Shloka 4
दमयन्त्या वणिजां सार्थगमनम्, हस्तियूथविप्लवः, चेदिराजपुरप्रवेशश्च
Damayantī joins a caravan; elephant-herd catastrophe; entry into Cedi
तावेकवस्त्रसंवीतावटमानावितस्तत: । क्षुत्पिपासापरिश्रान्ती सभां कांचिदुपेयतु:,बृहदश्च मुनि कहते हैं--राजन्! आधे वस्त्रसे ढकी हुई कल्याणमयी दमयन्तीसे बार- बार ऐसा कहकर राजा नलने उसे सान्त्वना दी; क्योंकि वे दोनों एक ही वस्त्रसे अपने अंगोंको ढककर इधर-उधर घूम रहे थे। भूख और प्याससे थके-माँदे वे दोनों दम्पति किसी सभाभवन (धर्मशाला)-में जा पहुँचे
tāv ekavastrasaṃvītāv aṭamānāv itaḥ tataḥ | kṣutpipāsāpariśrāntau sabhāṃ kāñcid upeyatuḥ ||
Disse Bṛhadaśva: “Ó rei, ambos, cobertos por uma só veste, vagavam de um lado para outro. Exausto de fome e sede, o casal chegou a certa sabhā—um salão público de assembleia e abrigo.”
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness and mutual support in adversity: even when reduced to a single garment and weakened by hunger and thirst, the couple continues forward with dignity, implicitly invoking dharma through endurance and the social ethic of seeking shelter.
Nala and Damayantī, sharing one cloth and wandering aimlessly, become exhausted by hunger and thirst and then arrive at a sabhā—understood as a public hall or shelter—marking a moment of vulnerability and the search for refuge.