Shloka 30

Damayantī’s Proposal of a Witnessed Choice; Nala Reports to the Lokapālas

Adhyāya 53

Devanagari script

दृष्टवन्तो न चास्माभिरदर्दष्टपूर्वस्तथाविध: । त्वं चापि रत्नं नारीणां नरेषु च नलो वर:

Transliteration

dṛṣṭavanto na cāsmābhir adṛṣṭapūrvas tathāvidhaḥ | tvaṃ cāpi ratnaṃ nārīṇāṃ nareṣu ca nalo varaḥ ||

Translation

Bṛhadaśva nói: “Chúng ta quả đã thấy nhiều người, nhưng chưa từng gặp ai như thế. Nàng cũng là viên ngọc giữa muôn nữ; còn giữa muôn nam, Nala là bậc tối ưu.”

Word by Word

• दृष्टवन्तः: having seen
• दृष्टवन्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्टवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Masculine/Feminine (pronoun), Instrumental, Plural

• अदृष्टपूर्वः: never seen before
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदृष्टपूर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथाविधः: of such a kind
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथाविध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine/Feminine (pronoun), Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• रत्नम्: a jewel
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• नारीणाम्: of women
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• नरेषु: among men
• नरेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• नलः: Nala
• Type: Noun
• Root: नल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वरः: excellent/best
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

बृहृदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva
• Nala

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True excellence is recognized as rare and exemplary: Damayantī is praised as a ‘jewel among women’ and Nala as ‘the best among men,’ highlighting ideals of virtue, worthiness, and noble character in dharmic life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva, narrating the Nala–Damayantī episode, offers a formal commendation: he declares that such a person has never been seen before and extols Damayantī’s exceptional qualities while affirming Nala’s preeminence among men.