Shloka 44

Sudeva Identifies Damayantī in Cedi (सुदेवेन दमयन्ती-परिचयः)

Devanagari script

हतशेषै: सह तदा ब्राह्माणैवेंदपारगै: । अगच्छदू राजशार्दूल चन्द्रलेखेव शारदी,नृपश्रेष्ठी तदनन्तर मरनेसे बचे हुए वेदोंके पारंगत दिद्वान्‌ ब्राह्मणोंके साथ यात्रा करती हुई शरत्कालके चन्द्रमाकी कलाके समान वह सुन्दरी युवती थोड़े ही समयमें संध्या होते- होते सत्यदर्शी चेदिराज सुबाहुकी राजधानीमें जा पहुँची

Transliteration

hataśeṣaiḥ saha tadā brāhmaṇair vedapāragaiḥ | agacchad rājavaśārdūla candralekheva śāradī || nṛpaśreṣṭha tad-anantaraṃ maraṇeṣv avasthiteṣu bace hue vedānāṃ pāragatāḥ vidvāṃso brāhmaṇaiḥ saha yātrāṃ kurvatī śaratkālasya candramasaḥ kalāṃ iva sā sundarī yuvatī alpa-kālena sandhyāyāṃ satyadarśinaś cedirājasya subāhoḥ rājadhānīṃ prāpa ||

Translation

Тогда она, в сопровождении уцелевших брахманов, знатоков Вед, отправилась в путь — о тигр среди царей — подобная светлому серпу осенней луны. Вскоре, когда уже близился вечер, та прекрасная юная дева достигла столицы царя Чеди Субаху, правителя, прославленного умением различать истину.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'हतशेषैः (hataśeṣaiḥ)', 'meaning': 'with those who remained after being slain

• the survivors'}, {'term': 'ब्राह्मणैः (brāhmaṇaiḥ)', 'meaning': 'with Brahmins'}, {'term': 'वेदपारगैः (vedapāragaiḥ)', 'meaning': 'those who have gone to the far shore of the Vedas

• consummate Vedic scholars'}, {'term': 'अगच्छत् (agacchat)', 'meaning': 'went, proceeded'}, {'term': 'राजशार्दूल (rājaśārdūla)', 'meaning': 'O tiger among kings (vocative address)'}, {'term': 'चन्द्रलेखा (candralekhā)', 'meaning': 'a streak/crescent of the moon'}, {'term': 'शारदी (śāradī)', 'meaning': 'autumnal

• belonging to the autumn season'}, {'term': 'नृपश्रेष्ठ (nṛpaśreṣṭha)', 'meaning': 'O best of kings (vocative address)'}, {'term': 'सत्यदर्शिन् (satyadarśin)', 'meaning': 'one who sees/discerns truth

• truthful and discerning'}, {'term': 'चेदिराज (cedirāja)', 'meaning': 'king of Cedi'}, {'term': 'सुबाहु (subāhu)', 'meaning': 'Subāhu (proper name)'}, {'term': 'राजधानी (rājadhānī)', 'meaning': 'capital city'}]

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• बृहदश्व (Bṛhadaśva)
• ब्राह्मण (Brahmins)
• चेदि (Cedi)
• सुबाहु (Subāhu)
• राजधानी (capital city)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

After violence and loss, dharma is upheld through the protection offered by the learned and by righteous kingship: survivors seek safety under a truth-discerning ruler, guided by Vedic-knowing Brahmins.

What is happening in the narrative?

A beautiful young woman travels with the surviving Veda-versed Brahmins and quickly reaches the capital of the Cedi king Subāhu by evening; her movement is compared to the autumn moon’s crescent.