Shloka 25
नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः
Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city
महाराज महारण्ये अहमेकाकिनी सती । दमयन्त्यभिभाषे त्वां कि मां न प्रतिभाषसे,महाराज! इस महान् वनमें मैं सती दमयन्ती अकेली आपको पुकार रही हूँ, आप मुझे उत्तर क्यों नहीं देते?
mahārāja mahāraṇye aham ekākinī satī | damayanty abhibhāṣe tvāṁ ki māṁ na pratibhāṣase, mahārāja ||
“O Maharaja, sa malawak na ilang na ito, ako—si Damayantī, ang asawang tapat at malinis—ay nag-iisang nakatayo at tumatawag sa iyo. Bakit hindi mo ako sinasagot, O hari?”
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfast virtue (satitva) and the moral pain caused by neglect or abandonment; it implicitly upholds responsibility and compassion within marriage even amid adversity.
Damayantī, left alone in the forest, calls out to her husband Nala (addressing him as king) and asks why he does not respond, expressing fear, grief, and unwavering fidelity.