Shloka 14
दमयन्त्याः कार्यनिश्चयः — Damayantī’s Crisis Plan and Vārṣṇeya’s Departure
श्रुतानि देवलिड्रानि तर्कयामास भारत । देवानां यानि लिड्डानि स्थविरेभ्य: श्रुतानि मे,शरणं प्रति देवानां प्राप्तकालममन्यत । भारत! उसने अपने सुने हुए देवचिह्ञोंपर भी विचार किया। वह मन-ही-मन कहने लगी 'मैंने बड़े-बूढ़े पुरुषोंसे देवताओंकी पहचान करानेवाले जो लक्षण या चिह्न सुन रखे हैं, उन्हें यहाँ भूमिपर बैठे हुए इन पाँच पुरुषोंमेंसे किसी एकमें भी नहीं देख पाती हूँ।! उसने अनेक प्रकारसे निश्चय और बार-बार विचार करके देवताओंकी शरणमें जाना ही समयोचित कर्तव्य समझा
bṛhadaśva uvāca | śrutāni devaliṅgāni tarkayāmāsa bhārata | devānāṃ yāni liṅgāni sthavirebhyaḥ śrutāni me, śaraṇaṃ prati devānāṃ prāptakālam amanyata |
Disse Bṛhadaśva: “Ó Bhārata, ela refletiu sobre os sinais divinos de que ouvira falar. ‘As marcas pelas quais se reconhecem os deuses—ensinadas a mim pelos anciãos—não as percebo em nenhum destes cinco homens sentados aqui no chão.’ Depois de ponderar de muitos modos e considerar repetidas vezes, concluiu que, naquele momento, o proceder adequado era buscar refúgio nos deuses.”
बृहदश्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
When ordinary perception and inherited criteria fail to yield certainty, one should deliberate carefully and then take timely refuge in a higher moral and spiritual support (śaraṇa), rather than act rashly.
A woman (implied by the verbs and context) examines the five men before her, compares them with the divine identifying marks she learned from elders, finds no clear match, and therefore decides that the appropriate step is to seek the gods’ protection and guidance.