Shloka 9

ऋतुपर्णस्य विदर्भयात्रा-निश्चयः तथा बाहुकस्य हयपरिक्षा (Ṛtuparṇa’s resolve to go to Vidarbha and Bāhuka’s examination of horses)

Devanagari script

अनेन वपुषा बाला पिप्लुनानेन सूचिता । लक्षितेयं मया देवी निभृतो5ग्निरिवोष्मणा,विधाताके द्वारा निर्मित यह चिह्न इसके भावी ऐश्वर्यका सूचक है। इस समय यह प्रतिपदाकी मलिन चन्द्रकलाके समान अधिक शोभा नहीं पा रही है। इसका सुवर्ण-जैसा सुन्दर शरीर मैलसे व्याप्त और संस्कारशून्य (मार्जन आदिसे रहित) होनेपर भी स्पष्ट रूपसे उद्धासित हो रहा है। इसका रूप-सौन्दर्य नष्ट नहीं हुआ है। जैसे छिपी हुई आग अपनी गरमीसे पहचान ली जाती है, उसी प्रकार यद्यपि देवी दमयन्ती मलिन शरीरसे युक्त है तो भी इस ललाटवर्ती तिलके चिह्नसे ही मैंने इसे पहचान लिया है

Transliteration

anena vapuṣā bālā piplunānena sūcitā | lakṣiteyaṃ mayā devī nibhṛto 'gnir ivoṣmaṇā ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Chính bởi thân thể này—dẫu lấm bẩn và hao mòn—mà thiếu nữ ấy được bộc lộ. Ta đã nhận ra bậc phu nhân cao quý, như nhận ra ngọn lửa ẩn nhờ hơi nóng của nó.”

Word by Word

अनेनby this

वपुषाby (her) body/appearance

बालाthe young girl

पिप्लुनाby the mole/mark (piplū)

अनेनby this

सूचिताis indicated/pointed out

लक्षिताrecognized/identified

इयम्this (woman)

मयाby me

देवीthe lady/queen

निभृतःhidden, concealed

अग्निःfire

इवlike, as

ऊष्मणाby heat/warmth

Speaker

युदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Devī (the lady, contextually Damayantī)

Agni (fire, as simile)

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?

True identity and worth are not erased by outward neglect or suffering; like concealed fire known by its heat, inner nobility can still be discerned despite a soiled appearance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira states that he has recognized the noble woman (understood in context as Damayantī) even though her body appears dirty and worn, using the simile of hidden fire recognized by its warmth.