Shloka 16
Damayantī’s Proposal of a Witnessed Choice; Nala Reports to the Lokapālas
Adhyāya 53
तस्या: समीपे तु नल॑ प्रशशंसु: कुतूहलात् । नैषधस्य समीपे तु दमयन्तीं पुन: पुन:,लोग कौतूहलवश दमयन्तीके समीप नलकी प्रशंसा करते थे और निषधराज नलके निकट बार-बार दमयन्तीके सौन्दर्यकी सराहना किया करते थे
tasyāḥ samīpe tu nalaḥ praśaśaṃsuḥ kutūhalāt | naiṣadhasya samīpe tu damayantīṃ punaḥ punaḥ ||
Por pura curiosidade, as pessoas junto de Damayantī não cessavam de elogiar Nala; e junto de Nala, rei de Niṣadha, voltavam repetidas vezes a exaltar a beleza de Damayantī—cada um sendo celebrado na presença do outro, enquanto a admiração pública acendia o anseio mútuo e preparava o caminho para a união destinada.
बृहृदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Public speech and reputation can powerfully shape desire and decision: repeated praise, even when casual or curiosity-driven, becomes a social force that intensifies attachment and moves events toward their moral and narrative consequences.
In Bṛhadaśva’s narration of Nala–Damayantī, people around Damayantī keep praising Nala, and people around Nala keep praising Damayantī. This reciprocal admiration spreads their fame and deepens their interest in one another, preparing the ground for their meeting and choice.