Shloka 19

दमयन्ती–बाहुकसंवादः

Damayantī’s Dialogue with Bāhuka; Recognition and Disclosure

Devanagari script

सा वै यथा समादिष्टा तथा<>स्ते त्वत्प्रतीक्षिणी । दहामाना दिवा रात्रौ वस्त्रार्थेनाभिसंवृता,“उसे तुमने जिस अवस्थामें देखा था, उसी अवस्थामें वह आज भी है और तुम्हारे आगमनकी प्रतीक्षा कर रही है। आधे वस्त्रसे अपने शरीरको ढककर वह युवती दिन-रात तुम्हारी विरहाग्निमें जल रही है

Transliteration

sā vai yathā samādiṣṭā tathāste tvatpratīkṣiṇī | dahāmānā divā rātrau vastrārthenābhisaṃvṛtā ||

Translation

她仍如所受之命一般——依旧在等待你。昼夜为离别之火所灼，那年轻女子仅为衣饰之礼而遮身，身上不过半幅衣裳。

Word by Word

साshe

वैindeed

यथाas, just as

समादिष्टाinstructed/ordered

तथाso, in that manner

आस्तेshe remains/sits

त्वत्of you/your

प्रतीक्षिणीwaiting (woman)

दहामानाburning, being scorched

दिवाby day / in the daytime

रात्रौat night

वस्त्रार्थेनwith (only) the purpose of clothing / as a garment

अभिसंवृताcovered, wrapped

Speaker

बाहक उवाच

Characters & Entities

bāhaka (speaker)

a young woman (unnamed)

Character Dynamics

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 steadfast loyalty and the ethical weight of separation: sincere attachment can become a consuming inner fire, and the listener is implicitly reminded of responsibility toward one who waits and suffers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bāhaka reports that the woman remains exactly as previously directed, continuing to wait for the addressee; she is described as wasting away in grief, day and night, with only minimal covering.