दृष्टपूर्वस् त्वया कश् चिद् धर्मज्ञो नाम बाहुक ॥
सुप्ताम् उत्सृज्य विपिने गतो यः पुरुषः स्त्रियम् ॥
अनागसं प्रियां भार्यां विजने श्रममोहिताम् ॥
अपहाय तु को गच्छेत् पुण्यश्लोकम् ऋते नलम् ॥
किं नु तस्य मया कार्यम् अपराद्धं महीपतेः ॥
यो माम् उत्सृज्य विपिने गतवान् निद्रया हृताम् ॥
साक्षाद् देवान् अपाहाय वृतो यः स मया पुरा ॥
अनुव्रतां साभिकामां पुत्रिणीं त्यक्तवान् कथम् ॥
अग्नौ पाणिगृहीतां च हंसानां वचने स्थिताम् ॥
भरिष्यामीति सत्यं च प्रतिश्रुत्य क्व तद् गतम् ॥
दमयन्त्या ब्रुवन्त्यास् तु सर्वम् एतद् अरिंदम ॥
शोकजं वारि नेत्राभ्याम् असुखं प्रास्रवद् बहु ॥
अतीव कृष्णताराभ्यां रक्तान्ताभ्यां जलं तु तत् ॥
परिस्रवन् नलो दृष्ट्वा शोकार्त इदम् अब्रवीत् ॥
dṛṣṭapūrvas tvayā kaś cid dharmajño nāma bāhuka ||
suptām utsṛjya vipine gato yaḥ puruṣaḥ striyam ||
anāgasaṃ priyāṃ bhāryāṃ vijane śramamohitām ||
apahāya tu ko gacchet puṇyaślokam ṛte nalam ||
kiṃ nu tasya mayā kāryam aparāddhaṃ mahīpateḥ ||
yo mām utsṛjya vipine gatavān nidrayā hṛtām ||
sākṣād devān apāhāya vṛto yaḥ sa mayā purā ||
anuvratāṃ sābhikāmāṃ putriṇīṃ tyaktavān katham ||
agnau pāṇigṛhītāṃ ca haṃsānāṃ vacane sthitām ||
bhariṣyāmīti satyaṃ ca pratiśrutya kva tad gatam ||
damayantyā bruvantyās tu sarvam etad ariṃdama ||
śokajaṃ vāri netrābhyām asukhaṃ prāsravad bahu ||
atīva kṛṣṇatārābhyāṃ raktāntābhyāṃ jalaṃ tu tat ||
parisravan nalo dṛṣṭvā śokārta idam abravīt ||
Damayanti said: "Bahuka, have you ever seen a man called a knower of dharma who went away and left a sleeping woman in the forest? Who, besides Punyashloka Nala, could abandon in a desolate place his innocent, beloved wife, worn out with weariness? What wrong did I do to this king, that he left me sleeping in the forest? I once refused the gods themselves and chose him. How could he abandon a faithful, loving wife who had borne him children? Where is that true promise, 'I will provide for you,' given at the fire when he took my hand, and confirmed by the words of the swans?" As Damayanti said this, abundant tears of grief flowed from her dark eyes, reddened with sorrow.
60e5d0e293f0 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:01:58 PM UTC
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Damayanti speaks not as an accuser seeking to win an argument, but as the keeper of a broken promise. She brings Nala back to the moment at the fire, where their bond was consecrated.