-third
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिपञ्चाशत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

बृहृदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mahābhārata
• Vana Parva
• Nalopākhyāna
• Haṃsa (swan)
• Damayantī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

As a chapter-colophon, the verse primarily signals closure, but it also highlights the ethical function of the episode: guidance is conveyed through dialogue and a messenger figure, emphasizing discernment (viveka) and dharmic decision-making in matters of love and marriage.

What is happening in the narrative?

This line concludes Adhyāya 53 of the Nalopākhyāna within the Vana Parva, specifically the section describing the conversation between the swan (haṃsa) and Damayantī.