ददर्श तत्र वैदर्भीं सखीगणसमावृताम् ॥
देदीप्यमानां वपुषा श्रिया च वरवर्णिनीम् ॥
अतीव सुकुमाराङ्गीं तनुमध्यां सुलोचनाम् ॥
आक्षिपन्तीम् इव च भाः शशिनः स्वेन तेजसा ॥
तस्य दृष्ट्वैव ववृधे कामस् तां चारुहासिनीम् ॥
सत्यं चिकीर्षमाणस् तु धारयाम् आस हृच्छयम् ॥
ततस् ता नैषधं दृष्ट्वा संभ्रान्ताः परमाङ्गनाः ॥
आसनेभ्यः समुत्पेतुस् तेजसा तस्य धर्षिताः ॥
प्रशशंसुश् च सुप्रीता नलं ता विस्मयान्विताः ॥
न चैनम् अभ्यभाषन्त मनोभिस् त्व् अभ्यचिन्तयन् ॥
अहो रूपम् अहो कान्तिर् अहो धैर्यं महात्मनः ॥
को ऽयं देवो नु यक्षो नु गन्धर्वो नु भविष्यति ॥
न त्व् एनं शक्नुवन्ति स्म व्याहर्तुम् अपि किं चन ॥
तेजसा धर्षिताः सर्वा लज्जावत्यो वराङ्गनाः ॥
अथैनं स्मयमानेव स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषिणी ॥
दमयन्ती नलं वीरम् अभ्यभाषत विस्मिता ॥
कस् त्वं सर्वानवद्याङ्ग मम हृच्छयवर्धन ॥
प्राप्तो ऽस्य् अमरवद् वीर ज्ञातुम् इच्छामि ते ऽनघ ॥
कथम् आगमनं चेह कथं चासि न लक्षितः ॥
सुरक्षितं हि मे वेश्म राजा चैवोग्रशासनः ॥
dadarśa tatra vaidarbhīṃ sakhīgaṇasamāvṛtām ||
dedīpyamānāṃ vapuṣā śriyā ca varavarṇinīm ||
atīva sukumārāṅgīṃ tanumadhyāṃ sulocanām ||
ākṣipantīm iva ca bhāḥ śaśinaḥ svena tejasā ||
tasya dṛṣṭvaiva vavṛdhe kāmas tāṃ cāruhāsinīm ||
satyaṃ cikīrṣamāṇas tu dhārayām āsa hṛcchayam ||
tatas tā naiṣadhaṃ dṛṣṭvā saṃbhrāntāḥ paramāṅganāḥ ||
āsanebhyaḥ samutpetus tejasā tasya dharṣitāḥ ||
praśaśaṃsuś ca suprītā nalaṃ tā vismayānvitāḥ ||
na cainam abhyabhāṣanta manobhis tv abhyacintayan ||
aho rūpam aho kāntir aho dhairyaṃ mahātmanaḥ ||
ko 'yaṃ devo nu yakṣo nu gandharvo nu bhaviṣyati ||
na tv enaṃ śaknuvanti sma vyāhartum api kiṃ cana ||
tejasā dharṣitāḥ sarvā lajjāvatyo varāṅganāḥ ||
athainaṃ smayamāneva smitapūrvābhibhāṣiṇī ||
damayantī nalaṃ vīram abhyabhāṣata vismitā ||
kas tvaṃ sarvānavadyāṅga mama hṛcchayavardhana ||
prāpto 'sy amaravad vīra jñātum icchāmi te 'nagha ||
katham āgamanaṃ ceha kathaṃ cāsi na lakṣitaḥ ||
surakṣitaṃ hi me veśma rājā caivograśāsanaḥ ||
There he saw the daughter of Vidarbha, surrounded by her companions, radiant in body, beauty, and royal splendor. She was exceedingly delicate of limb, slender-waisted, lovely-eyed, and seemed by her own brilliance to rob the moon of its light. The instant he saw her lovely smile, Nala felt his love grow, but, desiring to fulfill the truth, he held his heart's desire in check. The women, seeing the king of Nishadha, bewildered by his splendor, sprang up from their seats. They admired Nala, filled with wonder, yet could not speak to him — they only thought: 'Oh, what beauty! Oh, what radiance! Oh, what steadfastness! Who is this — a god, a yaksha, or a gandharva?' At last Damayanti, smiling, said: 'Who are you, flawless of limb, who increase the desire of my heart? You have come like an immortal, o hero; I wish to know you. How did you enter here, and why were you not noticed? My house is well guarded, and the king is strict in his commands.'
d93f1015f294 · publicado 16 jul 2026, 16:54:08 UTC
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Nala meets the one he longs for, yet does not let desire break his promise. Inner restraint matters here more than outward beauty.