Shloka 20

दमयन्त्याः अरण्यविहारः — Damayantī’s Passage through the Wilderness

Devanagari script

वैषम्यं परम॑ प्राप्तो द:खितो गतचेतन: । भर्ता ते5हं निबोधेदं वचन हितमात्मन:,“मैं बड़ी विषम परिस्थितिमें पड़ गया हूँ। दुःखके मारे मेरी चेतना लुप्त-सी हो रही है। मैं तुम्हारा पति हूँ, अतः तुम्हारे हितकी बात बता रहा हूँ, इसे सुनो--

Transliteration

vaiṣamyaṃ paramaṃ prāpto duḥkhito gatacetanaḥ | bhartā te 'haṃ nibodhedaṃ vacanaṃ hitam ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

“ข้าตกอยู่ในความคับขันยิ่งนัก; ถูกความทุกข์บดขยี้จนสติราวจะเลือนหาย แต่ข้าเป็นสามีของเจ้า—จงเข้าใจถ้อยคำนี้ซึ่งเป็นไปเพื่อประโยชน์ของเจ้า และจงฟังเถิด”

Word by Word

वैषम्यम्unevenness; adversity; difficult situation

परम्extreme; great

प्राप्तःhaving reached; having fallen into

दुःखितःafflicted; sorrowful

गतचेतनःone whose consciousness has gone; senseless

भर्ताhusband; supporter

तेof you; your

अहम्I

निबोधknow; understand; listen

इदम्this

वचनम्speech; statement; words

हितम्beneficial; wholesome

आत्मनःfor yourself; of yourself

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bṛhadaśva (speaker)

the wife addressed (unnamed in this verse)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid extreme distress, one should speak and accept counsel grounded in welfare (hita). The speaker invokes the ethical responsibility of a husband/protector (bhartā) to offer guidance aimed at the other’s good, not merely to vent grief.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva, overwhelmed by misfortune and sorrow, addresses his wife and prepares to give her advice. He frames his forthcoming words as beneficial counsel, appealing to his role as her husband and supporter.