दमयन्त्य् उवाच
न माम् अर्हसि कल्याण पापेन परिशङ्कितुम् ॥
मया हि देवान् उत्सृज्य वृतस् त्वं निषधाधिप ॥
तवाभिगमनार्थं तु सर्वतो ब्राह्मणा गताः ॥
वाक्यानि मम गाथाभिर् गायमाना दिशो दश ॥
ततस् त्वां ब्राह्मणो विद्वान् पर्णादो नाम पार्थिव ॥
अभ्यगच्छत् कोसलायाम् ऋतुपर्णनिवेशने ॥
तेन वाक्ये हृते सम्यक् प्रतिवाक्ये तथाहृते ॥
उपायो ऽयं मया दृष्टो नैषधानयने तव ॥
त्वाम् ऋते न हि लोके ऽन्य एकाह्ना पृथिवीपते ॥
समर्थो योजनशतं गन्तुम् अश्वैर् नराधिप ॥
तथा चेमौ महीपाल भजे ऽहं चरणौ तव ॥
यथा नासत्कृतं किं चिन् मनसापि चराम्य् अहम् ॥
अयं चरति लोके ऽस्मिन् भूतसाक्षी सदागतिः ॥
एष मुञ्चतु मे प्राणान् यदि पापं चराम्य् अहम् ॥
तथा चरति तिग्मांशुः परेण भुवनं सदा ॥
स विमुञ्चतु मे प्राणान् यदि पापं चराम्य् अहम् ॥
चन्द्रमाः सर्वभूतानाम् अन्तश् चरति साक्षिवत् ॥
स विमुञ्चतु मे प्राणान् यदि पापं चराम्य् अहम् ॥
एते देवास् त्रयः कृत्स्नं त्रैलोक्यं धारयन्ति वै ॥
विब्रुवन्तु यथासत्यम् एते वाद्य त्यजन्तु माम् ॥
damayanty uvāca
na mām arhasi kalyāṇa pāpena pariśaṅkitum ||
mayā hi devān utsṛjya vṛtas tvaṃ niṣadhādhipa ||
tavābhigamanārthaṃ tu sarvato brāhmaṇā gatāḥ ||
vākyāni mama gāthābhir gāyamānā diśo daśa ||
tatas tvāṃ brāhmaṇo vidvān parṇādo nāma pārthiva ||
abhyagacchat kosalāyām ṛtuparṇaniveśane ||
tena vākye hṛte samyak prativākye tathāhṛte ||
upāyo 'yaṃ mayā dṛṣṭo naiṣadhānayane tava ||
tvām ṛte na hi loke 'nya ekāhnā pṛthivīpate ||
samartho yojanaśataṃ gantum aśvair narādhipa ||
tathā cemau mahīpāla bhaje 'haṃ caraṇau tava ||
yathā nāsatkṛtaṃ kiṃ cin manasāpi carāmy aham ||
ayaṃ carati loke 'smin bhūtasākṣī sadāgatiḥ ||
eṣa muñcatu me prāṇān yadi pāpaṃ carāmy aham ||
tathā carati tigmāṃśuḥ pareṇa bhuvanaṃ sadā ||
sa vimuñcatu me prāṇān yadi pāpaṃ carāmy aham ||
candramāḥ sarvabhūtānām antaś carati sākṣivat ||
sa vimuñcatu me prāṇān yadi pāpaṃ carāmy aham ||
ete devās trayaḥ kṛtsnaṃ trailokyaṃ dhārayanti vai ||
vibruvantu yathāsatyam ete vādya tyajantu mām ||
Damayanti said: 'Blessed one, you must not suspect me of sin: I renounced the gods and chose you, lord of the Nishadhas. For the sake of your return, brahmanas went in all ten directions, singing my words. The learned brahmana Parnada came to you in Kosala, to the house of Rituparna. When he had faithfully brought back your reply, I saw this way to bring you here, Nishadha. Besides you, O king, there is no man in the world able to cross a hundred yojanas on horses in a single day. I touch your feet: even in thought I have done nothing wrong. May the Wind, who forever moves through this world as witness of all beings, take my life if I have sinned. May the blazing Sun, who always passes over the world, take my life if I have sinned. May the Moon, who moves as a witness within all beings, take my life if I have sinned. These three gods uphold the whole triple world; let them speak the truth, or let them abandon me this very day.'
6614e766ab1a · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:01:58 PM UTC
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Damayanti defends herself not through cunning but by calling on cosmic witnesses. Her purity rests on standing open before Vayu, the Sun, and the Moon.