बृहदश्व उवाच
अथ दीर्घस्य कालस्य पर्णादो नाम वै द्विजः ॥
प्रत्येत्य नगरं भैमीम् इदं वचनम् अब्रवीत् ॥
नैषधं मृगयानेन दमयन्ति दिवानिशम् ॥
अयोध्यां नगरीं गत्वा भाङ्गस्वरिर् उपस्थितः ॥
श्रावितश् च मया वाक्यं त्वदीयं स महाजने ॥
ऋतुपर्णो महाभागो यथोक्तं वरवर्णिनि ॥
तच् छ्रुत्वा नाब्रवीत् किं चिद् ऋतुपर्णो नराधिपः ॥
न च पारिषदः कश् चिद् भाष्यमाणो मयासकृत् ॥
अनुज्ञातं तु मां राज्ञा विजने कश् चिद् अब्रवीत् ॥
ऋतुपर्णस्य पुरुषो बाहुको नाम नामतः ॥
सूतस् तस्य नरेन्द्रस्य विरूपो ह्रस्वबाहुकः ॥
शीघ्रयाने सुकुशलो मृष्टकर्ता च भोजने ॥
स विनिःश्वस्य बहुशो रुदित्वा च मुहुर् मुहुः ॥
कुशलं चैव मां पृष्ट्वा पश्चाद् इदम् अभाषत ॥
वैषम्यम् अपि संप्राप्ता गोपायन्ति कुलस्त्रियः ॥
आत्मानम् आत्मना सत्यो जितस्वर्गा न संशयः ॥
रहिता भर्तृभिश् चैव न क्रुध्यन्ति कदा चन ॥
विषमस्थेन मूढेन परिभ्रष्टसुखेन च ॥
यत् सा तेन परित्यक्ता तत्र न क्रोद्धुम् अर्हति ॥
प्राणयात्रां परिप्रेप्सोः शकुनैर् हृतवाससः ॥
आधिभिर् दह्यमानस्य श्यामा न क्रोद्धुम् अर्हति ॥
सत्कृतासत्कृता वापि पतिं दृष्ट्वा तथागतम् ॥
भ्रष्टराज्यं श्रिया हीनं श्यामा न क्रोद्धुम् अर्हति ॥
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा त्वरितो ऽहम् इहागतः ॥
श्रुत्वा प्रमाणं भवती राज्ञश् चैव निवेदय ॥
bṛhadaśva uvāca
atha dīrghasya kālasya parṇādo nāma vai dvijaḥ ||
pratyetya nagaraṃ bhaimīm idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
naiṣadhaṃ mṛgayānena damayanti divāniśam ||
ayodhyāṃ nagarīṃ gatvā bhāṅgasvarir upasthitaḥ ||
śrāvitaś ca mayā vākyaṃ tvadīyaṃ sa mahājane ||
ṛtuparṇo mahābhāgo yathoktaṃ varavarṇini ||
tac chrutvā nābravīt kiṃ cid ṛtuparṇo narādhipaḥ ||
na ca pāriṣadaḥ kaś cid bhāṣyamāṇo mayāsakṛt ||
anujñātaṃ tu māṃ rājñā vijane kaś cid abravīt ||
ṛtuparṇasya puruṣo bāhuko nāma nāmataḥ ||
sūtas tasya narendrasya virūpo hrasvabāhukaḥ ||
śīghrayāne sukuśalo mṛṣṭakartā ca bhojane ||
sa viniḥśvasya bahuśo ruditvā ca muhur muhuḥ ||
kuśalaṃ caiva māṃ pṛṣṭvā paścād idam abhāṣata ||
vaiṣamyam api saṃprāptā gopāyanti kulastriyaḥ ||
ātmānam ātmanā satyo jitasvargā na saṃśayaḥ ||
rahitā bhartṛbhiś caiva na krudhyanti kadā cana ||
viṣamasthena mūḍhena paribhraṣṭasukhena ca ||
yat sā tena parityaktā tatra na kroddhum arhati ||
prāṇayātrāṃ pariprepsoḥ śakunair hṛtavāsasaḥ ||
ādhibhir dahyamānasya śyāmā na kroddhum arhati ||
satkṛtāsatkṛtā vāpi patiṃ dṛṣṭvā tathāgatam ||
bhraṣṭarājyaṃ śriyā hīnaṃ śyāmā na kroddhum arhati ||
tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā tvarito 'ham ihāgataḥ ||
śrutvā pramāṇaṃ bhavatī rājñaś caiva nivedaya ||
Brihadashva said: "After a long time, a brahmin named Parnada returned to the city and said to Bhaimi: 'Seeking Nishadha day and night, Damayanti, I came to Ayodhya, to King Bhangasvari. Before a great assembly I spoke your words to the noble Rituparna. Hearing them, the king said nothing, and none of his courtiers answered, though I repeated them many times. But when the king dismissed me, in private a man of Rituparna's named Bahuka spoke to me. He is the king's charioteer, ugly, short-armed, very skilled in swift driving and an excellent cook. He sighed often and wept again and again, asked after my well-being, and then said: "Even when they fall into misfortune, noble women guard themselves; being true and having won heaven, they do not grow angry, even when abandoned by their husbands. She ought not to be angry at one who was in distress, bewildered, deprived of happiness, who sought only to sustain his life, whose clothing was carried off by birds, and who was consumed by anguish. Honored or dishonored, on seeing her husband come to such a state -- fallen from his kingdom, bereft of fortune -- the dark one ought not to be angry." Hearing his words, I hastened here. Now that you have heard, inform the king.'"
4a3d20e0b428 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:58:37 PM UTC
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Bahuka's answer betrays Nala more surely than his name would. Only the one who left Damayanti could defend the guilty man so precisely and weep so deeply.