Shloka 13
दमयन्त्या वणिजां सार्थगमनम्, हस्तियूथविप्लवः, चेदिराजपुरप्रवेशश्च
Damayantī joins a caravan; elephant-herd catastrophe; entry into Cedi
स विनिश्चित्य बहुधा विचार्य च पुनः पुन: । उत्सर्ग मन्यते श्रेयो दमयन्त्या नराधिप,राजन! नल अनेक प्रकारसे बार-बार विचार करके एक निश्चयपर पहुँच गये और दमयन्तीका परित्याग कर देनेमें ही उसकी भलाई मानने लगे
sa viniścitya bahudhā vicārya ca punaḥ punaḥ | utsargaṁ manyate śreyo damayantyā narādhipa rājan |
Disse Bṛhadaśva: Depois de chegar a uma decisão firme e de a ponderar de muitos modos, repetidas vezes, o rei Nala passou a crer, ó senhor dos homens, ó rei, que seria melhor para Damayantī se ele a abandonasse. Em seu juízo atribulado, ele trata a separação como um ato voltado ao bem dela, revelando a tensão ética entre a intenção e o dano causado pelos meios escolhidos.
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical dilemma: a person may repeatedly deliberate and still choose a course believed to be for another’s welfare, yet the chosen means (abandonment) can be morally fraught. It invites reflection on whether good intentions justify harmful actions and how discernment (vicāra) must weigh both motive and consequence.
In Bṛhadaśva’s retelling of Nala’s story, Nala—under severe distress—repeatedly thinks through his situation and arrives at a decision that Damayantī would be better off without him. He therefore inclines toward abandoning her, framing separation as a protective act for her sake.