Shloka 15

दमयन्त्याः कार्यनिश्चयः — Damayantī’s Crisis Plan and Vārṣṇeya’s Departure

Devanagari script

तानीह तिष्ठतां भूमावेकस्थापि न लक्षये । सा विनिश्ित्य बहुधा विचार्य च पुन: पुनः:

Transliteration

tānīha tiṣṭhatāṃ bhūmāv ekasthāpi na lakṣaye | sā viniścitya bahudhā vicārya ca punaḥ punaḥ ||

Translation

“Dẫu họ đang ở đây, đứng trên mặt đất, ta cũng không thể nhận ra dù chỉ một dấu hiệu nào cho đúng chỗ. Vì vậy, sau khi đã định liệu, ta lại suy xét theo nhiều cách—hết lần này đến lần khác.”

Word by Word

तानिthose (things)

इहhere

तिष्ठताम्let (them) stand / while (they) stand

भूमौon the ground

एकस्थin one place / single-positioned

अपिeven / also

नnot

लक्षयेI perceive / I notice

साshe / that (woman)

विनिश्चित्यhaving ascertained / having determined

बहुधाin many ways

विचार्यhaving reflected / having considered

चand

पुनःagain

Speaker

बृहदश्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

बृहदश्व (Bṛhadaśva)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights careful discernment: when things are not clearly perceived or seem out of place, one should not act hastily but repeatedly examine and ascertain the matter before deciding.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva describes a moment of confusion or non-recognition—despite something being present, he cannot identify it properly—so the concerned person (referred to as 'sā') repeatedly reflects and investigates to reach a determination.